Nurse Elisia Part 23

"That `but' again. Come, nurse, I think you believe that I take great interest in you."

"Oh, yes, Sir Denton," she said eagerly.

"Then trust me in this. Take my advice. More--oblige me by going. I am surgeon here, and you are nurse, but it has seemed to me, for some time past, that we have had a closer intimacy--that of friends. Come, you will oblige me?"

"It is your wish then, that I should go?"

"Indeed, yes. When will you be ready to start?"

"At once."

"That is good. Then I will telegraph down, so that a carriage may be in waiting for you at the station. I am sure that Mr Elthorne will see that you have every comfort and attention. Good-morning. Thanks."

Nurse Elisia stood by the door of the ward, watching the retiring figure of the old surgeon as he pa.s.sed down the corridor.

"Is it not weak to have given way?" she said to herself. "Perhaps not in such a case as this. Mr Elthorne will see that I have every comfort and attention," she said softly. "Mr Elthorne must be taught that I am the hospital nurse, sent down there for a special purpose. Mr Elthorne is weak, and given to follies such as I should not have suspected in so wise and able a man."

She stood hesitating for a few moments looking toward where Maria Bell lay, evidently watching her attentively, and her first impulse was to cross to the woman and to tell her that she would be handed over now to the charge of another nurse; but, reconsidering the matter, she decided merely to tell the next nurse in authority that she must take full charge of the ward, and going down to the matron, she stated that she would be absent for a time. That evening she was being hurried down by a fast train, to reach the station within a few minutes of the appointed time, and she had scarcely stepped on to the platform when a man's voice made her start with dread lest it should be Neil.

"The nurse for Hightoft?" said the voice; and as she turned she found that it was only a servant.

"Yes, I am the nurse," she replied.

"Well, here's a carriage for you. Any luggage?"

The man's voice was sharp, and wanting in respect, the ordering of the carriage for a long night drive having found little favour with coachman and footman.

"That little black bag, that is all," said the nurse quietly.

"Don't mean to stay long, then," said the man with a laugh, as he took the little travelling bag, and swung it up on to the foot-board, while the nurse stood patiently waiting, and without resenting the man's insolence and indifference as he entered into a conversation with the coachman before turning and, stepping back, stared hard at the calm, refined face dimly seen by the feeble station lamps.

"Will you have the goodness to open the carriage door?"

"Eh? Open the door? Of course. Just going to," said the footman cavalierly, as he s.n.a.t.c.hed open the door and rattled down the steps.

He held out his hand, but she stepped in without his a.s.sistance, the door was banged sharply to, and the handle took some time to turn, as the man stared in at the visitor, who quietly drew up the window and sank back in her seat.

"Gives herself airs, does she!" said the footman to himself. "How fond people who have never been in a carriage before are of making believe they are used to one. Can't cheat me, my lady. Bet a s.h.i.+lling she has never been in anything better than a cab or a station-fly before in her life."

"What are you grumbling about?" said the coachman, as his fellow-servant climbed up to his side.

"Nothing, only thinking aloud about her ladys.h.i.+p inside. Got in with a reg'lar toss of her head. There, hit 'em up, Tom, and let's get back.

I don't want to be on this job all night."

"Regular nurse, arn't she?" said the coachman. "Horspittle?"

"Yes, I suppose so. Dressed up like a nun out for a holiday. Why couldn't they have had a nurse out of the village, or your wife?"

"Ah! Why indeed?" said the coachman sourly. "'Fraid poor people should make a few s.h.i.+llings too much, I suppose. It's just the same if one of the horses is bad; we must have the vet to see him, when I could put him right in a week. It's having the name does it with some people.

Horspittle nurse! A deal, I dare say, she knows."

The ill-usage to which he and his fellow-servants were called upon to submit claimed both their tongues during the long, dark drive to Hightoft, while Nurse Elisia sat back in the carriage, dreamy and thoughtful, watching the lights of the lamps thrown upon hedgerow and tree as the good pair of horses trotted swiftly back.

It seemed a strange contrast to the glaring, shop-filled streets of sooty London, this long winding lane with only a long, low whitewashed cottage seen at intervals. So quiet and calm was it all that there appeared to be no reason for the rapid action of the nurse's pulses as they sped onward. But the action was going on, and the occupant of the carriage felt a strange longing more than once to pull the check string, and bid the coachman stop and turn back. But she refrained and grew cooler as they progressed, forcing herself to keep on trying to make out the landscape, till, in due time, the lodge gates were pa.s.sed, and the carriage drawn up at the entrance, where Nurse Elisia descended and stood beside her little bag till Neil descended and uttered the words expressing his astonishment at her presence there.

CHAPTER TEN.

NEIL IS PERPLEXED.

Neil Elthorne had hard work to control himself for, paradoxically, although Nurse Elisia was the most likely personage for Sir Denton to send down to attend his young friend's father, it had never once occurred to him that she would be chosen.

"I am glad you have come," he said quietly. "Ah, here is my aunt," he continued, as that lady appeared. "Aunt, dear, this is Nurse Elisia, from the hospital. Will you see that she is shown to her room and has some refreshment before she comes upstairs?"

Isabel, looking very white and careworn, joined them as he spoke, unable to withdraw his eyes from the countenance which filled so large a portion of his meditative hours, but the nurse met his eyes calmly and turned and bowed to Aunt Anne and Isabel in turn, the former lady seeming quite taken back by the attendant's appearance.

"I don't like the look of her at all, Isabel, my dear," she said, as soon as they were alone. "I expected she would look like a nurse, not be a tall body like that."

"She seemed very nice, Aunt, dear," said Isabel quietly, "and of course she will be a very skillful nurse. I thought she looked very tired, but her face seemed to me quite beautiful."

"Good-looking, not beautiful, my dear, and that's it. I always made a point of never having good-looking servants in the house, especially as there are young men about."

"Aunt!"

"Oh, yes, you may say `Aunt,' my dear, but you do not understand these things. Good-looking servants always know it, and give themselves airs."

"But this lady is not a servant, Aunt."

"Don't talk nonsense, Isabel," said Aunt Anne tartly. "She is a servant, and she is not a lady. I can't help it, my dear; I don't like her at all, and I hope she will prove to be so dissatisfied, when she finds what she has to do, that she will want to go back to town at once.

There's too much of the fine madam about her for me."

"Sir Denton would not have sent down a person who was not quite suitable, Aunt," said Isabel gravely. "If she nurses poor papa well that is all we want."

"Yes, my dear, but will she? There, I can't help it; I must speak plainly. I am the least suspicious woman in the world, but I do not like a surprise like this being sprung upon us."

"A surprise, Aunt?"

"Yes. Why did not Neil tell us what sort of a person this woman was going to be. He knows her, of course. You heard him call her by name."

"Aunt, dear, of what are you thinking?" cried Isabel wonderingly, and giving her aunt a strangely perplexed look.

"Oh, nothing, my dear. There, I suppose I must see to her having some tea when she comes down. She will have her meals with the servants of course."

"Has Nurse Elisia come down yet?" said Neil, entering quickly.

"No, my dear," said Aunt Anne, pinching her lips together.

"You have given orders for refreshments to be brought up to her?"