im, whereupon he could not help
but ask a very pertinent question:

"Mme. la Duchesse, is all this really happening?"

"Why, yes, my good man," Madame replied; and indeed there was nothing
dreamlike in her tart, dry voice: "Crystal and I really have dragged Dr.
Scott away from the bedside of innumerable other sick and wounded men,
and also from any hope of well-earned rest to-night: we have also really
brought him to a spot very accurately described by our worthy friend,
St. Genis, but where, unfortunately, you had not chosen to remain, else
we had found you an hour sooner. Is there anything else you want to
know?"

"Oh, yes! Madame la Duchesse, many things," murmured Bobby. "Please go
on telling me."

Madame laughed: "Well!" she said, "perhaps you would like to know that
some kind of instinct, or perhaps the hand of God guided one of our
party to the place where you had gone to sleep. You may also wish to
know, that though you seem in a bad way for the present, you are going
to be nursed back to life under Dr. Scott's own most hospitable roof:
but since Crystal has undertaken to do the nursing, I imagine that my
time for the next six weeks will be taken up in arguing with my dear and
pompous brother that he will now have to give his consent to his
daughter becoming the wife of a vendor of gloves."

Bobby contrived to smile: "Do you think that if I promised never to buy
or sell gloves again, but in future to try and live like a gentleman--do
you think then that he will consent?"

"I think, my dear boy," said Madame, subduing her harsh voice to tones
of gentleness, "that after my brother knows all that I know and all that
his daughter desires, he will be proud to welcome you as his son."

The doctor's wide barouche lumbered slowly along the wide, straight
road. In the east the luminous veil that still hid the rising sun had
taken on a hue of rosy gold: the birds, now fully awake, sang their
morning hymn. From the direction of Wavre came once more the cannon's
roar.

Inside the carriage Dr. Scott, sitting at the feet of his patient, gave
a peremptory order for silence. But Bobby--immeasurably happy and
contented--looked up and saw Crystal de Cambray--no longer a girl now,
but a fair and beautiful woman who had learned to the last letter the
fulsome lesson of Love. She sat close beside him, and her arm was round
his reclining head, and, looking at her, he saw the lovelight in her
dear eyes whenever she turned the