t know who it is. Wait a tick."
He crossed the road, and saw, as he got near, that it was indeed Julie.
He came up behind her as she examined a shop-window. "By all that's
wonderful, what are you doing here?" he asked.
She turned quickly, her eyes dancing. "I wondered if I should meet you,"
she said. "You see, your letter told me you were coming here, but I
haven't heard from you since you came, and I didn't know if you had
started your tour or not. _I_ came simply enough. There's a big South
African hospital here, and we had to send up a batch of men by motor.
As they knew I was from South Africa, they gave me the chance to come
with them."
"Well, I _am_ glad," said Peter, devouring the sight of her. "Wait a
minute; I must introduce you to Langton. He and I are together, and he's
a jolly good chap."
He turned and beckoned Langton, who came over and was introduced. They
walked up the street a little way together. "Where are you going now?"
asked Peter.
"Back to the hospital," said Julie. "A car starts from the square at
twelve-forty-five, and I have to be in for lunch."
"Have you much to do up there?" asked Peter.
"Oh no," she said, "my job's done. I clear off the day after to-morrow.
We only got in last night, so I get a couple of days' holiday. What are
you doing? You don't look any too busy."
Peter glanced across at Langton and laughed. "We aren't," he said. "The
whole stunt's a wash-out, if you ask me, and we're really expecting to be
sent back any day. There's too much doing now for lectures. Is the
hospital full?"
"Packed," said Julie gravely. "The papers say we're falling back steadily
so as not to lose men, but the facts don't bear it out. We're crammed
out. It's ghastly; I've never known it so bad."
Peter had hardly ever seen her grave before, and her face showed a new
aspect of her. He felt a glow of warmth steal over him. "I say," he said,
"couldn't you dine with us to-night? We're at the Angleterre, and its
tremendously respectable."
She laughed, her gravity vanishing in a minute. "I must say," she said,
"that I'd love to see you anywhere really respectable. He's a terrible
person for a padre--don't you think so, Captain Langton?"
"Terrible," said Langton. "But really the Angleterre is quite proper. You
don't get any too bad a dinner, either. Do come, Miss Gamelyn."
She appeared to consider. "I might manage it," she said at last, stopping
just short of entering the square; "but I
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