“Oh, I’ve been through a good deal more than that,” said the girl, trying to speak lightly.  “Things don’t seem to kill me.  I’ve had quite a lot of hard times.”

“I’m afraid you have,” he said, gravely.  “Somehow it doesn’t seem fair that you should have had such a rotten time of it, and I be lying around enjoying myself.  Shouldn’t everybody be treated alike in this world?  I confess I don’t understand it.”

Bonnie smiled feebly.  “Oh, it’s all right!” she said, with conviction.  “’In the world ye shall have tribulation, but fear not, I have overcome the world,’ you know.  It’s our testing-time, and this world isn’t the only part of life.”

“Well, but I don’t see how that answers my point,” said Courtland, pleasantly.  “What’s the idea?  Don’t you think I am worth the testing?”

“Oh, surely, but you may not need the same kind I did.”

“You don’t appear to me to have needed any testing.  So far as I can judge, you’ve showed the finest kind of nerve on every occasion.”

“Oh, but I do,” said Bonnie, earnestly.  “I’ve needed it dreadfully!  You don’t know how hard I was getting—­sort of soured on the world!  That was the reason I came away from the old home where my father’s church was and where all the people I knew were.  I couldn’t bear to see them.  They had been so hard on my dear father that I thought they were the cause of his death.  I had begun to feel that there weren’t any real Christians left in the world.  God had to bring me away off here into trouble again to find out how good people are.  He sent you to help me, and Nurse Wright; and now to-day the most wonderful thing has happened!  I’ve had a letter from an utter stranger, asking me to come and visit.  I want you to read it, please.”

While Courtland read Mother Marshall’s letter Bonnie lay studying him.  And truly he was a goodly sight.  No girl in her senses could look a man like that over and not know he was a man and a fine one.  But Bonnie had no romantic thoughts.  Life had dealt too hardly with her for her to have any illusions left.  She had no idea of her own charms, nor any thought of making much of the situation.  That was why Gila’s insinuations had cut so terribly deep.

“She’s a peach, isn’t she?” he said, handing the letter back.  “How soon does the doctor think you’ll be able to travel?”

“Oh, I couldn’t possibly go,” said the girl, relapsing into sadness; “but I think it was lovely of her.”

“Go?  Of course you must go!” cried Courtland, springing to his feet, as if he had been accustomed to manage this girl’s affairs for years.  “Why, Mother Marshall would be just broken-hearted if you didn’t!”

“Mother Marshall!” exclaimed Bonnie, sitting up from her pillows in astonishment.  “You know her, then?”

Courtland stopped suddenly in his excited march across the room and laughed ruefully.  “Well, I’ve let the cat out of the bag after all, haven’t I?  Yes, then, I know her!  It was I who told her about you.  And I had a letter from her two days ago, saying she was crazy to have you come.  Why, she’s just counting the minutes till she gets your telegram!  You haven’t sent her word you aren’t coming, have you?”