"Will that Doctor never come!" muttered plump Mrs Wilton, who had been
for the past ten minutes running from her niece's bedside to one of the
front casement windows of the fine old Kentish Manor House, to watch the
road through the park. "He might have come from London by this time.
There, it's of no use; it's fate, and fate means disappointment. She'll
die; I'm sure she'll die, and all that money will go to those wretched
Morrisons. Why did he go out to the farms this morning? Any other
morning would have done; and Claud away, too. Was ever woman so
plagued?--Yes, what is it? Oh, it's you, Eliza. How is she?"
"Quite insensible, ma'am. Is the Doctor never coming?"
"Don't ask me, Eliza. I sent the man over in the dog-cart, with
instructions to bring him back."
"Then pray, pray come and stay with me in the bedroom, ma'am."
"But I can't do anything, Eliza, and it isn't as if she were my own
child. I couldn't bear to see her die."
"Mrs Wilton!" cried the woman, wildly. "Oh, my poor darling young
mistress, whom I nursed from a babe--die!"
"Here's master--here's Mr Wilton," cried the rosy-faced lady from the
window, and making a dash at a glass to see that her cap was right, she
hurried out of the room and down the broad oaken stairs to meet her lord
at the door.
"Hallo, Maria, what's the matter?" he cried, meeting her in the hall,
his high boots splashed with mud, and a hunting whip in his hand.
"Oh, my dear, I'm so glad you've come! Kate--fainting fits--one after
the other--dying."
"The devil! What have you done?"
"Cold water--vinegar--burnt--"
"No, no. Haven't you sent for the Doctor?"
"Yes, I sent Henry with the dog-cart to fetch Mr Leigh."
"Mr Leigh! Were you mad? What do you know about Mr Leigh? Bah, you
always were a fool!"
"Yes, my dear, but what was I to do? It would have taken three hours to
get--Oh, here he is."
For there was the grating of carriage wheels on the drive, the dog-cart
drew up, and Pierce Leigh sprang down and entered the hall.
Mrs Wilton glanced timidly at her husband, who gave her a sulky nod,
and then turned to the young Doctor.
"My young niece--taken bad," he said, gruffly, "You'd better go up and
see her. Here, Maria, take him up."
Unceremonious; but businesslike, and Leigh showed no sign of resentment,
but with a peculiar novel fluttering about the region of the heart he
followed the lady, who, panting the while, led the way upstairs, and
breathlessly tried to explain how delicate her niece was, and how after
many days of utter despondency, she had suddenly been seized with an
attack of hysteria, which had been succeeded by fit after fit.
The next minute they were in the handsome bedroom at the end of a long,
low corridor, where, pale as death, and with her maid--erst nurse--
kneeling by her and fanning her, Kate Wilton, in her simple black, lay
upon a couch, looking as if the Doctor's coming were too late.
He drew a deep breath, and set his teeth as he sank on one knee by the
insensible figure, which he longed with an intense longing to clasp to
his breast. Then his nerves were strung once more, and he was the calm,
professional man giving his orders, as he made his examination and
inspired aunt and nurse with confidence, the latter uttering a sigh of
relief as she opened the window, and obeyed sundry other orders, the
result being that at the end of half an hour the sufferer, who twice
over unclosed her eyes, and responded to her aunt's questions with a
faint smile, had sunk into the heavy sleep of exhaustion.
"Better leave her now, madam," said Leigh, softly. "Sleep is the great
thing for her." Then, turning to the maid--"You had better stay and
watch by her, though she will not wake for hours."
"God bless you, sir," she whispered, with a look full of gratitude which
made Leigh give her an encouraging smile, and he then followed Mrs
Wilton downstairs.
"Really, it's wonderful," she said. "Thank you so much, Doctor. I'm
sure you couldn't have been nicer if you'd been quite an old man, and I
really think that next time I'm ill I shall--Oh, my dear, she's ever so
much better now."
"Humph!" ejaculated Wilton; and then he gave his wife an angry look, as
she pushed him in the chest.
"Come in here and sit down, Mr Leigh. I want you to tell us all you
think."
The Doctor followed into the library, whose walls were covered with
books that were never used, while, making an effort to be civil, their
owner pointed to a chair and took one himself, Leigh waiting till his
plump, amiable-looking hostess had subsided, and well-filled that
nearest the fire.
"Found her better then?" said Wilton.
"No, sir," said Leigh, smiling, "but she is certainly better now."
"That's what I meant. Nothing the matter, then. Vapours, whims, young
girls' hysterics, and that sort of thing? What did she have for
breakfast, Maria?"
"Nothing at all, dear. I can't get her to eat."
"Humph! Why don't you make her? Can't stand our miserable cookery, I
suppose. Well, Doctor, then, it's a false alarm?"
"No, sir; a very serious warning."
"Eh? You don't think there's danger? Here, we'd better send for some
big man from town."
"That is hardly necessary, sir, though I should be happy to meet a man
of experience in consultation."
"My word! What airs!" said Wilton, to himself.
"As far as I could I have pretty well diagnosed the case, and it is very
simple. Your niece has evidently suffered deeply."
"Terribly, Doctor; she has been heart-broken."
"Now, my dear Maria, do pray keep your mouth shut, and let Mr Leigh
talk. He doesn't want you to teach him his business."
"But James, dear, I only just--"
"Yes, you always will only just! Go on, please, Doctor, and you'll send
her some medicine?"
