drama, where the curtain was to fall on fireworks and a triumph for her
own nationality; and, of course, its ally--_ca se vit_. Dr. Dalrymple
reappeared, looking hopeful, with a good report, but too engrossed in
his ease to be moved even by the Charge of the Light Brigade, or the
state of the hospitals at Scutari. Where was Gwen going? To Sapps
Court--where was that? Oh yes, just beyond his own destination, so he
could give her a lift. And the carriage could take her on to hers and
wait for her, just as easily as go home and come back for him. He might
be detained a long time at the Hospital. Gwen accepted his offer
gratefully, as a private brougham and a coachman made a sort of convoy.
In those days young ladies were not so much at their ease without an
escort, as they have been of late years. According to some authorities,
the new regime is entirely due to the bicycle.

* * * * *

Sapps Court had not been itself since the exciting event of the
accident; at least, so said Aunt M'riar, referring to the disappearance
of Mrs. Prichard chiefly. For the identity of Sapps depended a good deal
on the identity of its inhabitants, and its interests penetrated very
little into the great world without. It was very little affected even by
the news of the War, favourable or the reverse: its patriotism was too
great for that. This must be taken to mean that its confidence in its
country's power of routing its foes was so deep-seated that an equally
firm belief that its armies were starving and stricken with epidemics,
and armed with guns that would not go off, and commanded by the lame,
halt, and blind in their second childhood, did not in the least
interfere with its stability. Whatever happened, the indomitable courage
of Tommy Atkins and Jack would triumph over foes, who, when all was said
and done, were only foreigners. Sapps Court's faith in Jack was so great
that his position was even above Tommy's. When Jack was reported to have
gone ashore at Balaklava to help Tommy to get his effete and useless
artillery to bear on the walls of Sebastopol, Sapps Court drew a long
breath of relief. Misgivings were germinating in its bosom as to whether
cholera patients _could_ take fortresses on an empty stomach. But it
would be all right now!

No doubt the Court's philosophical endurance of its share of the anxiety
about the War was partly due to the fact that it hadn't got no relations
there; or, at least