"
"You don't say so; Doctor."
"Yes; it seems he was hotly pursued, but managed to shake the
sowars off. At that time the garrison was not so closely besieged
as it afterwards was. He knew the country well, and made his way
across it until within sight of Lucknow. At night he rode right
through the rebels, swam the river, and gained the Residency.
He distinguished himself greatly through the siege, but had been
desperately wounded the day before we marched in. He was in a ward
that was handed over to me directly I got there, and I at once
saw that his case was a hopeless one. The poor fellow was heartily
glad to see me. Of course he knew nothing of what had taken place
at Deennugghur after he had left, and was very much cut up when
he heard the fate of almost all the garrison. He listened quietly
when I told how you had rescued Isobel and of your marriage. He
was silent, and then said, 'I am glad to hear it, Doctor. I can't
say how pleased I am she escaped. Bathurst has fairly won her.
I never dreamt that she cared for him. Well, it seems he wasn't
a coward after all. And you say he has resigned and come up as a
volunteer instead of going home with her? That is plucky, anyhow.
Well, I am pleased. I should not have been so if I hadn't been like
this, Doctor, but now I am out of the running for good, it makes
no odds to me either way. If ever you see him again, you tell him
I said I was glad. I expect he will make her a deucedly better
husband than I should have done.
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