For Woman's Love Part 44

"I will go with you, however, if I may," said Rose Stillwater, touching the hand bell, that soon brought an attendant into the room.

"Will you ask Sister Susannah, please, to come to me?" said Mrs.

Stillwater.

The attendant went out and was soon succeeded by the sister.

"My friends wish to take me away, and I feel quite able to go with them--in a carriage. Will you please find the doctor and ask him?"

inquired Mrs. Stillwater.

The sister smiled a.s.sent and went out.

Soon the venerable man entered the room.

"I hope I find you better, my child," he said, coming to the easy chair in which sat and reclined the patient.

"Very much better, thank you, sir; so much that I feel quite able to go out with my friends, if I may."

"Certainly, my child, if you like."

"I hope I have not detained you from your friends," said Rose.

"No. I left the dean in conversation with an English patient from his old parish. It was an accidental meeting, but a most interesting one."

"Does--the dean--contemplate a long stay in the city?" Rose forced herself to ask.

"Oh, no; he leaves to-night by one of the Sound steamers for Boston and Newport. His English temperament feels the heat of the city even more than we do."

Rose felt it in her heart to wish that the climate might "burn as an oven," if it should drive the British dean away.

"But I must not leave my visitors longer. So if you will excuse me, sir," he said, turning to Mr. Rockharrt, "I will take leave of my patient and her friends here."

He shook hands all around, receiving the warm thanks of the whole party.

When the venerable doctor left the room, Mr. Rockharrt withdrew to the corridor to give the nurse an opportunity to dress the convalescent for her journey.

He walked up and down the corridor for a few minutes, at the end of which Rose Stillwater came out dressed for her drive, and leaning on the arm of Cora Rothsay.

Mr. Rockharrt hastened to meet her, and took her off Cora's hands, and drew her arm within his own.

So they went down stairs and entered the carriage that was waiting for them.

A drive of fifteen minutes brought them to the Blank House.

"Grandfather," said Cora, as they alighted and went into the house, Rose leaning on Mr. Rockharrt's arm--"Grandfather, I think, now that the rush of travelers have pa.s.sed northward, you may be able to get me another room. In Mrs. Stillwater's nervous condition it cannot be agreeable to her to have the disturbance of a room-mate."

"What do you say, my child?" inquired Mr. Rockharrt of his guest.

"Sweet Cora never could disturb me under any circ.u.mstances, but it cannot be good for her to room with such a nervous creature as I am just at present," replied Rose.

"Umph! It appears to me that you two women wish to have separate rooms each only for the welfare of the other. Well, you shall have them. Take Mrs. Stillwater up stairs, Cora, while I step into the office," said Mr.

Rockharrt.

Cora drew the convalescent's arm within her own, and helped her to climb the easy flight of stairs, and took her into the parlor, where they were presently joined by the Iron King.

"I have also engaged a private sitting room, so that we need not go down to the public table, and dinner will be laid for us there in a few minutes. You need not lay off your wraps until you go there; and if there is any special dish that you would particularly like, my dear, I hope you will order it at once. Come." And he offered his arm to Mrs.

Stillwater, to whom, indeed, he had addressed all his remarks.

He led her from the public parlor, followed by his granddaughter. The little sitting room which Mr. Rockharrt had been able to engage was just across the hall.

On entering they found the table laid for a party of three.

Neither Mr. Rockharrt nor Cora had broken fast since their early breakfast at West Point. The old gentleman was very hungry.

Dinner was soon served, and two of the party did full justice to the good things set before them; but Rose Stillwater could touch nothing.

She had not recovered her appet.i.te since her overdose of morphia. In vain her host recommended this or that dish, for the more appetizing the flavor, the more she detested them.

At last when dinner was over, Mr. Rockharrt recommended her to retire to rest. She readily took his advice and bade him good night.

Cora volunteered to see their guest to her chamber.

"You will look at both rooms, Mrs. Stillwater, and take your choice between them," she said, as she led the guest into the new chamber engaged for one of the ladies.

"Oh, my dear Cora, I do not care where I drop myself down, so that I get rest and sleep. Oh, Cora! I have been so frightened! Suppose I had died in that opium sleep!" exclaimed Mrs. Stillwater, speaking frankly for at least once in her life.

"You should not have tampered with such a dangerous drug," said Mrs.

Rothsay.

"Oh, I took it to stop the maddening pain that seemed to be killing me,"

exclaimed Rose Stillwater, as she let herself drop into an easy chair; not speaking frankly this time, for she had taken the morphia to quiet her nerves, and enable her to decide upon some course by which she might avoid meeting with the Dean of Olivet again, and some excuse for withdrawing herself so suddenly from her traveling party.

"So you will remain here?" inquired Cora.

"Oh, yes. I would remain anywhere sooner than move another step."

"Then I will help to get you to bed. Where is your bag?"

"Bag? Bag? I--I don't know! I have not seen it since I fell into that stupor! It must be at the depot or at the hospital."

"Then I will get you a night dress," said Cora.

And then she ran off to her own room, and soon returned with a white cambric gown, richly trimmed with lace.

When she had prepared her guest for bed, and put her into it, she lowered the gas and left her to repose. Then she went to her own room, satisfied to be alone with her memories once more. Soon after she heard the slow and heavy steps of her grandfather as he pa.s.sed into his room.

CHAPTER XVII.