A strange, almost mad sense of exaltation filled me. I could walk! I was no longer a prisoner, dependent upon the devotion of attendants! I should no longer have to have things placed within reach, and be made to realize impotency! It hurt and was awkward for a while.--But Oh! the joy, joy, joy!! After the doctors and the specialist had gone with hearty congratulations, my dear old faithful servant had tears in his eyes as he dressed me. "You must excuse me, Sir Nicholas, but I am so glad." Excuse him! I could have hugged him in my own joy. He arrayed me in one of Mr. Davies's pre-war masterpieces, and we both stood in front of the long glass in my bedroom, and then we solemnly shook hands! It was too glorious! I wanted to run about! I wanted to shout and sing. I played idiotic tricks, walking backwards and forwards, like one of Shackleton's penguins. Then I went back to the glass again, actually whistling a tune! Except for the black patch over my eye, I appeared very much the same as I used to do before the war. My shoulder is practically straight now. I am a little thinner, and perhaps my face bears traces of suffering, but in general I don't look much altered. I wonder what Alathea will say when she sees me! I wonder if it will make any difference to her? To-morrow morning they are going to put in my eye. I have not written all this in my journal, it seemed too good to be true, and I had a kind of superstitious feeling that I must not even think of it, much less write, in case it did not come off. But now the moment has come! I am a man again on two feet. Hurrah! I looked out of the window and kissed my hand to a young girl in the street. I wanted to call to her, "I could walk with you now, perhaps soon I could run!" She looked at me with the corner of her eye! Then I planned how I would surprise Alathea! I would be in my bedroom when I knew she was in the salon before lunch, and then I would walk in! I became excited, there was about a quarter of an hour to wait. I tried to sit down and settle to a book, but it was useless, the words conveyed no sense. I could not even read the papers! I began listening to every sound, there were not many things passing at this time on a Sunday morning, but of course she was walking, not driving. One o'clock struck. She had not returned. Burton came in to ask if I would postpone lunch. "Her Ladyship did not say when she would be back," he said. "We had better not wait then. I believe now she told me she would not be in." Burton had opened a pint of champagne. On this tremendous occasion he felt I should drink my own health! I had begun to lose some of my joy.----I wished she had been here to share it with me.---- * * * * * I have walked up and down--up and down. It is four o'clock now, and she has not returned. No doubt her mother is ill, perhaps,--perhaps-- _Midnight:_