entered. It was a small bare room enough, no carpet save one narrow
strip, whitened walls, and a great fire smouldering under the
chimney-board of black painted wood. Even at that first glance she
noticed that the only attempt at ornament was a vase containing a bunch
of the red-seeded wild iris; she remembered having gathered and given it
to the Doctor a little time before as a "yerb" sometimes in request
amongst his patients.

The fading light fell on the low iron bed upon which the young man lay,
propped up with pillows. His face was much altered by these two or three
days of suffering. The fair hair was covered by a bandage and the blue
eyes looked larger for the black shades beneath them. But as he saw who
his visitor was, a smile, very sweet and radiant, lighted them up, and a
little colour came into the pallid cheeks. A nun, dressed in black and
with a heavily-veiled bonnet half concealing her face, sat by his
bedside, and looked with curiosity at the girl as she came in and gave
her hand to the patient.

"I have come to ask how you are," she said, "and to tell you how very
sorry I am--we are--for your accident. I am doubly grieved because--"
and she stopped, embarrassed at having to speak before a third person.
The Doctor's eyes were fixed on her face with the same glad smile.

"_I_ wanted to see you," he said gently, "but I never thought you would
come to this poor place. I wanted to tell you I had seen old Regan
before I was hurt, and I did my best for him, and I think he won't die
yet awhile."

"I am sorry," began Louise again, and then hesitated. How could she
explain for how much she was sorry? How could she at this moment make
any explanation at all? "I am going away," she went on--"I am going to
England with my brother to-morrow. I have come to say good-bye."

The eyes that rested on her lost none of their glad look of content; she
was not sure if her words had been understood, and went on talking
rather hurriedly of her brother's arrangements, and who was to take his
place, and of the long journey to Yorkshire.

"And now I must go," she concluded, "for I have a good deal to do at
home."

The hand which lay on the counterpane sought a little packet beside the
pillow.

"This was for you," he said, handing it to her.

She said good-bye again, and went slowly away; but, turning at the door,
she was filled once more with keen remorse at the sight of the strong
frame laid low, and the glance that fo