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converted　into　hospitals；　and　numbers　of　the　citizens　had　come

forward　with　offers　to　take　one　or　more　of　the　wounded　into　their

houses。　　The　streets　were　crowded　with　people；　who　were　wild

with　joy　at　the　news　of　the　victory　which；　as　they　believed；　had

secured　the　State　from　any　further　fear　of　invasion。　Numbers　of

willing　hands　were　in　readiness　to　carry　the　wounded　on　stretchers

to　the　hospitals；　where　all　the　surgeons　of　the　town　were　already

waiting　to　attend　upon　them



Vincent；　at　his　own　request；　was　only　laid　upon　a　bed；　as　he　said

that　he　would　go　home　to　he　nursed　the　first　thing　in　the　morning。　

This　being　the　case　it　was　needless　to　put　him　to　the　pain　and

trouble　of　being　undressed。　Dan　had　started　as　soon　as　he　saw　his

master　carried　into　the　hospital　to　take　the　news　to　the　Orangery；

being　strictly　charged　by　Vincent　to　make　light　of　his　injury；　and

on　no　account　whatever　to　alarm　them。　　He　was　to　ask　that　the

carriage　should　come　to　fetch　him　the　first　thing　in　the　morning。



It　was　indeed　but　just　daybreak　when　Mrs。　Wingfield　drove　up　to

the　hospital。　　Dan　had　been　so　severely　cross…examined　that　he　had

been　obliged　to　give　an　accurate　account　of　Vincent's　injury。　

There　was　bustle　and　movement　even　at　that　early　hour；　for

another　train　of　wounded　had　just　arrived。　　As　she　entered　the

hospital　she　gave　an　exclamation　of　pleasure；　for　at　the　door　were

two　gentlemen　in　conversation；　one　of　whom　was　the　doctor　who

had　long　attended　the　family　at　the　Orangery。



〃I　am　glad　you　are　here；　Dr。　Mapleston；　for　I　want　your　opinion

before　I　move　Vincent。　　Have　you　seen　him？〃



〃No；　Mrs。　Wingfield；　I　did　not　know　he　was　here。　　I　have　charge　of

one　of　the　wards；　and　have　not　had　time　to　see　who　are　in　the

others。　　I　sincerely　hope　Vincent　is　not　seriously　hurt。〃



〃That's　want　I　want　to　find　out；　doctor。　　His　boy　brought　us　news

late　last　night　that　he　was　here。　　He　said　the　doctors　considered

that　he　was　not　in　any　danger；　but　as　it　seems　that　he　had　three　ribs

broken　and　a　deep　flesh　wound　from　the　explosion　of　a　shell；　it

seems　to　me　that　it　must　be　serious。〃



〃I　will　go　up　and　see　him　at　once；　Mrs。　Wingfield；　and　find　out

from　the　surgeon　in　charge　of　his　ward　exactly　what　is　the　matter

with　him。〃　Dan　led　the　way　to　the　bed　upon　which　Vincent　was

lying。　　He　was　only　dozing；　and　opened　his　eyes　as　they　came　up。



〃My　poor　boy；〃　Mrs。　Wingfleld　said；　struggling　with　her　tears　at

the　sight　of　his　pale　face；　〃this　is　sad　indeed。〃



〃It　is　nothing　very　bad；　mother；〃　Vincent　replied　cheerfully；

〃nothing　at　all　to　fret　about。　　The　wound　is　nothing　to　the　injuries

of　most　of　those　here。　　I　suppose；　doctor；　I　can　be　moved　at　once？〃



Doctor　Mapleston　felt　his　pulse。



〃Yen　are　feverish；　my　lad；　but　perhaps　the　best　thing　for　you　would

be　to　get　you　home　while　you　can　be　moved。　You　will　do　far　better

there　than　here。　　But　I　must　speak　to　the　surgeon　in　charge　of　you

first；　and　hear　what　he　says。〃



〃Yes；　I　think　you　can　move　him；〃　the　surgeon　of　the　ward　said。　

〃He　has　got　a　nasty　wound；　and　the　ticket　with　him　said　that　three

ribs　were　badly　fractured；　but　I　made　no　examination；　as　he　said　he

would　be　fetched　the　first　thing　this　morning。　　I　only　put　on　a　fresh

dressing　and　bandaged　it。　　The　sooner　you　get　him　off　the　better；　if

he　is　to　be　moved。　　Fever　is　setting　in；　and　he　will　probably　be

wandering　by　this　evening。　　He　will　have　a　much　better　chance　at

home；　with　cool　rooms　and　quiet　and　careful　nursing；　than　he　can

have　here；　though　there　would　be　no　lack　of　either　comforts　or

nurses；　for　half　the　ladies　in　the　town　have　volunteered　for　the

work；　and　we　have　offers　of　all　the　medical　comforts　that　could　be

required　were　the　list　of　wounded　ten　times　as　large　as　it　is。〃



A　stretcher　was　brought　in；　and　Vincent　was　lifted　as　gently　as

possible　upon　it。　　Then　he　was　carried　down…stairs　and　the

stretcher　placed　in　the　carriage；　which　was　a　large　open　one；

and　afforded　just　sufficient　length　for　it。　Mrs。　Wingfield　took　her

seat　beside　him。　　Dan　mounted　the　box　beside　the　coachman。



〃I　will　be　out　in　an　hour；　Mrs。　Wingfield；〃　Dr。　Mapleston　said。　　〃I

have　to　go　round　the　ward　again；　and　will　then　drive　out　at　once。　

Give　him　lemonade　and　cooling　drinks；　don't　let　him　talk。　　Cut　his

clothes　off　him；　and　keep　the　room　somewhat　dark；　but　with　a　free

current　of　air。　　I　will　bring　out　some　medicine　with　me。〃



