CHAPTER XVI.

DR. ARTHUR'S NEWS.

The doctor was on horseback, but standing a little way off from the

steps.

'Stay where you are—' he said, speaking low however. 'Dane, there

is ship fever among those Swedes that have just come to the

Hollow.'

'The Schiffers?'

'Yes. I was not certain till to-night, but I have been all day taking

precautions and making arrangements, and could not get away a

minute sooner. I was afraid you might miss a message; and I

would not write notes there to be opened here. Now I cannot stop

to talk, but if you will send me general orders every morning for

men and business in the Hollow, I will see them carried out. Good-

night.—My respects to her Grace.'

'Stop—Arthur!' said the other as he was moving off—'I shall be

there presently.'

'On no account!' said Dr. Arthur wheeling round. 'I am too glad

that you were here to-day. Always depute that part of your work

which somebody else can do.'

'I will be there, Arthur, in an hour or two. Go on—you had better

not wait for me.'

Dr. Arthur sat still a minute, looking down between his horse's

ears.

'Well,' he said,—'perhaps it is none of my business, — but do you

know what a sensitive plant you have to deal with in there? She

must not have another shock like that mysterious one of a month

ago. Good-night!—'

With a somewhat slow step, Rollo left the hall door and went back

to the red room. But his face shewed no change to disturb Wych

Hazel. He came back first to the fire, and somewhat thoughtfully,

quite silently, put it in order. By that time he was ready. He faced

Wych Hazel, and spoke in his ordinary tone.

'I am glad we have had this day, Wych—and I am glad we have

had our talk this evening: for I find we cannot have another in

some time.'

'You are going away?' she said, rising and coming towards him.

'One of your business trips? Then this will be my time for a few

days in town, to "do about dress" a little. Do you suppose—

honestly—that anybody wants my new gloves?' The question came

with a laugh and a flash which yet did not hide it. But silently

Dane folded his two arms about her and pressed kiss after kiss

upon brow and lips. That shewed feeling more than he meant to

shew it. Yet when he spoke his tone was clear and sweet, no

shadow at all in it.

'I am not going away.'

She drew off as far as she could, to look at him, with sudden

instinctive fear. Only her eyes put questions now.

'Yes,' he said,—'there is sickness in the Hollow. And it is

contagious sickness.'

'O, is there?'—with a grave look which yet told more of relief that

concern. 'And you are going to help Dr. Arthur take care of them!'

He answered absently, looking at her, as a man might who

expected to lose such an indulgence for some time to come. Her

face was very thoughtful for a minute; then she looked up with

almost a smile.

'Yes,' she repeated,—'of course you must. Well, I am ready.'

'Are you?' said he. 'For what?'

'You think I do not know enough,' said Hazel with some eagerness;

'and I do not know much; but I can follow directions. And Byo

declares she was never so taken care of in her life as once by me.'

Instead of answering, at first, Dane clasped her closer in his arms

and kissed her, as if in anticipation of the hunger for the sight of

her which would shortly set in.

'I should like to have you take care of me,' he said at length. 'If I

needed a little care, that is.'

'Well,' said Wych Hazel, 'you may put it so, if you like. You will

need a great deal before you have been in that Hollow two days.'

'Need it. Do you think you can give it?' said he wistfully.

'Without a doubt.'

'But you are not my wife, Wych—you cannot be there with me

now. And if you were my wife, you could not. Do you think I

would let you?'

She shrank back a little, hanging her head. This view of the case

had certainly not come up.

'I thought—I suppose—anybody may come and go to see sick

people,' she said under her breath. 'I thought, anybody might stay

with them. And I think so now. I never heard of etiquette over

small-pox.'

'You could not "come and go" to these people. I shall establish a

strict quarantine, and probably be in it myself. You must not come

even near the Hollow.'

'But I need not have anything to do with you,' pleaded Hazel. 'I am

going to serve under Dr. Arthur.'

'That is just my place.'

