Nurse Elisia Part 24

"Indeed no, my dear. I was just going to ring and tell them to get something ready in the servants' hall."

Neil's countenance changed.

"No, no," he said harshly.

"My dear Neil, she cannot have her meals with us."

"I cannot see why not," he replied sternly. "But she will not wish to leave her patient. Have one of the dressing rooms set apart entirely for her use, and all her meals can be taken to her upstairs."

Isabel looked at her brother in surprise, his manner seemed so changed.

"Oh, very well, my dear," said Aunt Anne in an ill-used tone as she rose to ring the bell, but was forestalled by her nephew. "I always thought when I came here that I was to take the entire management of this establishment, but your father always interfered, and now that he is helpless, I suppose you, as his eldest son--"

"Why, dear Aunt," said Neil, "pray do not think that I wish to interfere, but you do not understand Nurse Elisia's position. She is our princ.i.p.al lady nurse at the hospital, one in whom Sir Denton Hayle places every confidence, and whom he treats almost as a friend."

"Oh, indeed!" said Aunt Anne. "I was not aware. Why did you not tell me before, my dear, who was coming down?"

"For the simple reason that I did not know, Aunt," said Neil quietly.

The footman, who had been waiting, signified his presence by a faint cough, received his orders, and left the room.

About this time Alison, who had been seated alone in the little study, smoking and trying to read, suddenly threw the book one way, the end of his cigar another, and rose with a yawn.

"Tired out and sleepy," he muttered. "Last night to make up for."

He seated himself on the table, and began swinging one leg about.

"Wonder how the guv'nor is," he said to himself, "and I wonder what he would say if he had seen us this afternoon. Those girls are giving themselves fine airs of their own. Miss Dana is siding with her sister, I suppose because Neil is so careless. I can't help it. No fault of mine, and if she thinks I am going to be snubbed and treated just as she pleases, she is mistaken. The money's all very well, but I'm not quite the easy-going fool she seems to think me. Hang me, if I go for a ride with them again till I'm treated better."

He gave his leg a sharp slap as a sudden thought struck him.

"That's it!" he cried. "I never thought of it before. It's Master Burwood's doing. That accounts for his being down home instead of in town. He wouldn't hang about so much on account of our Isabel. The governor's made all that too easy for him. And they knew it, and there's a sort of an idea that it would be nice to be my lady. Would it? Well, I'm not so stupid as they think me, and people get checkmated sometimes in a way they little expect."

He swung his leg about swiftly for a few moments, and then leaped off the table.

"I'm going to bed," he muttered. "Just see how the governor is as I go by, and--" he yawned--"oh, dear me! how sleepy I am."

He went out into the hall, and then, after pausing to listen to the murmur of voices in the drawing room, he shook one hand.

"Good-night, and bless you all," he said softly. "That's old Neil's voice. Look out, my lad, or you will lose the volatile Saxa. I suppose Aunt is with the old man."

He began to ascend the broad staircase very slowly, his steps being inaudible on the thick soft carpet, and he was about half way up when he became conscious of the soft rustle of a dress, and a faint glow of light pa.s.sing along the gallery at the head of the stairs.

He stopped short on the landing, half startled as, in the centre of that glow, and gradually coming nearer, he saw, standing out plainly from the surrounding darkness, a clearly cut white face, that looked for the moment almost unearthly; but as it came nearer and approached the head of the stairs the half startled feeling gave way to wonder, and then to admiration.

"Who is she? What does it mean?" he thought as he noted the eyes glistening in the light shed by the candle, and the quaint white headdress, the only part of the costume seen, the black gown being as it were absorbed by the darkness of the great staircase and landing.

The figure came nearer and as she reached the top of the stairs began to descend, holding the candlestick so that it was between her and Alison, and hence she did not see him, where he stood on the landing half way down, till she was close upon him, when she stopped short and raised the light so that it fell upon his face, and they stood gazing at each other.

Nurse Elisia was the first to speak, just as she became conscious of Alison's admiring look.

"I beg pardon," she said, "would you kindly show me the way to the sick room."

"The nurse? You?" cried Alison eagerly.

"Yes; I have just come down from town," she said quietly.

"Yes, of course," said Alison eagerly. "And you must be tired and faint. Had any dinner? Here, come with me, and I'll show you the way to the dining room."

Nurse Elisia hesitated, and at that moment the drawing-room door opened, shedding a flood of light upon the portion of the staircase where they stood, and Neil Elthorne was conscious of a keen pang which for the moment he could not have explained.

"Oh, there you are," cried Alison sharply. "This lady does not know the way."

Aunt Anne's lips tightened again as she stepped forward majestically.

"Will you come this way, nurse, and I'll show you my brother's room,"

she said; and her dress rustled loudly, as if partaking of its owner's agitation, while she crossed the hall and began to ascend the stairs.

Nurse Elisia stood, candle in hand, waiting patiently and gazing at the plump elderly lady approaching her, in profound ignorance of the picturesque, striking aspect she presented as she held up the light whose rays illumined her features.

"I really don't like her at all," said Aunt Anne to herself, as her brow furrowed. "What a dreadful looking woman." And the memory of certain words she had spoken to her niece only a short time back came vividly before her. "I would a great deal rather it had been one of those old-fas.h.i.+oned stout nurses who did not wear white starched caps and black dresses, just as if they were playing at being nurses. This way, please," she continued aloud.

One minute the light shone strongly upon that white face; the next it seemed as if darkness had suddenly come over the scene and those in the hall were looking at two silhouettes moving up after a dull glow of light, to disappear through an archway; and then Neil Elthorne felt a pang of rage and misery shoot through him as, from the first landing of the broad staircase, he heard Alison exclaim aloud:

"By George!"

He descended then quickly to where Neil and Isabel were standing.

"I say," he cried banteringly, "so that's the modern style of nurse.

Neil, old chap, is there any room for me to walk your hospital? I'm coming up to study medicine."

Isabel looked curiously from one to the other in the semi-gloom; and, as she saw her elder brother's face, a feeling of dislike to the newcomer which she could not have a.n.a.lysed arose within her, and she started as she heard the deep, hoa.r.s.e tones in which Neil spoke.

"Is not this ribald style of talk out of place when our father is lying up yonder in so dangerous a state?"

"Oh, rubbis.h.!.+ He's getting better. But I like your taste, I must say.

Capital judge of nurses. Neil's own selection, Bel."

Neil turned upon him sharply, as if about to speak, but he compressed his lips and went to the foot of the stairs.

"Going up?" said Alison laughingly. "Come along, Isabel; we'll go, too.

I want another look at our new nurse."

Neil made an angry gesture. "Isabel," he said hoa.r.s.ely, "take no notice of him. You had better not come up now."

As he spoke he began to ascend, and Alison was silent till Neil reached the top.

"Was that the doctor talking, or brother Neil?" he said sarcastically; but there was no reply, for the young surgeon had gone on slowly toward his father's chamber, with a strange, sickening feeling of misery and despair at his heart, as he felt that, in spite of all his resolutions, a bitter fight was commencing against fate, one which threatened to be complicated in a way that was horrible to contemplate. For his brother's countenance, as he saw it for one brief moment when he was watching the figure on the stairs, had impressed him in a way which was startling, and as he reached the door, he stopped on the mat listening to a faint murmur, while his brow became furrowed and he muttered.