n't play decently, but
Captain Garrett is staying here, and Jim and Wally come over pretty
often."

"You might let me teach _you_ to play," he suggested. "Would you care
to?"

"Oh, I'd love it," said Norah, beaming. The beam, had he known it,
was one of delight at the new ring in her patient's voice. Life had
come back to it: he held his head erect, and his eyes were no longer
hopeless.

"And riding?" she hesitated.

"I don't know," he said. "I don't believe I could even get on."

"There's a steady old pony," Norah said. "Why not practise on him?
He stands like a rock. I won't stay and look at you, but Con
could--you see he's lost a leg himself, so you wouldn't mind him. I'm
sure you'll find you can manage--and when you get confidence we'll go
out together."

"Well, you would put hope into--into a dead codfish!" he said. "Great
Scott, if I thought I could get on a horse again!"

Norah laughed.

"We're all horse-mad," she said. "If I were--like you, I know that to
ride would be the thing that would help me most. So you have just got
to." They had arrived at the stables, where Con had the car out and
was lovingly polishing its bonnet.

"Con, can you teach Captain Hardress to drive?"

"Is it the car?" asked Con. "And why not, miss?"

"Can I manage it, do you think?" asked Hardress. "I've only one leg."

"'Tis as many as I have meself," returned Con cheerfully. "And I'm
not that bad a driver, am I, Miss Norah?"

"You're not," Norah answered. "Now I'll leave you to Con, Captain
Hardress: I suppose you'll learn all about the car before you begin to
drive her. Con can run you round to the house afterwards, if you're
tired. The horses are in the stables, too, if you'd care to look at
them."

"Jones have the brown pair out, miss," said Con. "But the others are
all here."

"Well, you can show them to Captain Hardress, Con. I want him to
begin riding Brecon."

She smiled at Hardress, and ran off, looking back just before the
shrubberies hid the stable-yard. Hardress was peering into the bonnet
of the car, with Con evidently explaining its inner mysteries; just as
she looked, he straightened up, and threw off his coat with a quick
gesture.

"_He_'s all right," said Norah happily. She hurried on.

The Tired People were off her hands for the morning. Colonel and Mrs.
West had gone for a drive; Captain Garrett was playing golf with Major
Hunt, who was developing rapidly in playing a one-