“Thank you, cousin.  I am sure nothing will be left undone that skill and kindness can do,” Donald said, shaking with warmth the hand Mr. Dinsmore held out to him.  “Raymond is one in a thousand.  I’ve known him for years, and he has been a good and valuable friend to me.  I wish it were possible for me to stay and wait on him myself; but army men are not their own masters, you know.  He’ll be wanting to get back to his ship before he’s able.  Don’t let him.”

“Not if I can prevent it,” was Mr. Dinsmore’s laughing rejoinder.  “By the way, should not some word be sent to his wife?”

“Wife!  She has been dead some two years, I think.  I asked him if there was any relative he would wish informed of his condition, and he said no; his parents were not living, he had neither brother nor sister, and his children were too young to be troubled about it.”

“Poor fellow!” ejaculated Mr. Dinsmore, thinking of his own happier lot—­the sweet wife and daughter at Ion, the other daughter and son, father, sisters, grandchildren and nephews who would flock about him in tender solicitude, were he laid low by sickness or accident.

Leaving Donald in the city, he drove back to Ion full of sympathy for his injured guest and admiration for his courage and fortitude; for he had made no moan or complaint, though evidently suffering great pain and much solicitude on account of the long prospective detention from official duty.

The doctor’s verdict was, a week or more in bed, probably six weeks before the ankle could be used.

“You must get me up much sooner than that, doctor, if it be a possible thing,” Captain Raymond said most emphatically.

“I can only promise to do my best,” was Arthur’s response.  “Nature must have time for her work of recuperation.”

Elsie met her father in the entrance hall on his return.  “Ah, papa,” she said, looking up smilingly into his face, “I think you will have to rescind your order.”

“In regard to what?” he asked, stopping to lay a hand lightly on her shoulder, while he smoothed her hair caressingly with the other.

“The week of entire rest you bade me take.”

“No; there is to be no recall of that order.”

“But our poor injured guest, father? injured in the noble effort to save the life of another!”

“He shall have every care and attention without any assistance from you; or Rose either; at least for the present.”

“But, dear papa, to have you worn out and made ill would be worse than anything else.”

“That does not follow as an inevitable consequence, and you may safely trust me to take excellent care of number one,” he said, with playful look and tone.

“Ah, papa, there is not the least use in your trying to make me believe there is any selfishness in you!”