It was, I said, just at the dawn of day and about four o’clock, when Doctor Dietz pronounced the crisis favorably passed, and then left him.
At eight o’clock the surgeon returned to the sick-room, where he found both master and man still asleep.
Without waking Simms, he went around to the other side of the bed, and examined the state of Alexander. His former opinion was now confirmed. The patient was sleeping calmly and breathing softly. His pulse was regular and quiet, and his skin cool and moist.
“It is a decided convalescence,” said the surgeon to himself.
And then, fearing to wake up the attendant lest he should disturb the patient, the doctor himself went about on tiptoes, putting out the night taper, opening the windows, and setting the room somewhat in order.
Then he went down-stairs to get his own breakfast and to order some proper nourishment to be prepared for the wounded man to take as soon as he should awake.
When he again returned to the room he found Simme awake and sitting upright in the chair.
The doctor raised his finger to warn the valet not to speak or make a noise, lest he should disturb the sleeper and then signed him to leave the room.
And the valet gladly took himself away.
Doctor Dietz seated himself beside his patient to watch for his awakening. As it is neither useful nor entertaining to sit and stare a sleeper in the face, the surgeon took out a newspaper from his pocket and began to read, lifting his eyes occasionally to look at his charge. But at length he got upon several columns of highly interesting editorial treating upon the politics of Prussia, and he became so absorbed in the subject that he read on, forgetting to glance at his patient for fifteen or twenty minutes. He might have gone on for thirty or forty minutes more without lifting his eyes from the paper had he not heard his name whispered.