t to his, she slept at
last from sheer weariness. And she dreamed that he was playing to her,
for her--the Adagio, and then the "Funeral March of a Hero."

XLVI

Occasionally now, for a long time, there had been coming from the next
room the dink of steel against steel, a murmur of hushed voices, and a
sound of several pairs of feet moving softly. With the exception of two
cups of soup, Wilmot, in preparation for what he was to undergo, had had
nothing to eat. What with this and the natural commotion of revolt in
his whole nervous system, he was weak and faint.

The door opened, and Dr. Ferris came quietly into the room and bent over
him. He was in white linen from head to foot, and wore upon his hands a
pair of thin rubber gloves, glistening with the water in which they had
been boiling.

Prepared to find Wilmot, he naturally recognized him, in spite of the
beard which so changed the young man's face for the worse; but of this
recognition he gave no sign. The legless man, alert for any possibility
of self-betrayal on Wilmot's part, had followed him into the room. Dr.
Ferris spoke very quickly:

"My man," he said, "is it true that of your own free will, in exchange
for immunity and other benefits received, you consent to the amputation
of both your legs, as near the hip-joint as may be found necessary?"

Wilmot drew a long breath, focussed his mind upon bright memories of
Barbara, and slowly nodded.

"You are quite sure? You are holding back nothing? There has been no
coercion?"

"It's all right," chirped in Blizzard. "Glad of the chance to pay me
back, aren't you, my boy?"

For a moment Wilmot's eyes rested with a cold contempt on the beggar's.
And he thought, "to save her from that!" and once more nodded.

"Shall I tell them to bring the ether, doctor?"

Dr. Ferris turned his head slowly.

"What are _you_ doing here?" he said, in his smiling professional voice.
"You ought to be undressed, scrubbed, and ready for the anaesthetic
yourself."

"But I thought--I thought you'd make sure of the legs first, before you
did anything to me."

"The success of graftage," said the doctor, "lies in the speed with
which the parts to be grafted can be transferred from one patient to the
other. In this case, the two operations will proceed at the same
time--side by side. There are four of us, and two nurses to do what is
necessary--now if you will go and get ready."

"Frankly, doctor, do you think the chance