It was a very different face the girl found, for soap and water had worked wonders with it, and the scissors and brush had reduced the tangled shag of hair to order.  Yet the ferret eyes and the alert, over-sharp expression were unchanged.

“I’ve brought you some flowers and goodies,” said Miss Durant.  “I don’t know how much of it will be good for him,” she went on to the doctor, apologetically, “but I hope some will do.”  Putting the flowers on the bed, from the basket she produced in succession two bottles of port, a mould of wine jelly, a jar of orange marmalade, a box of wafers, and a dish of grapes, apples, and bananas.

“Gee!  Won’t Ise have a hell of a gorge!” joyfully burst out the invalid.

“We’ll see about that,” remarked Dr. Armstrong, smiling.  “He can have all the other things you’ve brought, in reason, Miss Durant, except the wine.  That must wait till we see how much fever he develops to-day,”

“He is doing well?”

“So far, yes.”

“That is a great relief to me.  And, Dr. Armstrong, in returning your loan to me, will you let me say once again how grateful I am to you for all your kindness, for which I thanked you so inadequately last night?  I deserved all that came to me, and can only wonder how you ever resisted saying, ‘I told you so.’”

“I have been too often wrong in my own diagnosing to find any satisfaction or triumph in the mistakes of others,” said the doctor, as he took the bill the girl held out to him, and, let it be confessed, the fingers that held it, “nor can I regret anything which gave me an opportunity to serve you.”

The speaker put an emphasis on the last word, and eyed Miss Durant in a way that led her to hastily withdraw her fingers, and turn away from his unconcealed admiration.  It was to find the keen eyes of the urchin observing them with the closest attention; and as she realised it, she coloured, half in embarrassment and half in irritation.

“How is your leg?” she asked, in an attempt to divert the boy’s attention and to conceal her own feeling.

“Say.  Did youse know dey done it up in plaster, so dat it’s stiff as a bat?” responded the youngster, eagerly.  “Wish de udder kids could see it, for dey’ll never believe it w’en Ise tells ’em.  I’ll show it to youse if youse want?” he offered, in his joy over the novelty.

“I saw it put on,” said Constance.  “Don’t you remember?”

“Why, cert!  Ise remembers now dat—­” A sudden change came over the boy’s face.  “Wheer’s dem cloes youse promised me?” he demanded.

“Oh, I entirely forgot—­”

“Ah, forgit youse mudder!  Youse a peach, oin’t youse?” contemptuously broke in the child.

Miss Durant and Dr. Armstrong both burst out laughing.

“Youse t’ink youse a smarty, but Ise know’d de hull time it wuz only a big bluff dat youse wuz tryin’ to play on me, an’ it didn’t go wid me, nah!” went on the youngster, in an aggrieved tone.