“Are you tired of lying in that position?” she asked. “Shall I help you to turn over?” “Not if you will sit where I can see you,” he answered, and his voice sounded to himself weak and far-away. Georgia changed her place as he wished, but she took up the book she had been reading and went on with it. “Why won’t you speak to me, Georgie?” he asked, querulously. “Because you are forbidden to talk until you are a little stronger.” “I don’t care! Put down that book and sit nearer me.” “No,” said Georgia, with decision. “You are not to excite yourself with talking. Lie still, and try to go to sleep.” “Why do you talk to me like that? I haven’t done anything to make you angry with me, have I? Why are you so unkind?” “I don’t want to be unkind,” returned Georgia, hastily; “but you really ought not to talk. I will answer any number of questions when you are better.” “But why won’t you call me Dick? We didn’t quarrel, did we? I have a sort of idea---- But my head was awfully queer, and I daresay I talked a lot of rot. I can’t apologise properly until I remember more about it. But if we quarrelled, why are you here looking after me like this?” “Simply and solely as your medical adviser.” There was the slightest possible suspicion of triumph in Georgia’s tone, the reason for which Dick did not perceive until afterwards. She returned to her book, and he lay and looked at her in a puzzled kind of way. “I wish you would take my temperature,” he said at last. “What, are you feverish again?” she asked anxiously, getting out her thermometer as she rose and came towards him. “I don’t know; but I remember you were doing it once when I was just about half awake, and I liked it. You put your arm under my head.” “If you will talk so much, I shall call Lady Haigh.” “But do take my temperature! I thought sick people always had everything they wanted.” “Everything in reason. Patients are expected not to trouble their doctors unnecessarily. Now try to go to sleep.” And Georgia returned the thermometer resolutely to its case. “Would it be considered a thing in reason if a patient asked his doctor to give him a kiss? What would the doctor say?” “That anything of the kind would be highly unprofessional.” “Well, this patient,” said Dick, weakly, “refuses to try to go to sleep unless his doctor acts in that unprofessional way.” And his doctor did. CHAPTER XXIV. VIS MEDICATRIX. “Georgie,” said Lady Haigh, some two or three days later, “I want to ask you a question. Are you still engaged to Major North, or not?” The shadow of a smile glimmered on Georgia’s lips. “It seems a ridiculous thing to say, but really I haven’t the smallest idea whether I am or not,” she answered. “But what does Major North think about it?” “I believe he is under the impression that we are still engaged. That is what makes the matter doubtful, for I should certainly say that we were not.” “But how long is this state of things to go on?”--impatiently.