Paris (France) -- History -- Commune, 1871 -- Fiction
Mary did not pay another visit to the ambulance. Now that she had given
up her work she felt the reaction, and although she refused to take to
her bed she passed her time sitting listless and weak in an easy-chair,
paying but slight attention to Madame Michaud's talk, and often passing
the greater part of the day in her own room.
Madame Michaud felt so uneasy about her that she went down to the
ambulance and brought up Dr. Swinburne, who scolded Mary for not having
sent for him before. He prescribed tonics, sent her up a dozen of wine
from the hospital, ordered her to wrap herself up and sit at an open
window for a time each day, and to make an effort to take a turn round
the garden as soon as she felt strong enough to do so.
On his return to the ambulance the surgeon said carelessly to Cuthbert,
who had now gained sufficient strength to be of considerable use as an
assistant in the ward--
"I have been up to see your late nurse, Miss Brander. There is nothing
serious the matter with her, but, as I thought likely would be the case,
she has collapsed now that her work is over, and will need a good deal
of care and attention to build her up again. You will be out in a few
days now and I am sure it will do her good if you will go up and have a
chat with her and cheer her up a bit. She is not in bed. My visit did
her good; but she wants rousing, and remember if you can get her to
laugh, and joke her about her laziness, it will do more good than by
expressing your pity for her."
"I think I am well enough to be discharged now, Doctor,' Cuthbert said,
eagerly.
"Yes, but you will have to be very careful for some time. You will want
generous food, and I don't see how you are to get it outside."
"I suppose the restaurants are still open?"
"The common ones are closed, but you can-still get a dinner at some of
the best places, although you will have to pay very heavily for it."
"I don't mind that, Doctor; and besides I am very anxious to be at work
again. It will be no more tiring standing at an easel than it is doing
what I can to help here."
"That is true enough, providing you do not do too much of it. Up to a
certain extent it will be a good thing for you, but mind, I distinctly
forbid you to attempt any such folly as to try to walk from the Quartier
Latin up to Passy. Let me see," he added, thoughtfully. "Yes, I think it
can be managed. I will send you home by the ambulance that will be here
to-morrow morning at eight o'clock. You are to keep yourself quiet all
day, and I will get Madame de Millefleurs to send her carriage round for
you at eleven o'clock next day, to take you round by Passy. She has told
me many times that it is always at the disposal of any of my patients to
whom it would be useful. I will see her some time to-morrow and arrange
about it."
"Thank you, indeed, Doctor. I need not say how grateful I am to you for
all the kindness I have received here."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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