'You may keep it,' said Hazel. 'A woman's place is not solid and

stationary like a man's. Nobody will know where I am, but some

poor sick child that everyone else is too busy for.'

Perhaps Dane smothered a sigh; but he only said, clear and clean-

cut the words were now,—

'I cannot have you there, Hazel. You must keep your place and do

your work here. The Hollow is my business.'

'And you mean to leave me outside of your business?' she

questioned, with eyes incredulous even yet.

'Outside of this business. And you are not to come even near the

Hollow. I know you do not like to give promises, and so I do not

ask for one. This is not a request. You understand?'

'Olaf!'—It was the sweetest of pleading tones. But no more words

followed,—neither word nor look.

'Ah you have adopted me at last, have you!' said he. 'I have been

waiting for this. And the sweetness of it will be in my ears all these

days before me. The _next time_ you speak that word in such music,

Hazel, I will give you what you ask.'

'Not now?' she said softly. 'I may not go even to Gyda's?'

'Gyda will be with me.'

The words, the utterance, were cheery, clear and sweet; at the same

time strong and absolute. And Rollo wore a look which I think a

woman does not dislike to see on a face she loves, even though its

decisions be against her; there was sweetness enough in it, also

unmanageableness! No shadow, it must be noted. If he was going

into danger, and knew it, the fact did not shadow him.

Hazel stood still, struggling with herself; fighting the

disappointment and the restraint; most of all, the sorrow which

came in the train of the other two. For with the passing away of her

own thought of going, the thought that he must go came out clear

and strong. Into that infected place, to be shut up in quarantine

with no one knew what! Hazel passed her hands across her

forehead as if she were pushing the shadows right and left, bidding

them wait.

'I wanted to ask,' she said,—and then the voice changed, and

suddenly the soft touch of her fingers came to his face, stroking

back some lock of hair to its accustomed place. But the look was

as intent and unconscious as if she never expected to see him again

in all her life. And he stood still, like a man under a spell, which he

would not break by the least movement.

'Those people,' she began again hurriedly, bringing herself back to

business and a business tone, 'will want a great deal. And there is

not much in the Hollow, nor on the hill. If you will let me, I can

have supplies sent from here every day. Mrs. Bywank will know

what. And my messenger need not go near that part of the Hollow;

the things can be left at any point you say.' She looked up

eagerly—then down again; not much fonder than he was of asking

what she could not have.

'Do that, by all means,' was the answer. 'Your supplies may be left

at the mill where I read.'

The shadow on her face deepened.

'Will you write?'

'No.' His face began to take on something of the yearning look of

the Huguenot in the picture.

'How then shall I hear?'

'I have been thinking about that. I do not know; unless Arthur can

carry reports now and then to Dr. Maryland, and Prim or her father

bring them to you.'

'He may come straight here at once,' said Hazel. 'I can talk out of a

window as well as anybody else. And if anybody ventures to come

here to comfort me, I shall—'

'What?' said Rollo smiling.

'Send me no reports that way. I could not bear it. And Dr. Arthur

will stay in the Hollow while you stay.'—

There was a moment's gesture that reminded him of the despairing

way in which she had flung herself down in the chair, that long

ago night at Green Bush.

'Dr. Arthur will go and come as a physician should, according to

the demand for him. What will _you_ do, my little Wych?'

'I do not know. Only one thing.'

'What is that one thing?'

Again Hazel was silent, struggling with herself, controlling her lips

to speak.

'Just one thing'—the words came passionately now. 'If you are

sick, I shall come. And it is no use to lay commands on me,

because I should break them all in one minute. I know I should.

Promises or commands or anything else.'

He paused slightly before he spoke.

'Do you know, Mrs. Bywank once said in my hearing that you

were the lovingest little thing that ever lived. I knew she was right.

I have been waiting for this minute. It makes me a rich man. But

you will not come to the Hollow, Hazel, even though I were ill.

You must love me enough to mind my wishes. It is hard, I know. It

is the very last and uttermost proof of love.'

