England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction; Families -- Fiction; Young women -- Fiction
"There are some ingredients in here which are not to be met with every
day," she said, with a funny little tone of self-congratulation, "as Dr
Meeke knows!"
I thanked her warmly, of course, promising to ask the doctor to let us
make use of her gift at once.
"And is there anything else," she went on, "that we can be of use in?"
While from the sofa there came a little echo of--"Yes, so glad to be of
use!"
I considered for a moment. It was so plainly to be seen that these good
creatures would feel real pleasure in their offer being literally
accepted.
"New milk," murmured Miss Beatrice, "to keep up his strength. It did
wonders for our dear Caryll, long ago, when he--injured his spine. New
milk with a spoonful of rum, first thing in the morning on waking."
Miss Grey--Miss Jessie I feel inclined to call her--turned a little
sharply on her younger sister.
"My dear Beatrice," she exclaimed, "you forget. Everything of that kind
of course is at Miss--Fitzmaurice's command."
"To be sure," was the reply. "Still--"
"I'm sure it would be an excellent thing," I said, as she paused, "but I
do not think there is much fear of Moore's strength failing him, though
he has been rather a delicate boy."
"I hope not," said Miss Jessie; "I hope not, indeed. Perhaps we felt
unduly anxious, for in our case it was not till several days after the
accident that the grave injury was discovered." I suppose my face must
have betrayed a little alarm at this, for she hastened to reassure me.
"If Dr Meeke is satisfied, I am sure you may feel so," she said. "He
is really a very competent man. We had no misgiving on that score; it
was only hearing of you two young things being here alone, we felt we--
must inquire at first hand."
"You have been _most_ good and kind," I said. "I shall never be able to
thank you--you _all_," after a moment's hesitation, "enough;" and though
she said nothing, I _felt_ that she understood the under-sense of my
words. I had it on the tip of my tongue to add that I hoped their
friend had caught the later train, but a moment's reflection satisfied
me that I must follow their cue, and make no allusion to the secret
which their brother and I had agreed to preserve intact.
Then they both rose, saying they had detained me long enough; I must be
anxious to rejoin my brother.
"We shall hear how he goes on," were Miss Jessie's last words, "as Dr
Meeke calls now and then at present. We have a delicate young servant
who requires care."
"Yes," I said impulsively, "and Mr Caryll Grey--I suppose he is never
very strong?"
Both faces brightened perceptibly at the mention of his name.
"His condition does not vary much," said Miss Grey in her precise way,
"and, thank God, he rarely suffers acutely. And what we should be still
more thankful for--his nature is a quite wonderfully buoyant one."
"He is so very, very good," murmured the other little sister. "Always
cheerful, always thinking of others, never of himself, dear fellow."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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