o
Carton to-night. To-morrow is one of my hospital days. I told you how I
divided my week, and salved my conscience.'

He smiled down upon her from his great height, his reddish gold hair and
beard blown by the wind, and she seemed to realise him as a great,
manly, favouring presence, who made her feel at ease.

Hester Martin had already vanished over the bridge, and Farrell and
Nelly strolled back more leisurely towards the lodgings, he carrying her
canvas sketching bag.

On the way she conveyed to him her own and Bridget's acceptance of the
Carton invitation.

'If Miss Farrell won't mind our clothes--or rather our lack of them! I
did mean to have my wedding dress altered into an evening
dress--but!----'

She lifted her hand and let it fall, in a sad significant gesture which
pleased his fastidious eye.

'You hadn't even the time of the heart for it? I should think not!' he
said warmly. 'Who cares about dress nowadays?'

'Your sister!' thought Nelly--but aloud she said--

'Well then we'll come--we'll be delighted to come. May I see the
hospital?'

'Of course. It's like any other hospital.'

'Is it very full now?' she asked him uneasily, her bright look clouding.

'Yes--but it ebbs and flows. Sometimes for a day or two all our men
depart. Then there is a great rush.'

'Are they bad cases?'

There was an unwilling insistence in her voice, as though her mind dealt
with images it would gladly have put away, but could not.

'A good many of them. They send them us as straight as they can from the
front. But the surgeons are wonderfully skilful. It's simply marvelous
what they can do.'

He seemed to see a shiver pass through her slight shoulders, and he
changed the subject at once. The Carton motor should come for her and
her sister, he said, whenever they liked, the following Saturday
afternoon. The run would take about an hour. Meanwhile--

'Do you want any more books or magazines?' he asked her smiling, with
the look of one only eager to be told how to serve her. They had paused
in the road outside the lodgings.

'Oh I how could we! You sent us such a bundle!' cried Nelly gratefully.
'We are always finding something new in it. It makes the evenings so
different. We will bring them back when we come.'

'Don't hurry. And go on with the drawing. I shall expect to see it a
great deal further on next time. It's all right so far.'

He went his way back, speedily, taking a short cut over Loughrigg to his