allow him to travel to go to his friends, and they showed no
disposition to come to him. Paul was too weak to write home himself,
but he had got Devereux to do so for him, making, however, as light as
he could of his illness.

Two days had scarcely elapsed, when they were told that a young lady was
below, waiting to see Mr Gerrard.

"It must be my dear sister Mary," whispered Paul. "Oh, do go and see
her before she comes here, Devereux, and tell her how ill I am, and
prepare her for the sort of place she is to come to."

Hospitals in those days, especially in the war time, were very
differently arranged to what they are now, when every attention is paid
to the comfort and convenience of the patients. At that time, even in
the best regulated, were sights, smells, and sounds, trying to the
sensibilities even of ordinary persons, but especially so to those of a
young lady brought up in the quiet and retirement of a rural village;
but Mary Gerrard, who now entered the Portsmouth hospital, escorted by
Devereux, had at that moment but one feeling, one thought--an earnest
desire to reach the bedside of her brave young brother, who she thought
was dying. After the first greetings were over, Paul, seeing her look
very sad, entreated her not to grieve, as he was sure that he should get
well and go home and see them all.

She prayed he might, and so did Devereux, though from what the doctor
said, there could be little doubt that he was very ill. Mary did not
tell him that his dear mother was very ill also, being sure that the
knowledge of this would agitate him, and retard, if it did not prevent,
his recovery. She entreated that she might remain night and day with
her brother; but this was not allowed, and so she was obliged to take
lodgings near at hand, where she remained at night when turned out of
the hospital. Devereux, however, comforted her by promising that he
would sit up as long as he was allowed with his friend, while O'Grady
and Reuben Cole came on shore and assisted in nursing him; so that Paul
was not so badly off after all. The consequence was, that in spite of
the doctor's prognostications, Paul rapidly improved. As soon as he was
in a fit condition to be moved, he was conveyed to some nice airy
lodgings Mary had engaged; and here Devereux, who was also recovering
from his wounds, and allowed to go out, was a constant visitor, that is
to say, he came early in the morning, and stayed all day. He came at