第13部分(第2/7 页)

ear　a　hook　on　it。〃

〃What　do　you　mean？　A　hook？〃

〃He　is　joking；〃　said　the　house　doctor。　He　patted　my　shoulder　very　delicately。　〃He　wants　to　keep　his　knee。　This　is　a　very　brave　young　man。　He　has　been　proposed　for　the　silver　medal　of　valor。〃

〃All　my　felicitations；〃　said　the　first　captain。　He　shook　my　hand。　〃I　can　only　say　that　to　be　on　the　safe　side　you　should　wait　at　least　six　months　before　opening　such　a　knee。　You　are　wele　of　course　to　another　opinion。〃

〃Thank　you　very　much；〃　I　said。　〃I　value　your　opinion。〃

The　first　captain　looked　at　his　watch。

〃We　must　go；〃　he　said。　〃All　my　best　wishes。〃

〃All　my　best　wishes　and　many　thanks；〃　I　said。　I　shook　hands　with　the　third　doctor。　〃Capitano　Varini……Tenente　Enry；〃　and　they　all　three　went　out　of　the　room。

〃Miss　Gage；〃　I　called。　She　came　in。　〃Please　ask　the　house　doctor　to　e　back　a　minute。〃

He　came　in　holding　his　cap　and　stood　by　the　bed。　〃Did　you　wish　to　see　me？〃

〃Yes。　I　can't　wait　six　months　to　be　operated　on。　My　God；　doctor；　did　you　ever　stay　in　bed　six　months？〃

〃You　won't　be　in　bed　all　the　time。　You　must　first　have　the　wounds　exposed　to　the　sun。　Then　afterward　you　can　be　on　crutches。〃

〃For　six　months　and　then　have　an　operation？〃

〃That　is　the　safe　way。　The　foreign　bodies　must　be　allowed　to　encyst　and　the　synovial　fluid　will　re…form。　Then　it　will　be　safe　to　open　up　the　knee。〃

〃Do　you　really　think　yourself　I　will　have　to　wait　that　long？〃

〃That　is　the　safe　way。〃

〃Who　is　that　first　captain？〃

〃He　is　a　very　excellent　surgeon　of　Milan。〃

〃He's　a　first　captain；　isn't　he？〃

〃Yes；　but　he　is　an　excellent　surgeon。〃

〃I　don't　want　my　leg　fooled　with　by　a　first　captain。　If　he　was　any　good　he　would　be　made　a　maj