“Dear—I hardly know what to say. I forgive you freely. I nursed you back to life, Desmond. I devoted my whole time to you. While Matron and Nurse Fanshaw attended to your cousin, I watched over you. You grew dear to me. I wanted to see your eyes look at me with recognition in them. I—I—wanted you to—to like me—a little. Then when you first became convalescent I loved to talk to you. Dear, I can forget the past. Life since 1914 has changed. Women have changed. We are no longer the narrow minded stay-at-homes we were before the War.”
“The War?” asked Desmond wonderingly.
“Yes, the Great War. The war with Germany.” He looked puzzled, but asked no questions, only lay back with his eyes closed, thinking. “We understand the temptations of sex,” she went on, “and can forgive. You asked me just now to marry you. I’ll marry you most gladly whenever you like, and I’ll do my best to make you forget your terrible experiences. Wait—” as Desmond would have spoken, “I’ll ask no questions. When the time is ripe you can tell me all. Meanwhile I’ll be content to love and trust.” There was no one in sight; a tall hedge on either side of the garden walk gave them shelter.
“Kiss me, Mavis,” said Desmond hoarsely. “Oh my darling, how I love you.” And so the old, old story was told once more.
“Nurse Wylton! Nurse Wylton!” Matron’s voice was calling and it was a rosy cheeked nurse who answered.
“Nurse, wherever have you been? Mr. Travers has been waiting over half an hour to see the patients.”
Half an hour! Mavis offered no excuse—indeed she had none, and she wheeled her charge to Alan’s side. As she turned away to fetch Mr. Travers, she heard Alan say petulantly, “Wherever have you been all this time, Dez?” but she didn’t catch Desmond’s reply. If she had it would have set her thinking, for he said in an awe-struck tone, “Lanny, old boy, do you know there has been a war—a war with Germany? And we’ve missed it, old chap, we’ve missed it.”
Mr. Travers was a genial soul and loved by all the miners. He came forward and greeted the boys cheerily.
“Well, I’m glad to hear you are both better. A nice fright you gave every one to be sure. We wondered at first how you had got into such a position.” He laughed heartily at the recollection.
“However, the explanation was quite simple after all, wasn’t it?”