Lydia’s face was still inflexible, her eyes on the fire.  I wished for a chance to bring Willis’s name to the front, but saw none.

“I don’t see how that could be done, Doctor; I confess that I should like very much, to go with you, but how can I got leave of absence?”

“Where there is a will there is a way.”

“Yes, but I have no will; I have only a desire,” said I, gloomily.

“Well,” said the Doctor, “I have will enough for both of us and to spare.”

“You mean to say that you can get me leave of absence?”

“Wait and see.  When the time comes, there will be no trouble, unless things change very greatly meanwhile.”

I bade my friends good night and went back to my hut.  The weather was mild.  My way was over hills and hollows, making me walk somewhat carefully; but I did not walk carefully enough—­I stumbled and fell, and bruised my back.

The next day I was on camp guard.  The weather was intensely cold.  A bitter wind from the north swept the Maryland hills; snow and rain and sleet fell, all together.  For two hours, alternating with, four hours’ relief, I paced my beat back and forth; at six o’clock, when I was finally relieved, I was wet to the skin.  When I reached my quarters, I went to bed at once and fell into a half sleep.

Some time in the forenoon I found Dr. Khayme bending over me, with his hand on my temples.

“You have had too much of it,” said he.

I looked up at him and tried to speak, but said nothing.  Great pain followed every breath.  My back seemed on fire.

The Doctor wanted to remove me to his own hospital tent, but dreaded that I was too ill.  Yet there was no privacy, the hut being occupied by four men.  Dr. Khayme found means to get rid of all my messmates except Willis; they were crowded into other quarters.  The surgeon of the Eleventh had given the Doctor free course.

For two weeks Willis nursed me faithfully.  Dr. Khayme came every day—­on some days several times.  Lydia never came.

One bright day, near the end of February, I was placed in a litter and borne by four men to the Doctor’s hospital tent.  My father came.  This was the first time he and Dr. Khayme met.  They became greatly attached.

My progress toward health, was now rapid.  Willis was with me whenever he was not on duty.  The Doctor’s remedies gave way to simple care, in which Lydia was the chief priest.  Lydia would read to me at times—­but for short times, as the Doctor forbade my prolonged attention, I was not quite sure that Lydia was doing me good; I liked the sound of her voice, yet when she would cease reading I felt more nervous than before, and I could not remember what she had read.  So far as I could see, there was no understanding between Lydia and Willis; yet it was very seldom that I saw them together.

One evening, after the lamps were lighted, my father told us that he would return home on the next day.  “Jones is in good hands,” said he, “and my business demands my care; I shall always have you in remembrance, Doctor; you have saved my boy.”