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She began hat she called "the ue had taken its usual toll on him He was thin, wasted to bones, and still so weak that he could not stand He remained in the infirmary She had not been able to see him, but was able to send and receive letters fro them The letters he sent to her were short His joints were swollen, and even small retfully that he would probably never have a military career of any kind, for even after full recovery, he doubted that Spink would have any kind of stamina My friend could look forward to life as an invalid, depending on his brother for sustenance and keep

Epiny, of course, did not put it that way She blithely inforh for the cere, and she would then join him for the journey to his home She had already been in correspondence with his htfully modern They are capable wo in their coreat pity that his fa I aood to see that wohters’ e And I areatly if he could see that I a sentenced to endless e"

"Epiny," I ventured to ask her "Are you certain you will be happy in such a situation? You will not truly be mistress of your own household Rather, you and Spink will have to live on his brother’s charity You speak of hisuseful work I a to you And your circumstances will be far reduced from what you are accustoe yourself and Spink into a life of unhappiness"

I meant my words well, but she wilted before them She shook her head at me and tears welled in her eyes "Must everyone harp on what I already know? I knoill be hard, Nevare, far harder than I first iined when I cast my lot with Spink’s But I think I can do it No Iknow that Ith to do it" She clenched her hands together in her lap "I know you think I aret my decision I know you think I am weak Perhaps I am, and perhaps I will be miserable But I know that nomy parents to take me back under their roof" She lifted her eyes tothere

"The ti, Nevare It is time for men as well as women to assert that they will e their lives for theoes with th from it when her time comes to defy tradition and live her own life"

"Will you tell her if you are unhappy?" I asked cautiously I was not certain that what she was doing was a good exahtened her back and squared her shoulders "I take responsibility for , when I look at Spink, I will see the man I chose above all others And he will know the same of me Will you have that comfort when you look at Carsina after a quarrel or a difficult day? Or will you have to wonder if she would be there if her parents hadn’t decided for her?"

She was edging too close to a subject I had lately found painful I had no future with Carsina Slowly I was aded from the Academy, I’d forfeited her I abruptly shifted the topic "Can you tell me about ?"

"Are you sure you are well enough for such news?" she asked ht

"Perhaps you should let me be responsible for my own happiness or unhappiness and just tellmore sharply than I intended

She looked at the floor and then back at me "Spink knew you would want to know He told me so the last time I visited him So he told me the names of the boys in your patrol who died and of some others you would want to know about I wrote them down because I knew I could never remember all those names" She reached into her dress pocket and took out a much-folded slip of paper As she opened it, my heart sank "Are you ready?" she asked me