t." She paused. "Well?" she resumed. "Will you
now come with me to London?"

A faint smile crept into Jeanne's eyes.

"_Mais oui, madame._"

* * * * *

Doggie lay in the long, pleasant ward of the great London hospital,
the upper left side of his body a mass of bandaged pain. Neck and
shoulder, front and back and arm, had been shattered and torn by high
explosive shell. The top of his lung had been grazed. Only the
remorseless pressure at the base hospital had justified the sending of
him, after a week, to England. Youth and the splendid constitution
which Dr. Murdoch had proclaimed in the far-off days of the war's
beginning, and the toughening training of the war itself, carried him
through. No more fighting for Doggie this side of the grave. But the
grave was as far distant as it is from any young man in his twenties
who avoids abnormal peril.

Till to-day he had not been allowed to see visitors, or to receive
letters. They told him that the Dean of Durdlebury had called; had
brought flowers and fruit and had left a card "From your Aunt, Peggy
and myself." But to-day he felt wonderfully strong, in spite of the
unrelenting pain, and the nurse had said: "I shouldn't wonder if you
had some visitors this afternoon." Peggy, of course. He followed the
hands of his wrist-watch until they marked the visiting hour. And sure
enough, a minute afterwards, amid the stream of men and women--chiefly
women--of all grades and kinds, he caught sight of Peggy's face
smiling beneath her widow's hat. She had a great bunch of violets in
her bodice.

"My dear old Doggie!" She bent down and kissed him. "Those rotten
people wouldn't let me come before."

"I know," said Doggie. He pointed to his shoulder. "I'm afraid I'm in
a hell of a mess. It's lovely to see you."

She unpinned the violets and thrust them towards his face.

"From home. I've brought 'em for you."

"My God!" said Doggie, burying his nose in the huge bunch. "I never
knew violets could smell like this." He laid them down with a sigh.
"How's everybody?"

"Quite fit."

There was a span of silence. Then he stretched out his hand and she
gave him hers and he gripped it tight.

"Poor old Peggy dear!"

"Oh, that's all right," she said bravely. "I know you care, dear
Doggie. That's enough. I've just got to stick it like the rest." She
withdrew her hand after a little squeeze. "Bless you. Don't worry
about me. I'm contemptibly healthy.