operation, and--well, I told him it was impossible, but he still begged me
so to ask you, that I hadn't the heart to refuse him."

"An operation!" cried Constance.

"Don't be alarmed. It's really nothing serious. He--Perhaps you may have
noticed how restless and miserable he has been lately. It is due, we have
decided, to one of the nerves of the leg having been lacerated, and so I
am going to remove it, to end the suffering, which is now pretty keen."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," exclaimed the girl, regretfully. "I didn't dream of
it, and so was hard on him, and said I wouldn't come any more."

"He has missed your visits very much, Miss Durant, and we found it very
hard to comfort him each morning, when only your servant came."

"Has he really? I thought they were nothing to him."

"If you knew that class better, you would appreciate that they are really
grateful and warm-hearted, but they fear to show their feelings, and,
besides, could not express them, even if they had the words, which they
don't. But if you could hear the little chap sing your praises to the
nurses and to me, you would not think him heartless. 'My loidy' is his
favourite description of you."

[Illustration: "'I have come here--I have intruded on you, Miss Durant,'
hurriedly began the doctor"]

"He wants to see me?" questioned the girl, eagerly.