This was not exactly a fib on the part of the professor because he
was thinking of it. But it did not include the whole truth, because
he had already tried it, tried it very successfully only a few
moments before. First he had made sure that he was alone in the room
and then he had proceeded with the trial. Very cautiously he had
drawn his lame leg up, and tenderly stretched it out. He had turned
over and back again. He had wiggled his toes to see how many of them
were present--only the littlest toe was still numb. He had realized
that he was much better. If the improvement kept on, he knew that in
a day or so he would be able to walk with the aid of a cane. And he
also knew that, with his walking, his status as an invalid guest
would vanish. Luckily, no one but himself could say when the walking
stage was reached--hence the strict privacy of his experiments.

"Father thinks that you should be able to walk in about three days,"
said Miss Farr cheerfully.

Spence said he hoped that Dr. Farr was right. But the rain, he
feared, might keep him back a bit, "I am really sorry," he added,
"that my presence is so distasteful to the doctor. I have been here
almost two weeks and I have seen so little of him that I'm afraid I
am keeping him out of his own house."

"No, you are not doing that," the girl's reassurance was cordial
enough, "Father is having an outside spell just now. He quite often
does. Sometimes for weeks together he spends most of his time out of
doors. Then, quite suddenly, he will settle down and be more like--
other people."