Truly it is not safe for two old people to be in
an empty house by themselves in these times, specially as, maybe, the
houses on either side are also untenanted, and robbers can get into
them and make their way along the roof, and so enter any house they
like by the windows there. It was a mercy you chanced to come along.
Men are so accustomed now to hear screams and calls for aid, that
none trouble themselves as to such sounds. And you still feel quite
well?"
"Never better, John, except for occasional twitches in my shoulder."
"It does not knit so fast as it should do," John said. "In the first
place, you are always on the move; then no one can go about into
infected houses without his spirits being disturbed, and of all
things a calm and easy disposition is essential for the proper
healing of wounds. Lastly, it is certain that when there is poison in
the air wounds do not heal so quickly as at other times."
"It is going on well enough, John; indeed, I could not desire it to
do better. As soon as it is fairly healed I ought to join Prince
Rupert again; but in truth I do not wish to go, for I would fain see
this terrible Plague come to an end before I leave; for never since
the days of the Black Death, hundreds of years ago, was there so
strange and terrible a malady in this country."
Mr. Wallace had returned to his house when Cyril called the next
morning.
"Thinking over what you said last night, Cyril, I arrived at a pretty
correct conclusion as to what had happened, though I thought not that
it could be as bad as it was.
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