Nurse Elisia Part 30

"Then do, pray, make haste and get your father well and the nurse out of the house."

"Why are you in such a hurry to get the nurse out of the house, Aunt?"

"My dear! What a question! I declare, Neil, you revel in sick rooms, and in having nurses near you. This is not a hospital. Of course I want to see the nurse gone, and your father about again."

Neil frowned, and his aunt saw it. She added hastily:

"Not that I have a word to say against Nurse Elisia. I'm sure her attention to your poor father deserves all praise."

"G.o.d bless her! yes," said Neil, in a low, grave tone. "She has saved his life."

"Oh, no, my dear; I am not going so far as that," said Aunt Anne in alarm, so earnest was her nephew's utterance. "Nurses are not doctors."

"But they often do far more for the patients, Aunt."

"Do they, my dear? Oh, well, I dare say you are right."

"Yes, I am right," he said dreamily, and he turned and left the room, unaware of the fact that Aunt Anne was watching him intently.

"Oh, dear me! Oh, dear me!" she said to herself, "what a tone of voice!

He is thinking about her. There is no doubt about it, but he is sorry and repentant. I can read him like a book. Yes; he is sorry. My words brought him back to a sense of duty, and he will be as nice as can be to Saxa in future. I'm sure I could not have spoken better. It is a great advantage--experience, and a good knowledge of human nature. Now that boy--well, he always was the dearest and best of boys, and if he had been my own I couldn't have thought more of him--that boy knows he has been doing wrong in letting himself be attracted by a pretty face, and my words have thoroughly brought him round. Maria was quite right, and I must talk to Alison too, and--yes, I will; I'll manage to have a chat with Sir Denton and beg him as a great favour to let me finish nursing my brother. I will not say a word about the nurse. Dear me! what am I thinking about? I quite forgot to tell them we would lunch at half-past two."

Aunt Anne got up and rang the bell.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

A SUSPICIOUS PATIENT.

There is plenty of food for the student in the dispositions of the sick, and the way they bear their pains.

Ralph Elthorne's was an exceptional case, and his moods were many. The princ.i.p.al feeling with him, in the intervals when he was free from pain, was one of irritation against fate for selecting him to bear all this trouble and discomfort. Illness had been so rare with him that at times he found it hard to realise the fact that he was lying there, utterly helpless and forced to depend upon those about him for everything, the result being that he was about as petulant and restless a patient as could be well imagined. In addition, he grew day by day more and more suspicious, lying and watching every look and act of those about him, ready to distort the most trifling things, and fancy that they were all part and parcel of some deeply laid scheme which was to interfere with his peace of mind and tend to his utter dethronement from the old position he had held so long.

On this particular morning he had been lying placidly enough, chatting with his son, while Nurse Elisia was in attendance, till Neil, feeling that the time had now come for his father to be prepared, let drop a few words about Sir Denton's visit.

The change was almost startling. There was a wildly eager, excited look in his eyes, and suspicion in the tone of his voice, as he exclaimed:

"Coming down? Sir Denton? For what reason? Quick! Tell me why?"

He caught his son's wrist, and his long thin fingers gripped it firmly as his troubled face, about which the grey hair was growing long since his illness, was turned searchingly to his son.

"Don't take it like that, my dear father," said Neil, smiling. "It is not the first time we have had him to see you."

"No, no! I know all that; but why, why is he coming?"

"I asked him to come down, sir, that is all."

"Ah! you asked him to come down. Why, why was I not told?"

"For the reason you are showing," replied Neil quietly. "I was afraid that if you knew you might agitate yourself, and fill your brain with fancies about your state."

"So would any sick man," cried Elthorne sharply. "And that is not all.

You are keeping a great deal from me in your false wisdom. But you cannot hide it from one who knows intuitively what changes take place in him. I can see and feel it all. I am worse."

"My dear sir, no," said Neil, smiling.

"Don't contradict me, boy," cried his father fiercely. "Surely I ought to know from my own sensations. I am far worse, and you have sent for Sir Denton because you have reached the end of your teachings, and feel helpless to do any more."

"You do not give me much credit, father," said Neil, smiling.

"Yes, yes, I do, boy, a great deal," said the old man excitedly. "Then it has come to this at last."

"My dear father, that is what I feared, or I should have spoken to you sooner. I a.s.sure you that you have no cause for alarm."

"Words, words, words," cried Mr Elthorne piteously. "The case is absolutely hopeless. You know it, and so you have sent for Sir Denton again."

"My dear father," began Neil, taking his hand. "Be silent sir," cried the old man fiercely, "and let me speak."

"Then, my dear patient," said Neil, "I must insist upon your listening to me calmly and patiently;" but Mr Elthorne paid no heed and went on.

"I'm not going to blame you, boy, I suppose you have done your best, everything that you have been taught."

Elisia glanced at Neil in spite of herself, and it was a commiserating look, but a feeling of elation ran through her as she saw his calm, patient, pitying look as she quitted the room.

"Indeed I have done everything possible, father," he said quietly.

"Yes, yes; all you knew, boy; all you knew."

"And I have been able to do more perhaps than a surgeon who visited you would have achieved, through always being on the spot."

"But your knowledge is limited, of course, boy."

"Yes, I am afraid so," replied Neil sadly.

"I'm not blaming you. Very patient with me, my boy. So has she been.

Nurse!" he called. "Nurse!"

He turned his head a little so as to look over the back of the couch, for he had not seen that they were alone; and then, as he strained his neck a little to fix his eyes upon the door which communicated with the dressing room, it was painful to see the state of utter helplessness to which the strong man had been reduced. He could move his hands and arms, but the complete want of power elsewhere was so apparent to himself now that he uttered a groan of despair, and looked back imploringly at his son.

"What had I done?" he muttered. "What had I done?"

"My dear father," whispered Neil; but the old man turned from him again impatiently.

"Nurse," he cried, "nurse!" and he beat, with a stick that was ready to his hand, impatiently upon the floor.

"I will go for her," said Neil eagerly; but there was no need. Nurse Elisia had faithfully devoted herself to the service of her patient; his call had been heard, and she came in quickly and silently, to glide toward the couch, her eyes the while scanning the sufferer questioningly, as if asking what had occurred to cause the summons.

"There is nothing wrong, nurse," Neil felt moved to say, as he saw the questioning look.

"What?" cried Mr Elthorne, turning his eyes fiercely upon his son.