"What is your name?"
"Zen.o.bie."
"Madame Zen.o.bie," softly whispered the invalid, turning her eyes, with a glimmer of feeble pleasantry, first to the quadroon and then to her husband.
The physician smiled at her an instant, and then gave a few concise directions to the quadroon. "Get me"--thus and so.
The woman went and came. She was a superior nurse, like so many of her race. So obvious, indeed, was this, that when she gently pressed the young husband an inch or two aside, and murmured that "de doctah" wanted him to "go h-out," he left the room, although he knew the physician had not so indicated.
By-and-by he returned, but only at her beckon, and remained at the bedside while Madame Zen.o.bie led the Doctor into another room to write his prescription.
"Who are these people?" asked the physician, in an undertone, looking up at the quadroon, and pausing with the prescription half torn off.
She shrugged her large shoulders and smiled perplexedly.
"Mizzez--Reechin?" The tone was one of query rather than a.s.sertion. "Dey sesso," she added.
She might nurse the lady like a mother, but she was not going to be responsible for the genuineness of a stranger"s name.
"Where are they from?"
"I dunno?--Some pless?--I nevva yeh dat nem biffo?"
She made a timid attempt at some word ending in "walk," and smiled, ready to accept possible ridicule.
"Milwaukee?" asked the Doctor.
She lifted her palm, smiled brightly, pushed him gently with the tip of one finger, and nodded. He had hit the nail on the head.
"What business is he in?"
The questioner arose.
She cast a sidelong glance at him with a slight enlargement of her eyes, and, compressing her lips, gave her head a little, decided shake. The young man was not employed.
"And has no money either, I suppose," said the physician, as they started again toward the sick-room.
She shrugged again and smiled; but it came to her mind that the Doctor might be considering his own interests, and she added, in a whisper:--
"Dey pay me."
She changed places with the husband, and the physician and he pa.s.sed down the stairs together in silence.
"Well, Doctor?" said the young man, as he stood, prescription in hand, before the carriage-door.
"Well," responded the physician, "you should have called me sooner."
The look of agony that came into the stranger"s face caused the Doctor instantly to repent his hard speech.
"You don"t mean"--exclaimed the husband.
"No, no; I don"t think it"s too late. Get that prescription filled and give it to Mrs. ----"
"Richling," said the young man.
"Let her have perfect quiet," continued the Doctor. "I shall be back this evening."
And when he returned she had improved.
She was better again the next day, and the next; but on the fourth she was in a very critical state. She lay quite silent during the Doctor"s visit, until he, thinking he read in her eyes a wish to say something to him alone, sent her husband and the quadroon out of the room on separate errands at the same moment. And immediately she exclaimed:--
"Doctor, save my life! You mustn"t let me die! Save me, for my husband"s sake! To lose all he"s lost for me, and then to lose me too--save me, Doctor! save me!"
"I"m going to do it!" said he. "You shall get well!"
And what with his skill and her endurance it turned out so.
CHAPTER IV.
CONVALESCENCE AND ACQUAINTANCE.
A man"s clothing is his defence; but with a woman all dress is adornment. Nature decrees it; adornment is her instinctive delight. And, above all, the adorning of a bride; it brings out so charmingly the meaning of the thing. Therein centres the gay consent of all mankind and womankind to an innocent, sweet apostasy from the ranks of both. The value of living--which is loving; the sacredest wonders of life; all that is fairest and of best delight in thought, in feeling, yea, in substance,--all are apprehended under the floral crown and hymeneal veil. So, when at length one day Mrs. Richling said, "Madame Zen.o.bie, don"t you think I might sit up?" it would have been absurd to doubt the quadroon"s willingness to a.s.sist her in dressing. True, here was neither wreath nor veil, but here was very young wifehood, and its re-attiring would be like a proclamation of victory over the malady that had striven to put two hearts asunder. Her willingness could hardly be doubted, though she smiled irresponsibly, and said:--
"If you thing"-- She spread her eyes and elbows suddenly in the manner of a crab, with palms turned upward and thumbs outstretched--"Well!"--and so dropped them.
"You don"t want wait till de doctah comin"?" she asked.
"I don"t think he"s coming; it"s after his time."
"Ya.s.s?"
The woman was silent a moment, and then threw up one hand again, with the forefinger lifted alertly forward.
"I make a lill fi" biffo."
She made a fire. Then she helped the convalescent to put on a few loose drapings. She made no concealment of the enjoyment it gave her, though her words were few, and generally were answers to questions; and when at length she brought from the wardrobe, pretending not to notice her mistake, a loose and much too ample robe of woollen and silken stuffs to go over all, she moved as though she trod on holy ground, and distinctly felt, herself, the thrill with which the convalescent, her young eyes beaming their a.s.sent, let her arms into the big sleeves, and drew about her small form the soft folds of her husband"s morning-gown.
"He goin" to fine that droll," said the quadroon.
The wife"s face confessed her pleasure.
"It"s as much mine as his," she said.
"Is you mek dat?" asked the nurse, as she drew its silken cord about the convalescent"s waist.