Hazel was bending down, busy detaching something from her

chatelaine. The fingers were quick and hurried, but the words came

slow.

'Hush,' she said. 'You must not say that. You are confusing things.

And your rights do not cover all the ground. There is a corner,

somewhere, where mine grow. Now'—she raised her head,

drawing a long breath,—how fast the gathering tide of anxiety and

sorrow came rolling in!—'See here. I know you have nothing so

womanish as a vinaigrette about you,—but womanish things are

useful just now and then. Will you fasten this to your watch

chain—to please me?'—The eyes were wistful in their beseeching.

She was so uncertain of having anything granted to-night!

He met them with a grave, searching attention, and releasing her

from the arms which had till then enfolded her, gravely fastened

the vinaigrette as she wished. He turned slightly then and rested

his elbow on the mantel-piece, looking down into the fire which

his care had caused to leap into brilliant life. As motionless on her

part Hazel stood, with fingers interlaced and still. But her eyes

were on the floor. Presently Rollo roused himself, and stretching

out his hand took Wych Hazel's and drew her nearer to him.

'I cannot go and leave this question undecided,' he said; 'and I must

go soon. How shall it be settled, Wych?'

Some things are hard to talk of, which yet are in the thoughts; and

contingencies take life and reality by being put in words. The

shadow on the girl's face grew deep as she answered,—yet the

answer was quiet.

'You know, reverse the case, you would not be bound by any

words of mine. You know—that you are what I have in the world.

And I know, that if—if—' there was a moment's pause,—'that if it

came to that, I should go. I could not be bound.'

The gravity of his face as he listened to her, you could hardly call

it a shadow, changed and flickered with a quivering smile; and the

eyes flashed and then darkened again. The end was, he drew Wych

Hazel into his arms, clasping her very tight.

'I know—I know,' he said, kissing her face with passionate touches

which had all the sorrow of the time, as well as all the joy, in them.

'I know. All the same, I will not have you there, Hazel, if I am ill. I

should settle the matter very quickly with anybody else; but you

disarm me. I cannot stir a step without hurting you. What shall I

say to you?' he went on, holding her fast, and stroking the hair

back from her forehead with the gentlest possible touch. 'It has

come sooner than I expected, this sort of trial, which generally

comes, I suppose, whenever two lives that have been separate join

together to become one. There will be differences of judgment, or

of feeling; and what is to happen then? And what am I to fall back

upon, when love and authority have both proved insufficient? for I

have authority as your guardian. I shall have to ask now for your

promise; the promise that you never break. For I will be secure on

this head, before I leave the house, Hazel.'

'People should have reasons for exerting their authority.'

'Of that,' said Dane with the same gentleness, but very steadily, 'he

who exerts it must be the judge himself.'

'Yes!' said Hazel, the impetuous element asserting itself once

more, 'but there is no use in beginning as you cannot go on. Do

you mean that always—I mean in future—if anything were the

matter with you, the first thing would be to send me out of the

house?'

'I hope not!' said Dane smiling. 'In my understanding of it, husband

and wife belong to one another, and are inseparable. There are

conceivable circumstances in which I might do it.'

A slight lift of the eyebrows dealt for a moment with this opinion

and let it drop. Into those imaginary regions Hazel did not see fit to

go. Nor into any others then. The flush of excitement died away,

and the weary look settled down upon brow and lips. She said no

more.

Rollo watched her a little while, then stooped and kissed her.

'I must go. Give me your promise, Hazel, that you will not come

near the Hollow without my leave.'

She answered with a certain subdued tone that matched the face,

'I have no intention of coming. Your command is enough. If I can

keep it, I will. No amount of promises could make my words any

stronger.' But she looked up again, one of her swift eager looks,

which again fell in silent gravity. There was scarcely another word

said; except one.

'Look away from second causes, Hazel.'

Linking her fingers round his hand, so she went with him silently

through the hall and down the steps; and stood there until he rode

away into the darkness and the light of his work, and she came

back into the light and the darkness of her own house.