With her last words she finished the dressing of his wounds. Spots of the deepest rose were on her cheeks; her eyes were lighted with proud fire. Confusedly he thanked her and, lying back on his pillow, closed his eyes and turned his face away. When she had quickly gone he sat up in the bed again. He drew the book guiltily from under his pillow, looked long and sorrowfully at it, and then with a low cry of shame--the first that had ever burst from his lips--he hurled it across the room and threw himself violently down again, with his forehead against the logs, his eyes hidden, his face burning. XIV THE first day that John felt strong enough to walk as far as that end of the town, he was pulling himself unsteadily past the shop when he saw Peter and turned in to rest and chat.The young blacksmith refused to speak to him. "Peter!" said John with a sad, shaky voice, holding out his hand, "have I changed so much? Don't you know me?" "Yes; I know you," said Peter. "I wish I didn't." "I don't think I recognize you any more," replied John, after a moment of silence. "What's the matter?" "Oh, you get along," said Peter. "Clear out!" John went inside and drank a gourd of water out of Peter's cool bucket, came back with a stool and sat down squarely before him. "Now look here," he said with the candour which was always the first law of nature with him, "what have I done to you?" Peter would neither look nor speak; but being powerless before kindness, he was beginning to break down. "Out with it," said John. "What have I done?""You know what you've said." "What have I said about you?" asked John, now perceiving that some mischief had been at work here. "Who told you I had said anything about you?" "It's no use for you to deny it." "Who told you?" "O'Bannon!" "O'Bannon!" exclaimed John with a frown. "I've never talked to O'Bannon about you--about anything." "You haven't abused me?" said Peter, wheeling on the schoolmaster, eyes and face and voice full of the suffering of his wounded self-love and of his wounded affection. "I hope I've abused nobody!" said John proudly. "Come in here!" cried Peter, springing up and hurrying into his shop.