The Eagle's Shadow

  XXXI

  Dr. Jeal, better than his word, had Billy Woods out of bed in fivedays. To Billy they were very long and very dreary days, and toMargaret very long and penitential ones. But Colonel Hugonin enjoyedthem thoroughly; for, as he feelingly and frequently observed, it isan immense consolation to any man to reflect that his home no longercontains "more damn' foolishness to the square inch than any otherhouse in the United States."

  On all sides they sought for Cock-eye Flinks. But they never foundhim, and to this day they have never found him. The Fates havingplayed their pawn, swept it from the board, and Cock-eye Flinksdisappeared in Clotho's capacious pocket.

  All this time the young people saw nothing of one another. On thispoint Jeal was adamantean.

  "In a sick-room," he vehemently declared, "a woman is well enough, but_the_ woman is the devil and all. I've told that young man plainly,sir, that he doesn't see your daughter till he gets well--and, byGeorge, sir, he'll get well now just in order to see her. Nature isthe only doctor who ever cures anybody, Colonel; we humans, forall our pill-boxes and lancets, can only prompt her--and devilishdemoralising advice we generally give her, too," he added, with achuckle.

  "Peggy!"

  This was the first observation of Mr. Woods when he came to hissenses. He swore feebly when Peggy was denied to him. He pleaded. Hescolded. He even threatened, as a last resort, to get out of bed andgo in immediate search of her; and in return, Jeal told him veryaffably that it was far less difficult to manage a patient in astraight-jacket than one out of it, and that personally nothing wouldplease him so much as a plausible pretext for clapping Mr. Woods intoone of 'em. Jeal had his own methods in dealing with the fractious.

  Then Billy clamoured for Colonel Hugonin, and subsequently the Colonelcame in some bewilderment to his daughter's rooms.

  "Billy says that will ain't to be probated," he informed her, testily."I'm to make sure it ain't probated till he gets well. You're to giveme your word you'll do nothing further in the matter till Billy getswell. That's his message, and I'd like to know what the devil thisinfernal nonsense means. I ain't a Fenian nor yet a Guy Fawkes,daughter, and in consequence I'm free to confess I don't care for allthis damn mystery and shilly-shallying. But that's the message."

  Miss Hugonin debated with herself. "That I will do nothing further inthe matter till Billy gets well," she repeated, reflectively. "Yes, Isuppose I'll have to promise it, but you can tell him for me that Iconsider he is _horrid_, and just as obstinate and selfish as he can_possibly_ be. Can you remember that, attractive?"

  "Yes, thank you," said the Colonel. "I can remember it, but I ain'tgoing to. Nice sort of message to send a sick man, ain't it? I don'tknow what's gotten into you, Margaret--no, begad, I don't! I thinkyou're possessed of seventeen devils. And now," the old gentlemandemanded, after an awkward pause, "are you or are you not going totell me what all this mystery is about?"

  "I can't," Miss Hugonin protested. "It--it's a secret, attractive."

  "It ain't," said the Colonel, flatly--"it's some more damnfoolishness." And he went away in a fret and using language.