"It is hardly a case for medicine, sir. Your niece's trouble is almost
entirely mental. Given rest and happy surroundings, cheerful female
society of her own age, fresh air, moderate exercise, and the calmness
and peace of a home like this, I have no doubt that her nerves will soon
recover their tone."
"Then they had better do it," said Wilton, gruffly. "She has everything
a girl can wish for. My son and I have done all we can to amuse her."
"And I'm sure I have been as loving as a mother to her," said Mrs
Wilton.
"Yes, but you are mistaken, sir. There must be something more. I'd
better take her up to town for advice."
"By all means, sir," said Leigh, coldly. "It might be wise, but I
should say that she would be better here, with time to work its own
cure."
"Of course, I mean no disrespect to you, Mr Leigh, but you are a young
man, and naturally inexperienced."
"Now I don't want to hurt your feelings, James," broke in Mrs Wilton,
"but it is you who are inexperienced in what young girls are. Mr Leigh
has spoken very nicely, and quite understands poor Kate's case. If you
had only seen the way in which he brought her round!"
"I really do wish, Maria, that you would not interfere in what you don't
understand," cried Wilton, irascibly.
"But I'm obliged to when I find you going wrong. It's just what I've
said to you over and over again. You men are so hard and unfeeling, and
don't believe there are such things as nerves. Now, I'm quite sure that
Mr Leigh could do her a great deal of good, if you'd only attend to
your out-door affairs and leave her to me--You grasped it all at once,
Mr Leigh. Poor child, she has done nothing but fret ever since she has
been here, and no wonder. Within a year she has lost both father and
mother."
"Now, Maria, Mr Leigh does not want to hear all our family history."
"And I'm not going to tell it to him, my dear; but it's just as I felt.
It was only last night, when she had that fit of hysterical sobbing, I
said to myself, Now if I had a dozen girls--as I should have liked to,
instead of a boy, who is really a terrible trial to one, Mr Leigh--I
should--"
"Maria!"
"Yes, my dear; but you should let me finish. If poor dear Kate had come
here and found a lot of girls she would have been as happy as the day is
long.--And you don't think she wants physic, Mr Leigh? No, no, don't
hurry away."
"I have given you my opinion, madam," said Leigh, who had risen.
"Yes, and I'm sure it is right. I did give her some fluid magnesia
yesterday, the same as I take for my acidity--"
"Woman, will you hold your tongue!" cried Wilton.
"No, James, certainly not. It is my duty, as poor Kate's aunt, to do
what is best for her; and you should not speak to me like that before a
stranger. I don't know what he will think. The fluid magnesia would
not do her any harm, would it, Mr Leigh?"
"Not the slightest, madam; and I feel sure that with a little motherly
attention and such a course of change as I prescribed, Miss Wilton will
soon be well."
"There, James, we must have the Morrison girls to stay here with her.
They are musical and--"
"We shall have nothing of the kind, Maria," said her husband, with
asperity.
"Well, I know you don't like them, my dear, but in a case of urgency--by
the way, Mr Leigh, someone told me your sister played exquisitely on
the organ last Sunday because the organist was ill."
"My sister does play," said Leigh, coldly.
"I wish I had been at church to hear her, but my poor Claud had such a
bad bilious headache I was nearly sending for you, and I had to stay at
home and nurse him. I'm sure the cooking must be very bad at those
cricket match dinners."
"Now, my dear Maria, you are keeping Mr Leigh."
"Oh, no, my dear, he was sent for to give us his advice, and I'm sure it
is very valuable. By the way, Mr Leigh, why has not your sister called
here?"
"I--er--really--my professional duties have left me little time for
etiquette, madam, but I was under the impression that the first call
should be to the new-comer."
"Why, of course. Do sit down, James. You are only kicking the dust out
of this horrid thick Turkey carpet--they are such a job to move and get
beaten, Mr Leigh. Do sit down, dear; you know how it fidgets me when
you will jump up and down like a wild beast in a cage."
"Waffle!" said Mr Wilton aside.
"You are quite right, Mr Leigh; I ought to have called, but Claud does
take up so much of my time. But I will call to-morrow, and then you two
come up here the next day and dine with us, and I feel sure that our
poor dear Kate will be quite pleased to know your sister. Tell her--no;
I'll ask her to bring some music. She seems very nice, and young girls
do always get on so well together. I know she'll do my niece a deal of
good. But, of course, you will come again to-day, and keep on seeing
her as much as you think necessary."
"Really I--" said Leigh, hesitating, and glancing resentfully at the
master of the house.
"Oh, yes, come on, Mr Leigh, and put my niece right as soon as you
can," he said.
"But your regular medical attendant--Mr Rainsford, I believe?"
"You may believe he's a pig-headed, obstinate old fool," growled Wilton.
"Wanted to take off my leg when I had a fall at a hedge, and the horse
rolled over it. Simple fracture, sir; and swore it would mortify. I
mortified him."
"Yes, Mr Leigh, and the leg's stronger now than the other," interposed
Mrs Wilton.
"How do you know, Maria?" said her husband gruffly.
"Well, my dear, you've often said so."
"Humph! Come in again and see Miss Wilton, Doctor, and I shall feel
obliged," said the uncle. "Good morning. The dog-cart is waiting to
drive you back. I'll send and have you fetched about--er--four?"
"It would be better if it were left till seven or eight, unless, of
course, there is need."
"Eight o'clock, then," said Wilton; and Pierce Leigh bowed and left the
room, with the peculiar sensation growing once more in his breast, and
lasting till he reached home, thinking of how long it would be before
eight o'clock arrived.