“Dear grandfather, I am very sorry for this.  I hope you are not hurt much.”

And she had her head immediately snapped off.

“Don’t be a confounded idiot!” he growled, hoarsely.  “Go and send old black Martha here.  She is worth a hundred of you two.”

Rose hurried off to obey this order, glad enough of an excuse to escape.  And now the room was cleared of all the men except the family physician, the two sons, and the grandson.

These approached the stretcher and carefully and tenderly undressed the patient and laid him on his bed.

Then the physician made a more careful examination.

There were no bones broken.  The injuries seemed to be all internal; but of their seriousness or dangerousness the physician could not yet judge.  The nervous shock had certainly been severe, and that in itself was a grave misfortune to a man of Aaron Rockharrt’s age, and might have been instantaneously fatal to any one of less remarkable strength.

Dr. Cummins told Mr. Fabian that he should remain in attendance on his patient all night.  Then, at the desire of Mr. Rockharrt, he cleared the sick room of every one except the old negro woman.

When the door was shut upon them all, and the chamber was quiet, he administered a sedative to his patient and advised him to close his eyes and try to compose himself.

Then the doctor sat down on the right side of the bed, with old Martha on his left.

There was utter silence for a few minutes, and then old Aaron Rockharrt spoke.

“What’s the hour, doctor?”

“Seven,” replied the physician after consulting his gold repeater.  “But I advise you to keep quiet and try to sleep,” he added, returning his timepiece to his fob.

As if the Iron King ever followed advice!  As if he did not, on general principles, always run counter to it!

“Didn’t I see my fool of a grandson among the other lunatics who ran after me here?” he next inquired.

“Yes.”

“Where is he now?”

“With the ladies, I think.”

“Send—­him—­up—­to—­me!”

The doctor shrugged his shoulders and went to obey the order.  The obstinacy of this self-willed egotist was surely growing into a monomania, and perhaps it would have been more dangerous to oppose him than to comply with his whim.  In a few moments Dr. Cummins re-entered the room, followed by Sylvan Haught.

“I hope you are feeling easier,” said the lieutenant, as he bent over his grandfather.

“I have not complained of feeling uneasy yet, have I?” growled the Iron King.

“You sent for me, sir.  Can I do anything for you?”

“For me?  No; not likely!  But you can do your duty to your country!  How is it that you are not on your way to join your regiment?”

“I had actually bidden good-by and left the house to start on my journey, when I met men bringing you home.”