"The noise of the birds--they were not singing, only chattering to each other about their trip--seemed to attract her notice, and she laid her hand on mine to direct my attention. Her hand remained there--she has the same soft little hands, as dazzlingly white as ever, only thinner. "She said, not looking at me: 'I have been ill. You understand that.' "'Yes,' I said, 'but it is all over now, isn't it?' "She nodded listlessly: 'I think so.' "Again, but not looking at me she spoke of her illness as dating from a shock received long ago. She is a little confused about the lapse of time, vague as to dates. You see it is four months since Louis--did what he did. She said nothing more, and in a few minutes Miss Lester came back for her. "Now as to her mental condition: I have had a thorough understanding with the physicians and one and all assure me that there is absolutely nothing the matter with her except the physical consequences of the shock; and those are wearing off. "What she did, what she lived through with him--the dreadful tension, the endless insomnia--all this--and then, when the searching party was out all night long in the rain and all the next day--and _then_, Garry, to have her stumble on him at dusk--that young girl, all alone, nerves strung to the breaking point--and to find him, _that_ way! Was it not enough to account for this nervous demoralisation? The wonder is that it has not permanently injured her. "But it has not; she is certainly recovering. The dread of seeing a familiar face is less poignant; her father was here to-day with Gray and she saw them both. "Now, dear, as for your coming here, it will not do. I can see that. She has not yet spoken of you, nor have I ventured to. What her attitude toward you may be I cannot guess from her speech or manner. "Miss Lester told me that at first, in the complete nervous prostration, she seemed to have a morbid idea that you had been unkind to her, neglected and deserted her--left her to face some endless horror all alone. The shock to her mind had been terrible, Garry; everything was grotesquely twisted--she had some fever, you know--and Miss Lester told me that it was too pitiful to hear her talk of you and mix up everything with military jargon about outpost duty and the firing line, and some comrade who had deserted her under fire. "All of which I mention, dear, so that you may, in a measure, comprehend how very ill she has been; and that she is not yet well by any means, and perhaps will not be for a long time to come.