"It will do her all the more good for that," said Mrs. Evelyn.
The only ears that took the benefit of this speech were Edith"s and Mr. Carleton"s; Fleda"s were deafened by the rush of feeling. She very little knew what she was holding. Mr.
Carleton stood with rather significant gravity, watching the effect of his prescription, while Edith beset her mother to know why the outside of the vinaigrette, being of gold, should make it do Fleda any more good; the disposing of which question effectually occupied Mrs. Evelyn"s attention for some time.
"And, pray, how long is it since you took up the trade of a physician, Mr. Carleton?" said Constance.
"It is just about nine years, Miss Constance," he answered, gravely.
But that little reminder, slight as it was, overcame the small remnant of Fleda"s self-command ? the vinaigrette fell from her hands, and her face was hid in them; whatever became of pain, tears must flow.
"Forgive me," said Mr. Carleton, gently, bending down towards her, "for speaking when I should have been silent ? Miss Evelyn, and Miss Constance, will you permit me to order that my patient be left in quiet."
And he took them away to Mrs. Evelyn"s quarter, and kept them all three engaged in conversation, too busily to trouble Fleda with any attention, till she had had ample time to try the effect of the quiet and of the vinegar both. Then he went himself to look after her.
"Are you better?" said he, bending down, and speaking low.
Fleda opened her eyes and gave him, what a look! ? of grateful feeling. She did not know the half that was in it; but he did.
That she was better, was a very small item.
"Ready for the coffee?" said he, smiling.
"Oh, no," whispered Fleda ? "It don"t matter about that ?
never mind the coffee!"
But he went back with his usual calmness to Mrs. Evelyn, and begged that she would have the goodness to order a cup of rather strong coffee to be made.
"But, Mr. Carleton, Sir," said that lady, "I am not at all sure that it would be the best thing for Miss Ringgan ? if she is better ? I think it would do her far more good to go to rest, and let sleep finish her cure, before taking something that will make sleep impossible."
"Did you ever hear of a physician, Mrs. Evelyn," he said, smiling, ""that allowed his prescriptions to be interfered with? I must beg you will do me this favour."
"I doubt very much whether it will be a favour to Miss Ringgan," said Mrs. Evelyn ? "however ?"
And she rang the bell, and gave the desired order, with a somewhat disconcerted face. But Mr. Carleton again left Fleda to herself, and devoted his attention to the other ladies, with so much success, though with his usual absence of effort that good humour was served long before the coffee.
Then, indeed, he played the physician"s part again ? made the coffee himself, and saw it taken, according to his own pleasure ? skilfully, however, seeming all the while, except to Fleda, to be occupied with everything else. The group gathered round her anew; she was well enough to bear their talk by this time ? by the time the coffee was drunk, quite well.
"Is it quite gone?" asked Edith.
"The headache? ? yes."
"You will owe your physician a great many thanks, my dear Fleda," said Mrs. Evelyn.
Fleda"s only answer to this, however, was by a very slight smile; and she presently left the room, to go up stairs and arrange her yet disarranged hair.
"That is a very fine girl," remarked Mrs. Evelyn, preparing half a cup of coffee for herself in a kind of amused abstraction. "My friend Mr. Thorn will have an excellent wife of her."
"Provided she marries him," said Constance, somewhat shortly.
"I am sure I hope she wont," said Edith; "and I don"t believe she will."
"What do you think of his chances of success, Mr. Carleton?"
"Your manner of speech would seem to imply that they are very good, Mrs. Evelyn," he answered, coolly.
"Well, don"t you think so?" said Mrs. Evelyn, coming back to her seat with her coffee-cup, and apparently dividing her attention between it and her subject. "It"s a great chance for her ? most girls in her circ.u.mstances would not refuse it ? _I_ think he"s pretty sure of his ground."
"So I think," said Florence.
"It don"t prove anything, if he is," said Constance, drily. "I hate people who are always sure of their ground."
"What do you think, Mr. Carleton?" said Mrs. Evelyn, taking little satisfied sips of her coffee.
"May I ask, first, what is meant by the "chance," and what by the "circ.u.mstances." "
"Why, Mr. Thorn has a fine fortune, you know, and he is of an excellent family ? there is not a better family in the city ?
and very few young men of such pretensions would think of a girl that has no name nor standing."
"Unless she had qualities that would command them," said Mr.
Carleton.
"But, Mr. Carleton, Sir," said the lady, "Do you think that can be? do you think a woman can fill, gracefully, a high place in society, if she has had disadvantages in early life to contend with, that were calculated to unfit her for it?"
"But, mamma," said Constance, "Fleda don"t show any such thing."
"No, she don"t show it," said Mrs. Evelyn, "but I am not talking of Fleda ? I am talking of the effect of early disadvantages. What do you think, Mr. Carleton?"
"Disadvantages of what kind, Mrs. Evelyn?"
"Why, for instance ? the strange habits of intercourse, on familiar terms, with rough and uncultivated people ? such intercourse, for years ? in all sorts of ways ? in the field and in the house ? mingling with them as one of them ? it seems to me, it must leave its traces on the mind, and on the habits of acting and thinking."
"There is no doubt it does," he answered, with an extremely unconcerned face.
"And then, there"s the actual want of cultivation," said Mrs.
Evelyn, warming ? "time taken up with other things, you know ?
usefully and properly, but still taken up ? so as to make much intellectual acquirement and accomplishments impossible; it can"t be otherwise, you know ? neither opportunity nor instructors; and I don"t think anything can supply the want in after life. It isn"t the mere things themselves which may be acquired ? the mind should grow up in the atmosphere of them ?
don"t you think so, Mr. Carleton?"
He bowed.
"Music, for instance, and languages, and converse with society, and a great many things, are put completely beyond reach ? Edith, my dear, you are not to touch the coffee ? nor Constance either ? no, I will not let you ? And there could not be even much reading, for want of books, if for nothing else. Perhaps I am wrong, but I confess I don"t see how it is possible in such a case" ?
She checked herself suddenly, for Fleda, with the slow, noiseless step that weakness imposed, had come in again, and stood by the centre-table.
"We are discussing a knotty question, Miss Ringgan," said Mr.
Carleton, with a smile, as he brought a _bergere_ for her; "I should like to have your voice on it."
There was no seconding of his motion. He waited till she had seated herself, and then went on.
"What, in your opinion, is the best preparation for wearing prosperity well?"