n. The immediate effect
of June was to bring out buds all over the rose-trees; of the flowered
dresses, to make Phyllis very picturesquely pretty. As for the masseur,
he had more effect than anything else. It was as Phyllis had hoped: the
paralysis of Allan's arms had been less permanent than any one had
thought, and for perhaps the last three years there had been little more
the matter than entire loss of strength and muscle-control, from long
disuse. By the time they had been a month in the country Allan's use of
his arms and shoulders was nearly normal, and Phyllis was having wild
hopes, that she confided to no one but Wallis, of even more sweeping
betterments. Allan slept much better, from the slight increase of
activity, and also perhaps because Phyllis had coaxed him outdoors as
soon as the weather became warm, and was keeping him there. Sometimes
he lay in the garden on his couch, sometimes he sat up in the
wheel-chair, almost always with Phyllis sitting, or lying in her hammock
near him, and the devoted Foxy pretending to hunt something near by.

There were occasional fits of the old depression and silence, when Allan
would lie silently in his own room with his hands crossed and his eyes
shut, answering no one--not even Foxy. Wallis and Phyllis respected
these moods, and left him alone till they were over, but the adoring
Foxy had no such delicacy of feeling. And it is hard to remain silently
sunk in depression when an active small dog is imploring you by every
means he knows to throw balls for him to run after. For the rest, Allan
proved to have naturally a lighter heart and more carefree disposition
than Phyllis. His natural disposition was buoyant. Wallis said that he
had never had a mood in his life till the accident.

His attitude to his wife became more and more a taking-for-granted
affection and dependence. It is to be feared that Phyllis spoiled him
badly. But it was so long since she had been needed by any one person as
Allan needed her! And he had such lovable, illogical, masculine ways of
being wronged if he didn't get the requisite amount of petting, and
grateful for foolish little favors and taking big ones for granted,
that--entirely, as Phyllis insisted to herself, from a sense of combined
duty and grateful interest--she would have had her pretty head removed
and sent him by parcel-post, if he had idly suggested his possible need
of a girl's head some time.

And it was so heavenly--oh, but it wa