Page:Leah Reed--Brenda's summer at Rockley.djvu/396

374 see the gypsy was right. Ugh! but it does hurt,” and he tried not to show his pain.

Luckily, when the doctor examined the injury, he found that though the ankle was really sprained, a few weeks of  complete rest would set the young man on his feet again.

Yet although the injury was slight, compared with what it might have been, the doctor strictly ordered Arthur  not to use his foot. At New Haven he might have been tempted to disobey,—and so Arthur himself saw that it  was wisest to accept Mrs. Barlow’s invitation to remain  a week or two with her.

“I’m as happy as a king,” he would murmur, as he reclined in a deep chair with his foot supported on an  ottoman which Mrs. Barlow had made just the right  height for him.

“I’m as happy as a king, for neither sister-in-law, nor you, Julia, would dare to refuse me anything I ask.”

“You’d better not be too sure,” responded Julia, with a smile. “I am more independent than Brenda, for I had nothing to do with your accident. However, as you’ve been pretty patient this morning, I ’ll play you just one  game of hjalma, although I really dislike games.”

“You ’re very good,” said Arthur, as Julia moved away to get the hjalma board, “but is n’t that Brenda’s step?”  and he listened intently to a footfall on the piazza.

“Ah, galley-slave!” he exclaimed, as she approached. “Julia is released, and you, sister-in-law, must take her place at the board.”

“Why, I have no objection,” said Brenda; “I’d rather