example and make the evening as cheery as possible. Once or twice the
joy of being all together again in health and strength conquered the
underlying sorrow, and the laughter rang out as gaily as ever; but the
next moment Arthur would draw in his breath with another of those short,
stabbing sighs, and Peggy would shiver, and lie back trembling among her
pillows. She had no heart to look at Christmas presents that night, but
Arthur carried her upstairs in his strong arms, laid her on her bed, and
sat beside her for ten minutes' precious private talk.

"It's a facer, Peg," he said. "I can't deny it's a facer. When I
walked out of that doctor's room I felt as weak as a child. The shock
knocked the strength out of me. I had never thought of anything else
but being a soldier, you see, and it's a strange experience to have to
face life afresh, with everything that you had expected taken out of it,
and nothing ahead but blankness and disappointment. I've been so strong
too--as strong as a horse. If it hadn't been for that blow--well, it's
over! It's a comfort to me to feel that it was not my own fault. If
I'd been lazy or careless, and had failed in the exam., it would have
driven me crazy; but this was altogether beyond my control. It is
frightfully rough luck, but I don't mean to howl--I must make the best
of what's left!"

"Yes, yes, I'm sure you will. You have begun well, for I think you have
been wonderfully brave and courageous about it, Arthur dear!"

"Well, of course!" said Arthur softly. "I always meant to be that, Peg;
and, as the mater says, it is only another kind of battle. The other
would have been easier, but I mean to fight still. I am not going to
give up all my dreams. You shall be proud of me yet, though not in the
way you expected."

"I never was so proud of you in my life!" Peggy cried. "Never in all
my life."

Long after Arthur had kissed her and gone to his own room she lay awake,
thinking of his words and of the expression on his handsome face as the
firelight played on moistened eye and trembling lip. "I mean to fight."

"You shall be proud of me yet." The words rang in her ears, and would
not be silenced. When she fell asleep Arthur was still by her side; the
marks of tears were on his face. He was telling her once more the story
of disappointment and failure; but she could not listen to him, for her
eyes were fixed on something that was pinned on the breast of his coat--
a