"
"Why not, Doctor?" she asked, in surprise.
"Because, my dear, he will want, in the first place, to rehabilitate
himself."
"But no one knows, Doctor, about the siege and what happened there,
except you and me and Mr. Wilson; all the rest have gone."
"That is true, my dear, but he will want to rehabilitate himself
in his own eyes; and besides, that former affair which first set
you against him, might crop up at any time. Other civilians, many
of them, have volunteered in the service, and no man of courage
would like to go away as long as things are in their present state.
You will see Bathurst will stay."
Isobel was silent.
"I think he will be right," she said at last gravely; "if he wishes
to do so, I should not try to dissuade him; it would be very hard
to know that he is in danger, but no harder for me than for others."
"That is right, my dear," the Doctor said affectionately; "I should
not wish my little girl--and now the Major has gone I feel that
you are my little girl--to think otherwise. I think," he went on,
smiling, "that the first part of that plan we spoke of will not be
as difficult as I fancied it would be; the sting has gone, and he
will get rid of his morbid fancies."
"When shall I be able to see him?"
"Well, if I had any authority over him you would not see him for
a week; as I have not, I think it likely enough that you will see
him tomorrow."
"I would rather wait if it would do him any harm, Doctor.
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