Lorimer with
cheery fervor. "Surely you'll allow me to shake hands with your wife?"

"I say, George, be quiet!" exclaimed Philip warningly, as at that moment
Thelma passed the window with Pierre Duprez leaning on her arm, and her
father and Macfarlane following.

She entered the room with the stately step of a young queen,--her tall,
beautiful figure forming a strong contrast to that of the
narrow-shouldered little Frenchman, upon whom she smiled down with an
air of almost maternal protection.

"You will sit here, Monsieur Duprez," she said, leading him to the
_bonde's_ arm-chair which Errington instantly vacated, "and father will
bring you a good glass of wine. And the pain will be nothing when I have
attended to that cruel wound. But I am so sorry,--so very sorry, to see
you suffer!"

Pierre did indeed present rather a dismal spectacle. There was a severe
cut on his forehead as well as his cheek; his face was pale and streaked
with blood, while the hastily-improvised bandages which were tied under
his chin, by no means improved his personal appearance. His head ached
with the pain, and his eyes smarted with the strong sunlight to which he
had been exposed all the day, but his natural gaiety was undiminished,
and he laughed as he answered--

"_Chere Mademoiselle_, you are too good to me! It is a piece of good
fortune that Sigurd threw that stone--yes! since it brings me your pity!
But do not trouble; a little cold water and a fresh handkerchief is all
I need."

But Thelma was already practicing her own simple surgery for his
benefit. With deft, soft fingers she laid bare the throbbing
wound,--washed and dressed it carefully and skillfully,--and used with
all such exceeding gentleness, that Duprez closed his eyes in a sort of
rapture during the operation, and wished it could last longer. Then
taking the glass of wine her father brought in obedience to her order,
she said in a tone of mild authority--

"Now, you will drink this Monsieur Pierre, and you will rest quite still
till it is time to go back to the yacht; and to-morrow you will not feel
any pain, I am sure. And I do think it will not be an ugly scar for
long."

"If it is," answered Pierre, "I shall say I received it in a duel! Then
I shall be great--glorious! and all the pretty ladies will love me!"

She laughed,--but looked grave a moment afterwards.

"You must never say what is not true," she said. "It is wrong to deceive
any one,--even in a smal