The　carriage　drove　slowly　to　avoid　shaking；　and　when　they

approached　the　house　Mrs。　Wingfleld　told　Dan　to　jump　down　and

come　to　the　side　of　her　carriage。　　Then　she　told　him　to　run　on　as

fast　as　he　could　ahead；　and　to　tell　her　daughters　not　to　meet　them

upon　their　arrival；　and　that　all　the　servants　were　to　be　kept　out　of

the　way；　except　three　men　to　carry　Vincent　upstairs。　　The　lad　was

consequently　got　up　to　his　room　without　any　excitement；　and　was

soon　lying　on　his　bed　with　a　sheet　thrown　lightly　over　him。



〃That　is　comfortable；〃　he　said；　as　his　mother　bathed　his　face　and

hands　and　smoothed　his　hair。　　〃Where　are　the　girls；　mother？〃



〃They　will　come　in　to　see　you　now；　Vincent；　but　you　are　to　keep

quite　quiet　you　know；　and　not　to　talk。〃　　The　girls　stole　in　and　said　a

few　words；　and　left　him　alone　again　with　Mrs。　Wingfield。　　He　did

not　look　to　them　so　ill　as　they　had　expected；　for　there　was　a　flush

of　fever　on　his　cheeks。　　Dr。　Mapleston　arrived　in　another　half…hour；

examined　and　redressed　the　wound；　and　comforted　Mrs。　Wingfield

with　the　assurance　that　there　was　nothing　in　it　likely　to　prove

dangerous　to　life。



〃Our　trouble　will　be　rather　with　the　effect　of　the　shock　than　with

the　wound　itself。　　He　is　very　feverish　now；　and　you　must　not　be

alarmed　if　by　this　evening　he　is　delirious。　You　will　give　him　this

cooling　draught　every　three　hours；　he　can　have　anything　in　the　way

of　cooling　drinks　he　likes。　If　he　begins　to　wander；　put　cloths

dipped　in　cold　water　and　wrung　out　on　his　head；　and　sponge　his

hands　with　water　with　a　little　eau　de　Cologne　in　it。　　If　he　seems

very　hot　set　one　of　the　women　to　fan　him；　but　don't　let　her　go　on　if

it　seems　to　worry　him。　　I　will　come　round　again　at　half　past　nine

this　evening　and　will　make　arrangements　to　pass　the　night　here。　

We　have　telegrams　saying　that　surgeons　are　coming　from

Charleston　and　many　other　places；　so　I　can　very　well　be　spared。〃



When　the　doctor　returned　in　the　evening；　he　found；　as　he　had

anticipated；　that　Vincent　was　in　a　high　state　of　fever。　　This

continued　four　or　five　days；　and　then　gradually　passed　off；　and　he

woke　up　one　morning　perfectly　conscious。　　His　mother　was　sitting

on　a　chair　at　the　bedside。



〃What　o'clock　is　it；　mother？〃　he　asked。　　〃Have　I　been　asleep　long？〃



〃Some　time；　dear；〃　she　answered　gently；　〃but　you　must　not　talk。　

You　are　to　take　this　draught　and　to　go　off　to　sleep　again；　when　you

wake　you　may　ask　any　questions　you　like。〃　　She　lifted　the　lad's

head；　gave　him　the　draught　and　some　cold　tea；　then　darkened　the

room；　and　in　a　few　minutes　he　was　asleep　again。



CHAPTER　VII。　THE　MERRIMAC　AND　THE　MONITOR。



IT　WAS　some　weeks　before　Vincent　was　able　to　walk　unaided。　

His　convalescence　was　somewhat　slow；　for　the　shock　to　the　system

had　been　a　severe　one。　　The　long　rail…way　journey　had　been

injurious　to　him；　for　the　bandage　had　become　somewhat　loose　and

the　broken　pieces　of　bone　had　grated　upon　each　other；　and　were

much　longer　in　knitting　together　than　they　would　have　been　had　he

been　treated　on　the　spot。



As　soon　as　he　could　walk　he　began　to　be　anxious　to　rejoin　his

troop；　but　the　doctor　said　that　many　weeks　must　elapse　before　he

would　be　ready　to　undergo　the　hardships　of　campaign。　　He　was

reconciled　to　some　extent　to　the　delay　by　letters　from　his　friends

with　the　troop　and　by　the　perusal　of　the　papers。　　There　was　nothing

whatever　doing　in　Virginia。　　The　two　armies　still　faced　each

other；　the　Northerners　protected　by　the　strong　fortifications　they

had　thrown　up　round　Washington…fortifications　much　too

formidable　to　be　attacked　by　the　Confederates；　held　as　they　were

by　a　force　immensely　superior　to　their　own；　both　in　numbers　and

aims。



The　Northerners　were　indeed　hard　at　work；　collecting　and

organizing　an　army　which　was　to　crush　out　the　rebellion。　　General

Scott　had　been　succeeded　by　McClellan　in　the　supreme　command；

and　the　new　general　was　indefatigable　in　organizing　the　vast

masses　of　men　raised　in　tho　North。　　So　great　were　the　efforts　that

in　a　few　months　after　the　defeat　of　Bull　Run　the　North　had　650；000

men　in　arms。



But　while　no　move　had　at　present　been　made　against　Virginia

there　was　sharp　fighting　in　some　of　the　border　states；　especially　in

Missouri　and　Kentucky；　in　both　of　which　public　opinion　was　much

divided；　and　regiments　were　raised　on　both　sides。



Various　operations　were　now　undertaken　by　the　Federal　fleet　at

points　along　the　coast；　and　several　important　positions　were　taken

and　occupi