"At once."
"What shall you do?"
"I—I don't know." His legs began to tremble, and he sank heavily on a chair. "I—I am too sick to join the army, mother," he went on, half pleadingly.
Now Mrs. Ruthven did not care to have him leave her, yet she was but human, and it filled her with disgust to have her only offspring such a coward.
"You weren't very sick this morning."
"I know that. But the sun has affected my head. I feel very faint."
"If you don't join the ranks, all of our neighbors will put you down as a coward, St. John."
"They can't want a sick man along," he whined.
"They will say you are shamming."
"But I am not shamming. I feel bad enough to take to my bed this minute."