, and with the same
difference.

"The morphine has made him drowsy," she answered. "The wounds were
dressed about an hour ago, and the doctor gave him a hypodermic."

"The wounds--how many are there?"

"Besides the hand, his arm is badly torn up to the elbow."

Amherst listened with bent head and frowning brow.

"What do you think of the case?"

She hesitated. "Dr. Disbrow hasn't said----"

"And it's not your business to?" He smiled slightly. "I know hospital
etiquette. But I have a particular reason for asking." He broke off and
looked at her again, his veiled gaze sharpening to a glance of
concentrated attention. "You're not one of the regular nurses, are you?
Your dress seems to be of a different colour."

She smiled at the "seems to be," which denoted a tardy and imperfect
apprehension of the difference between dark-blue linen and white.

"No: I happened to be staying at Hanaford, and hearing that they were in
want of a surgical nurse, I offered my help."

Amherst nodded. "So much the better. Is there any place where I can say
two words to you?"

"I could hardly leave the ward now, unless Mrs. Ogan comes back."

"I don't care to have you call Mrs. Ogan," he interposed quickly. "When
do you go off duty?"

She looked at him in surprise. "If what you want to ask about
is--anything connected with the management of things here--you know
we're not supposed to talk of our patients outside of the hospital."

"I know. But I am going to ask you to break through the rule--in that
poor fellow's behalf."

A protest wavered on her lip, but he held her eyes steadily, with a
glint of good-humour behind his determination. "When do you go off
duty?"

"At six."

"I'll wait at the corner of South Street and walk a little way with you.
Let me put my case, and if you're not convinced you can refuse to
answer."

"Very well," she said, without farther hesitation; and Amherst, with a
slight nod of farewell, passed through the door near which they had been
standing.

II

WHEN Justine Brent emerged from the Hope Hospital the October dusk had
fallen and the wide suburban street was almost dark, except when the
illuminated bulk of an electric car flashed by under the maples.

She crossed the tracks and approached the narrower thoroughfare where
Amherst awaited her. He hung back a moment, and she was amused to see
that he failed to identify the uniformed nurse with the girl in her trim
dark dress, soberly compl