'As long as you please to stay!' laughed the Captain, drily.
That passage after dinner through the convalescent wards of the finely equipped hospital was to Nelly Sarratt an almost intolerable experience. She went bravely through it, leaving, wherever she talked to a convalescent, an impression of shy sweetness behind her, which made a good many eyes follow her as Farrell led her through the rooms. But she was thankful when it was over; and when, at last, she was alone in her room for the night, she flew--for consolation--to the drawer in which she had locked her writing-desk, and the letters she had received that morning. The post had just arrived as they were leaving Rydal, and she had hastily torn open a letter from George, and thrust the others into a large empty envelope. And now she discovered among them to her delight a second letter from George, unopened. What unexpected joy!
It too was dated--'Somewhere in France'--and had been written two days after the letter she had opened in the morning.
'My darling--we're having a real jolly time here--in an old village, far behind the line, and it is said we shall be here for three whole weeks. Well, some of us really wanted it, for the battalion has been in some very hot fighting lately, and has had a nasty bit of the line to look after for a long time--with nothing very much to show for it. My platoon has lost some of its best men, and I've been pretty badly hit, as some of them were real chums of mine--the bravest and dearest fellows. And I don't know why, but for the first time, I've been feeling rather jumpy and run down. So I went to a doctor, and he told me I'd better go off duty for a fortnight. But just then, luckily, the whole battalion was ordered, as I told you a week ago, into what's called "divisional rest," so here we are--for three weeks! Quite good billets--an old French farm--with two good barns and lots of straw for the men, and an actual bedroom for me--and a real bed--_with sheets!_ Think of that! I am as comfortable as possible. Just at first I'm going to stay in bed for a couple of days to please the doctor--but then I shall be all right, and shall probably take a course of gymnastics they're starting here--odd, isn't it?--like putting us to school again!--so that I may be quite fit before going back to the front.