He thought he saw a shadow on his sister"s face, and detected a slight change in her voice as she spoke.
"Nothing very romantic, I hope, Thurstan. Remember, I cannot stand much romance; I always distrust it."
"I don"t know what you mean by romance. The story is real enough, and not out of the common way, I"m afraid."
He paused; he did not get over the difficulty.
"Well, tell it me at once, Thurstan. I am afraid you have let some one, or perhaps only your own imagination, impose upon you; but don"t try my patience too much; you know I"ve no great stock."
"Then I"ll tell you. The young girl was brought to the inn here by a gentleman, who has left her; she is very ill, and has no one to see after her."
Miss Benson had some masculine tricks, and one was whistling a long, low whistle when surprised or displeased. She had often found it a useful vent for feelings, and she whistled now. Her brother would rather she had spoken.
"Have you sent for her friends?" she asked at last.
"She has none."
Another pause and another whistle, but rather softer and more wavering than the last.
"How is she ill?"
"Pretty nearly as quiet as if she were dead. She does not speak, or move, or even sigh."
"It would be better for her to die at once, I think."
"Faith!"
That one word put them right. It was spoken in the tone which had authority over her; it was so full of grieved surprise and mournful upbraiding. She was accustomed to exercise a sway over him, owing to her greater decision of character, and, probably, if everything were traced to its cause, to her superior vigour of const.i.tution; but at times she was humbled before his pure, childlike nature, and felt where she was inferior. She was too good and true to conceal this feeling, or to resent its being forced upon her. After a time she said,
"Thurstan, dear, let us go to her."
She helped him with tender care, and gave him her arm up the long and tedious hill; but when they approached the village, without speaking a word on the subject, they changed their position, and she leant (apparently) on him. He stretched himself up into as vigorous a gait as he could, when they drew near to the abodes of men.
On the way they had spoken but little. He had asked after various members of his congregation, for he was a Dissenting minister in a country town, and she had answered; but they neither of them spoke of Ruth, though their minds were full of her.
Mrs Hughes had tea ready for the traveller on her arrival. Mr Benson chafed a little internally at the leisurely way in which his sister sipped and sipped, and paused to tell him some trifling particular respecting home affairs, which she had forgotten before.
"Mr Bradshaw has refused to let the children a.s.sociate with the Dixons any longer, because one evening they played at acting charades."
"Indeed;--a little more bread and b.u.t.ter, Faith?"
"Thank you. This Welsh air does make one hungry. Mrs Bradshaw is paying poor old Maggie"s rent, to save her from being sent into the workhouse."
"That"s right. Won"t you have another cup of tea?"
"I have had two. However, I think I"ll take another."
Mr Benson could not refrain from a little sigh as he poured it out.
He thought he had never seen his sister so deliberately hungry and thirsty before. He did not guess that she was feeling the meal rather a respite from a distasteful interview, which she was aware was awaiting her at its conclusion. But all things come to an end, and so did Miss Benson"s tea.
"Now, will you go and see her?"
"Yes."
And so they went. Mrs Hughes had pinned up a piece of green calico, by way of a Venetian blind, to shut out the afternoon sun; and in the light thus shaded lay Ruth, still, and wan, and white. Even with her brother"s account of Ruth"s state, such death-like quietness startled Miss Benson--startled her into pity for the poor lovely creature who lay thus stricken and felled. When she saw her, she could no longer imagine her to be an impostor, or a hardened sinner; such prostration of woe belonged to neither. Mr Benson looked more at his sister"s face than at Ruth"s; he read her countenance as a book.
Mrs Hughes stood by, crying.
Mr Benson touched his sister, and they left the room together.
"Do you think she will live?" asked he.
"I cannot tell," said Miss Benson, in a softened voice. "But how young she looks! Quite a child, poor creature! When will the doctor come, Thurstan? Tell me all about her; you have never told me the particulars."
Mr Benson might have said, she had never cared to hear them before, and had rather avoided the subject; but he was too happy to see this awakening of interest in his sister"s warm heart to say anything in the least reproachful. He told her the story as well as he could; and, as he felt it deeply, he told it with heart"s eloquence; and, as he ended and looked at her, there were tears in the eyes of both.
"And what does the doctor say?" asked she, after a pause.
"He insists upon quiet; he orders medicines and strong broth. I cannot tell you all; Mrs Hughes can. She has been so truly good.
"Doing good, hoping for nothing again.""
"She looks very sweet and gentle. I shall sit up to-night and watch her myself; and I shall send you and Mrs Hughes early to bed, for you have both a worn look about you I don"t like. Are you sure the effect of that fall has gone off? Do you feel anything of it in your back still? After all, I owe her something for turning back to your help.
Are you sure she was going to drown herself?"
"I cannot be sure, for I have not questioned her. She has not been in a state to be questioned; but I have no doubt whatever about it. But you must not think of sitting up after your journey, Faith."
"Answer me, Thurstan. Do you feel any bad effect from that fall?"
"No, hardly any. Don"t sit up, Faith, to-night!"
"Thurstan, it"s no use talking, for I shall; and, if you go on opposing me, I dare say I shall attack your back, and put a blister on it. Do tell me what that "hardly any" means. Besides, to set you quite at ease, you know I have never seen mountains before, and they fill me and oppress me so much that I could not sleep; I must keep awake this first night, and see that they don"t fall on the earth and overwhelm it. And now answer my questions about yourself."
Miss Benson had the power, which some people have, of carrying her wishes through to their fulfilment; her will was strong, her sense was excellent, and people yielded to her--they did not know why.
Before ten o"clock she reigned sole power and potentate in Ruth"s little chamber. Nothing could have been better devised for giving her an interest in the invalid. The very dependence of one so helpless upon her care inclined her heart towards her. She thought she perceived a slight improvement in the symptoms during the night, and she was a little pleased that this progress should have been made while she reigned monarch of the sick-room. Yes, certainly there was an improvement. There was more consciousness in the look of the eyes, although the whole countenance still retained its painful traces of acute suffering, manifested in an anxious, startled, uneasy aspect.
It was broad morning light, though barely five o"clock, when Miss Benson caught the sight of Ruth"s lips moving, as if in speech. Miss Benson stooped down to listen.
"Who are you?" asked Ruth, in the faintest of whispers.
"Miss Benson--Mr Benson"s sister," she replied.
The words conveyed no knowledge to Ruth; on the contrary, weak as a babe in mind and body as she was, her lips began to quiver, and her eyes to show a terror similar to that of any little child who wakens in the presence of a stranger, and sees no dear, familiar face of mother or nurse to rea.s.sure its trembling heart.
Miss Benson took her hand in hers, and began to stroke it caressingly.
"Don"t be afraid, dear; I"m a friend come to take care of you. Would you like some tea now, my love?"
The very utterance of these gentle words was unlocking Miss Benson"s heart. Her brother was surprised to see her so full of interest, when he came to inquire later on in the morning. It required Mrs Hughes"s persuasions, as well as his own, to induce her to go to bed for an hour or two after breakfast; and, before she went, she made them promise that she should be called when the doctor came. He did not come until late in the afternoon. The invalid was rallying fast, though rallying to a consciousness of sorrow, as was evinced by the tears which came slowly rolling down her pale sad cheeks--tears which she had not the power to wipe away.