tuberculosis, and if she were exposed to infection would
certainly develop it. Since then she had gained greatly in vitality and
strength. If only Fate had left her alone! 'With happiness and Willy,
she'd have been all right!' thought Cicely, who was daily accustomed to
watch the effect of mind on body in her brother's hospital. But now,
with this fresh and deeper tragedy before her--tearing at the poor
little heart--crushing the life again out of the frail being--why, the
prospects of a happy ending were decidedly less. The odious Bridget
might after all have acted intelligibly, though abominably.

As to the history of Sarratt's long disappearance, Cicely found that
very little was known.

'We don't question him,' said the Sister. 'It only exhausts him; and it
wouldn't be any good. He may tell his wife something more, of his own
accord, but we doubt whether he knows much more than he told Dr. Howson.
He remembers being wounded at Loos--lying out undiscovered, he thinks
for two days--then a German hospital--and a long, long journey. And
that's practically all. But just lately--this week, actually!--Dr.
Howson has got some information, through a family of peasants living
near Cassel, behind the British lines. They have relations across the
Belgian border, and gradually they have discovered who the man was who
came over the frontier with Mr. Sarratt. He came from a farm, somewhere
between Brussels and Courtrai, and now they've managed to get a letter
through from his brother. You know the man himself was shot just as they
reached the British lines. But this letter really tells a good deal. The
brother says that they found Mr. Sarratt almost dead,--and, as they
thought, insane--in a wood near their house. He was then wearing the
uniform of a British officer. They guessed he was an escaped prisoner,
and they took him in and hid him. Then news filtered through to them of
two English officers who had made their escape from a hospital train
somewhere south-west of Brussels; one slightly wounded, and one
severely; the severely wounded man suffering also from shell-shock. And
the slightly wounded man was shot, while the other escaped. The train,
it was said, was lying in a siding at the time--at the further edge of
the forest bordering their farm. So, of course, they identified the man
discovered by them as the severely wounded officer. Mr. Sarratt must
have somehow just struggled through to their side of the forest, where
they