"
"She may be here day after to-morrow, if she started at once," Stephen
reflected aloud.
"She did, and she will," said Lady MacGregor, drily.
"You've heard?"
"The day I wired."
"You have quite a nice way of breaking things to people, you dear little
ladyship," said Stephen. And for some reason which he could not in the
least understand, this speech caused Nevill's aunt to break into tears.
That evening, the two surgeons extracted the bullet from Nevill's side.
Afterwards, he was extremely weak, and took as little interest as
possible in things, until Stephen was allowed to speak to him for a
moment.
Most men, if told that they had just sixty seconds to spend at the
bedside of a dear friend, would have been at a loss what to say in a
space of time so small yet valuable. But Stephen knew what he wished to
say, and said it, as soon as Nevill let him speak; but Nevill began
first.
"Maybe--going to--deserve name of Wings," he muttered. "Shouldn't
wonder. Don't care much."
"Is there any one thing in this world you want above everything else?"
asked Stephen.
"Yes. Sight of--Josette. One thing I--can't have."
"Yes, you can," said Stephen quietly. "She's coming. She started the
minute she heard you were ill, and she'll be in Touggourt day after
to-morrow."
"You're not--pulling my leg?"
"To do that would be very injurious. But I thought good news would be
better than medicine.
Pages:
610
611
612
613
614
615
616
617
618
619
620
621
622
623
624
625
626
627
628
629
630
631
632
633
634