mole and vanished behind the
wall. Barbara stopped in the shade; somehow she durst not go to the
steps. Cartwright came up, but seeing his grave look, she let him pass.
Then the American doctor reached the top and called to somebody below.
Three or four men awkwardly lifted a stretcher to the pavement, and
Cartwright signed to the driver of a carriage waiting in the road.
Wheeler stopped him.

"It's not far. Carrying will be smoother."

"Very well, I'll see all's ready," said Cartwright and got into the
carriage.

Then Barbara went to the stretcher, which was covered by green canvas.
She thought she knew who lay behind the screens, and her look was
strained.

"Is Mr. Lister very ill?" she asked.

Wheeler gave her a sympathetic glance. "He is pretty sick; he was nearly
all in when I boarded the ship. Now it's possible he'll get better."

Barbara turned her head, but after a few moments looked up. "Thank you
for going! Where are the others?"

"We have sent some to the Spanish hospital, landed them at the coaling
wharf. They're not very sick. The rest are on board."

"_All_ the rest?"

"Three short," said the doctor quietly. "They have made their last
voyage. But the boys are waiting to get off with the stretcher."

Barbara let him go and followed. He looked very tired and she did not
want to talk. She saw the stretcher carried up the hotel steps and along
a passage, and then went to her room. A Spanish doctor and nurse were
waiting and she knew she would be sent away. To feel she could not help
was hard, but she tried to be resigned and stopped in the quiet room,
listening for steps. Somebody might bring a message that Lister wanted
her.

The message did not come and she was conscious of some relief, although
she was tormented by regretful thoughts. Lister loved her and she had
refused him, because she was proud. Perhaps her refusal was justified,
but she was honest, and admitted that she had known he would not let her
go, and had afterwards wondered how she would reply when he asked her
again. Now she knew. The strain had broken her resolution. She had
indulged her ridiculous pride and saw it might cost her much. Her lover
was very ill; Wheeler doubted if he would get better.

In the evening Montgomery joined Cartwright in a corner of the
smoking-room.

"I expect Captain Brown told you about the bother I gave him," he
remarked.

"That is so," said Cartwright. "He, however, stated you gave him some
he