"Well, ma"am, she _is_ ill."
"But, oh, my G.o.d, you don"t think we are going to lose her?" she whispered wildly, with her imploring gaze in the nurse"s eyes.
"Oh, no, please G.o.d, ma"am, it will all be right. You must not fuss yourself, ma"am. You must not let her see you like this, on no account."
"Shall I send for him now?"
"No, ma"am; he"d only be in the way. _I_"ll tell you when; and his man"s here, ready to go, any minute. I must go back to her now, ma"am. Hish!"
And Mrs. Graver disappeared with a little rustle of her dress, and no sound of steps. That solemn bird floated very noiselessly round sick beds, and you only heard, as it were, the hovering of her wings.
And then, in a minute more, in glided Miss Sheckleton, having dried her eyes very carefully.
And now came a great knocking at the hall door, echoing dully through the house. It was Doctor Grimshaw, who had just got his coat off, and was winding his watch, when he was called from his own bed-side by this summons, and so was here after a long day"s work, to make a new start, and await the dawn in this chamber of pain.
In he came, and Miss Sheckleton felt that light and hope entered the room with him. Florid, portly, genial, with a light, hopeful step, and a good, decided, cheery manner, he inspired confidence, and seemed to take command, not only of the case, but of the ailment itself.
Miss Sheckleton knew this good doctor, and gladly shook his hand; and he recognised her with a hesitating look that seemed to ask a question, but was not meant to do so, and he spoke cheerfully to the patient, and gave his directions to the nurse, and in about half an hour more told good Anne Sheckleton that she had better leave the patient.
So, with the docility which an able physician inspires, good Anne Sheckleton obeyed, and in the next room--sometimes praying, sometimes standing and listening, sometimes wandering from point to point, in the merest restlessness--she waited and watched for more than an hour, which seemed to her longer than a whole night, and at last tapped very gently at the door, a lull having come for a time in the sick chamber, and unable longer to endure her suspense.
A little bit of the door was opened, and Anne Sheckleton saw the side of Mrs. Graver"s straight nose, and one of her wrinkled eyes, and her grim mouth.
"How is she?" whispered Miss Sheckleton, feeling as if she was herself about to die.
"Pretty well, ma"am," answered the nurse, but with an awful look of insincerity, under which the old lady"s heart sank down and down, as if it had foundered.
"One word to Dr. Grimshaw," she whispered, with white lips.
"You _can"t_, ma"am," murmured the nurse, sternly, and about to shut the door in her face.
"Wait, _wait_," whispered the voice of kind old Doctor Grimshaw, and he came into the next room to Miss Sheckleton, closing the door after him.
"Oh, doctor!" she gasped.
"Well, Miss Sheckleton, I hope she"ll do very well; I"ve just given her something--a slight stimulant--and I"ve every confidence everything will be well. Don"t make yourself uneasy; it is not going on badly."
"Oh, Doctor Grimshaw, shall I send for him? He"d never forgive me; and I promised her, darling Margaret, to send."
"_Don"t_ send--on _no account_ yet. Don"t bring him here--he"s better away. I"ll tell you when to send."
The doctor opened the door.
"Still quiet?"
"Yes, sir," whispered Mrs. Graver.
Again he closed the door.
"Nice creature she seems. A relation of yours?" asked the Doctor.
"My cousin."
"When was she married?"
"About a year ago."
"Never any tendency to consumption?"
"Never."
"Nothing to make her low or weak? Is she hysterical?"
"No, hardly that, but nervous and excitable."
"I know; very good. I think she"ll do very nicely. If anything goes the least wrong I"ll let you know. Now stay quiet in there."
And he shut the door, and she heard his step move softly over the next room floor, so great was the silence; and she kneeled down and prayed as helpless people pray in awful peril; and more time pa.s.sed, and more, slowly, very slowly. Oh, would the dawn ever come, and the daylight again?
Voices and moans she heard from the room. Again she prayed on her knees to the throne of mercy, in the agony of her suspense, and now over the strange roofs spread the first faint gray of the coming dawn; and there came a silence in the room, and on a sudden was heard a new tiny voice crying.
"The little child!" cried old Anne Sheckleton, springing to her feet, with clasped hands, in the anguish of delight, and such a gush of tears--as she looked up, thanking G.o.d with her smiles--as comes only in such moments.
Margaret"s clear voice faintly said something; Anne could not hear what.
"A boy," answered the cheery voice of Doctor Grimshaw.
"Oh! he"ll be so glad!" answered the faint clear voice in a kind of rapture.
"Of course he will," replied the same cheery voice. And another question came, too low for old Anne Sheckleton"s ears.
"A _beautiful_ boy! as fine a fellow as you could desire to look at.
Bring him here, nurse."
"Oh! the darling!" said the same faint voice. "I"m so _happy_."
"Thank G.o.d! thank G.o.d! thank G.o.d!" sobbed delighted Anne Sheckleton, her cheeks still streaming in showers of tears as she stood waiting at the door for the moment of admission, and hearing the sweet happy tones of Margaret"s voice sounding in her ears like the voice of one who had just now died, heard faintly through the door of heaven.
For thus it has been, and thus to the end, it will be--the "sorrow" of the curse is remembered no more, "for joy that a man is born into the world."
CHAPTER III.
CLEVE COMES.
TOM SEDLEY was dozing in his chair, by the fire, when he was roused by Mrs. Graver"s voice.