just think of the state of that poor fellow's
muscles!

It was a quarter to seven when I got into my rooms at the hotel, and ten
minutes later the doctor arrived. If he had had bad news to give me
about my wrist, I shouldn't have written the tale of this adventure so
frankly; but I can leave a good impression on your mind in the end by
telling you that all's well with your "one fair daughter." It's a
sprain, no worse; and the stuff which the clever man prescribed has
soothed the pain wonderfully. I'm so thankful it's my left wrist, not
the right; and so ought you to be, or you would have to do without
letters. This is the time when I miss my maid; but a dear little _femme
de chambre_ of the hotel helped me dress, and it is wonderful how well
you can get on with only one hand.

Now I've something else to break to you, Dad.

The hotel was rather full, and all the private sitting rooms were gone,
otherwise I might have had dinner upstairs; but I drew the line at
dining abjectly in a bedroom. Still, I didn't quite like the idea of
sailing into a big _salle a manger_, alone, with a bound-up wrist, and
perhaps making an exhibition of myself cutting up meat in a one-handed
way. So before Brown went to call the doctor I just said to him casually
that it would be an accommodation if he would dine in the _salle a
manger_ with me this once. He looked surprised, and seemed to hesitate a
little before he said that he would do so with pleasure, if I thought it
best. I was almost sorry I'd asked, but I wouldn't go back; and, anyhow,
what else _could_ I have done? He is extraordinarily gentlemanly in his
looks and manner, and never takes the least advantage; so I hope you'll
agree with me that of two evils I chose the less. And when I made the
arrangement I supposed Aunt Mary and Jimmy would be arriving before
bedtime, so that I should only be a lone, unprotected female for a few
hours. But we hadn't been in the hotel five minutes before it came on to
rain again, a perfect deluge this time, with thunder and lightning; and
while the nice _femme de chambre_ was helping me into a ducky little
lace waist which was in the bag Brown had carried, to my great surprise
a telegram was brought to my door. At first I thought there must be a
mistake, but it really was for me. Brown had mentioned the name of the
best hotel in Toulon, where we would try to get rooms before he and I
left the others at Le Beausset; and the telegram was from Aunt Mary