not been equally honoured. But that thought did not
occur to either his father or himself.

Just now Rose was enjoying half an hour of pleasant
solitude with her lover, after what had been a trying
morning for him. Sir Jacques Robey had asked
down an old friend of his own, a surgeon too, to see
Jervis, and they had spent quite a long time pulling
the injured foot about.

Sir John Blake had also come down to spend the
day at Witanbury. He had been able to get away for
a few hours from his work at the War Office to tell
his boy how very, very pleased he was at that mention
in Sir John French's Despatches. Indeed, all the
morning telegraph boys had been bringing to
"Robey's" the congratulations of friends and even
acquaintances.

Jervis was very tired now -- tired because the two
surgeons, skilful and careful though they were, had
not been able to help hurting him quite a good bit.
It was fortunate that Rose Otway, dearly as she loved
him, knew little or nothing of pain. She had been
sent away during that hour, right out of the house,
to take a walk with Mr. Robey. She had been told
quite plainly by Sir Jacques that they would rather
she were not there while the examination was taking
place. It was important that the house should be kept
as far as possible absolutely quiet.

Jervis did not talk very much, but there was no
need for him to do so. He and Rose would have
plenty of time to say everything they wanted to one
another, for Sir Jacques had told her, only yesterday
night, that a very long time must go by before Jervis
would be fit to go back. "Any injury to the foot,"

[[247]]

p246 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p247w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p248

v?