"He says it is brain fever," the nurse said. "He only said it might be some days, before the crisis came; and that he could not give any decided opinion, at present. But he seemed to have hope."
"Thank God, at least, for that!" Ralph said, earnestly.
Percy, turning his head round again, caught sight of Ralph.
"Ah, there is that schoolmaster again! If no one else will hang him, I will do it, myself. Let me get at him!"
And he again made desperate efforts to get out of bed.
"You had better go, sir," one of the sisters said, urgently. "The sight of you makes him worse, and you can do him no good."
Seeing that it was so, Ralph reluctantly left the room; his only comfort being that Percy was as carefully tended, and looked after, as it was possible for him to be. He had scarcely returned to his room, when an officer was shown in.
"I daresay you hardly remember me," he said. "I came here with you, last night."
"I am very glad to see you again, and to thank you for the trouble you took," Ralph said. "I was too sleepy to do so, last night."
"Not at all," the officer answered. "However, I am here with a message from the general, now. He would have asked you to dine with him but, hearing of the state of your brother, he could not ask you to leave him for so long a time; but he would be glad if you would come to see him, for an hour, this evening. He wishes to know how you managed to pass through the German lines; and he also desires to be informed, as far as you can give such information, of the number and position of the enemy.