第78章

"It depends upon yourself now," he said, "whether your shoulders are both of the same width as before or not.If you will lie quiet, and give the broken bones time to reunite, I think I can promise you that you will be as straight as before; but if not-putting aside the chances of inflammation-that shoulder will be lower than the other, and you will never get your full strength in it again.Quiet and patience are the only medicines you require, and as there can be no particular hurry for you to get south, and as your company here is pleasant and you have two good nurses, there is no excuse for your not being quiet and contented.""Very well, doctor.I promise that unless there is a risk of our being discovered I will be as patient as you can wish.As you say, Ihave everything to make me contented and comfortable."The doctor had a chat with Lucy, and agreed with her that perhaps it would be better to inform the mistress of the house that there were strangers there.Some of the people living along the road might notice him going or coming, or see Dan on his way to market, and might come and ascertain that the house was inhabited, and communicate the fact to their old neighbor.

"I will see her myself, Miss Kingston, and tell her that I have sent a patient of mine to take up his quarters here.I will say he is ready to pay some small sum weekly as long as he occupies the house.Ihave no doubt she would be willing enough to let you have it without that; for although I shall say nothing actually I shall let her guess from my manner that it is a wounded Confederate, and that will be enough for her.Still, I have no doubt that the idea of getting a few dollars for the rent of an empty house will add to her patriotism.People of her class are generally pretty close-fisted, and she will look upon this as a little pocket-money.Good-by! Ishall not call to-morrow, but will be round next day again."On his next visit the doctor told Lucy that he had arranged the matter with her landlady, and that she was to pay a dollar a week as rent."I should not tell your patient about this," he said."It will look to him as if I considered his stay was likely to be a long one, and it might fidget him.""How long will it be, doctor, do you think?""That I cannot say.If all goes well, he ought in a month to be fairly cured; but before starting upon a journey which will tax his strength, I should say at least six weeks."Ten days later Vincent was up, and able to get about.A pile of grass had been heaped up by the door, so that he could sit down in the sun and enjoy the air.Lucy was in high spirits, and flitted in and out of the house, sometimes helping Chloe, at others talking to Vincent.

"What are you laughing at?" she asked as she came out suddenly on one of these occasions.

"I was just thinking," he said, "that no stranger who dropped in upon us would dream that we were not at home here.There is Dan tidying up the garden; Chloe is quite at her ease in the kitchen, and you and I might pass very well for brother and sister.""I don't see any likeness between us-not a bit.""No, there is no personal likeness; but I meant in age and that sort of thing.I think, altogether, we have a very homelike look.""The illusion would be very quickly dispelled if your stranger put his head inside the door.Did any one ever see such a bare place?""Anyhow, it's very comfortable," Vincent said, "though I grant that it would be improved by a little furniture.""By a great deal of furniture, you mean.Why, there isn t a chair in the house, nor a carpet, nor a curtain, nor a cupboard, nor a bed; in fact all there is is the rough dresser in the kitchen and that plank table, and your bedstead.I really think that's all.Chloe has the kettle and two cooking-pots, and there is the dish and six plates we bought.""You bought, you mean," Vincent interrupted.

"We bought, sir; this is a joint expedition.Then, there is the basin and a pail.I think that is the total of our belongings.""Well, you see, it shows how little one can be quite comfortable upon," Vincent said."I wonder how long it will be before the doctor gives me leave to move.It is all very well for me who am accustomed to campaigning, but it is awfully rough for you.""Don't you put your impatience down to my account, at any rate until you begin to hear me grumble.It is just your own restlessness, when you are pretending you are comfertable.""I can assure you that I am not restless, and that I am in no hurry at all to be off on my own account.I am perfectly contented with everything.I never thought I was lazy before, but I feel as if Icould do with a great deal of this sort of thing.You will see that you will become impatient for a move before I do.""We shall see, sir.Anyhow, I am glad you have said that, because now whatever you may feel you will keep your impatience to yourself."Another four weeks passed by smoothly and pleasantly.Dan went into the village once a week to do the shopping, and the doctor had reduced his visits to the same number.He would have come oftener, for his visits to the lonely cottage amused him; but he feared that his frequent passage in his buggy might attract notice.

So far no one else had broken the solitude of their lives.If the doctor's calls had been noticed, the neighbors had not taken the trouble to see who had settled down in Jenkins' old place.His visits were very welcome, for he brought newspapers and books, the former being also purchased by Dan whenever he went into the village, and thus they learned the course of events outside.

Since Antietam nothing had been done in Northern Virginia; but Burnside, who had succeeded McClellan, was preparing another great army, which was to march to Richmond and crush out the rebellion.Lee was standing on the defensive.Along the whole line of the frontier, from New Orleans to Tennessee, desultory fighting was going on, and in these conflicts the Confederates had generally the worse of things, having there no generals such as Lee, Jackson, and Longatreet, who had made the army of Virginia almost invincible.