Nurse Elisia Part 37

"Of course you are, sir," said Neil.

Elthorne turned upon him fiercely.

"Don't speak to me again like that, sir," he cried. "Do you think I want to be humoured like a child?"

Neil made no reply, but let his father finish his complaint, knowing that he would drop asleep afterward, and awaken refreshed and forgetful of all he had said.

He was sleeping peacefully as a child when the nurse entered the room, to stop near the door as she saw that Neil was present.

"Has Mr Elthorne wanted me, sir?" she said, ignoring the scene which had taken place a short time before.

"No; and if he had," replied Neil bitterly, "He would have been quite willing to wait until you had kept your appointment."

The words seemed to come in spite of Neil's efforts to stay them; and as he finished the blood tingled in his cheeks, and he mentally writhed as he saw the look of calm, cold contempt directed at him.

"It was Mr Elthorne's wish, and your own, that I should go for a walk, sir," she said gravely.

"To meet my brother?"

She gazed at him half sorrowfully.

"I certainly did meet your brother, sir," she said; and then stopped short as if scorning to offer any explanation to him, while he stood with his teeth set, wishing that he could have bitten off his tongue before he had stooped to make himself so contemptible and petty in her eyes.

There was a pause for a few moments, and then the nurse spoke.

"Mr Elthorne," she said, "will you be good enough to set me free?

Another nurse could do my duties, and I wish now to return to the hospital."

"Return? You know it is impossible," he said. "The consequences to my father would be most serious. You know that as well as I."

She turned to the patient, and looked at him sadly for a few moments.

"You need not be afraid," he said coldly. "I shall not address you again. It was a mad dream, and is at an end. I have been awakened at last."

He left the room, feeling as if he could hardly contain his anger as he asked himself whether other men could be as weak, and if this was all the strength of mind and dignity he had achieved by his years of patient study.

"I spoke to her like some spiteful schoolgirl," he muttered, as he reached the library, and then threw himself into a chair. "What must she have thought? How could I lower myself so in her eyes?"

He had hardly left his father's room when there was a quick, soft tap at the door, and as the nurse rose to open it, Isabel appeared.

Her eyes were red as if she had been weeping lately, and she made a few hurried steps toward the couch, and then turned angrily upon the nurse, as a hand was laid upon her arm.

"How dare you?" she cried. "I must and I will speak to papa."

"I dare," said Nurse Elisia, smiling, "because he must not be awakened suddenly."

"You always say that," cried Isabel; but she lowered her voice. "I must--I will speak to him now."

"Hush, my child!" whispered Nurse Elisia; "you are angry and hysterical from some trouble. Do not blame me, dear. You know it is my duty to watch over him and save him from every shock."

"But you try to keep us apart. You try to be mistress here in everything. You try to--"

"No, no, no," said Nurse Elisia gently, as she pa.s.sed her arm about the excited girl's waist, and drew her toward the other door, while Isabel struggled to free herself, but only faintly, and as if a stronger will was mastering hers.

"Come with me to my room," was whispered in her ear, and then, sobbing weakly, she suffered herself to be led through the other door into the little place devoted to the nurse, where she sank into an easy-chair, covered her face with her hands, and sobbed as if her heart would break.

Nurse Elisia stood gazing down at her pityingly for a few moments, and then sank upon her knees and drew the half resisting little figure toward her, as it was evident that poor Isabel was fighting hard to keep from bursting out into a paroxysm of hysterical cries.

"My poor motherless child!" she whispered; "what have I done that you should insist upon treating me as your enemy?"

"Always--if I wish to go to papa--" panted Isabel with childish vehemence.

"No, no, no, my darling," whispered the nurse, as if she were trying to soothe some pa.s.sionate child. "If you think a moment you will see that I only obey my orders. It is to give him perfect rest that nature may strengthen and restore him to you, his child. Come, come, tell me--what is the great trouble? You cannot understand, but I want to be your friend."

"You--you!" cried Isabel, looking up angrily, as she wrested herself away, and her eyes flashed; but as she gazed on the patient face so close to hers, and saw that the beautiful eyes which looked pityingly in hers were also clouded with tears, her mood changed, and she flung her arms about the nurse's neck, and buried her face in her breast.

"I am so wretched--so unhappy!" she cried.

"Yes, yes, as if I could not see and feel it," whispered Elisia.

"There, there," she continued, as she drew the yielding form closer to her breast, and smoothed and caressed the soft, fair hair, till Isabel's sobs grew fewer, and she looked up half wonderingly, and then clung to her more tightly as Elisia bent down and kissed her lovingly.

"There," she whispered, "was that the kiss of an enemy?"

"No, no, no," cried Isabel. "I did not mean it. I tried not to say it, but you seem to--seem to--oh, pray don't think of what I said!"

"I shall not. I did not mind, for I felt that some day you would know the truth. How could you think that I would be anyone's enemy! It is my misfortune that I am not liked. I have tried to satisfy your aunt, but she resents my presence here."

"Yes," said Isabel naively, as she clung more closely to her comforter.

"She thinks you are taking her place, and that--"

She stopped short.

"Yes, dear," said her companion gently; "and--what?"

"I cannot tell you."

"Then I will tell you, dear," said Elisia sadly. "She thinks that I am a deceitful, scheming woman, who tries to lead your brothers astray from the path your father has mapped out for them."

"Yes," said Isabel faintly. "How did you know?"

Elisia smiled.

"Because I am a woman who has seen much of the world, though I am not so very much older than you. Isabel dear," she whispered, as she held the girl's cheek close to her own, which now burned, "I want you to trust me. I want you to believe me when I tell you that it is not true."

"I do believe you," cried Isabel ingenuously, as she turned and kissed her. "Indeed--indeed I do."

"I know it, and I feel as if you would always have liked me, only there has been this baseless misunderstanding. Now that is all past, dear, and you are going to trust me. Tell me what is the trouble." Isabel shook her head.

"There is no need. Forgive me if I trespa.s.s on delicate ground, dear, and say that it is because this little heart is very sore."