"Are you sure, quite sure, you do not feel faint? I know what it is to
rise from a sick bed for the first time, Mr. Vernon, and I can enter
into your feelings perfectly."
"Not at all--not at all; I mean that I'm not at all faint," he said
hastily; "and I'm quite strong, quite."
"Let me see you comfortably rangé," said Mrs. Lorton, who was persuaded
that she had hit upon a French word for "arranged." "Then I will get you
some beef tea. I have made it with my own hands."
"It's to be hoped not!" said Dick devoutly, as she fluttered out.
"Molly's beef tea is bad enough; but mamma's----What shall I do with the
pillow?"
"Well, you might swallow it, my dear boy," said Mr. Vernon, with a short
laugh. "Anything but put it under me. Good heavens! Any one would think
I was dying of consumption! But it is really very kind."
"All right; I'll take it upstairs again," said Dick cheerfully. But he
met Nell in the passage. There was the sound of a thud, a clear, low
voice expostulating, and a girl's footstep on the stairs, as Nell,
smoothing her hair, carried up the pillow.
When she came down Mrs. Lorton met her.
"Get some salt, Eleanor, and take it in to Mr. Vernon. And please say,
if he should ask for me, that I'm making him some calf's-foot jelly."
Nell took in the salt. Mr. Vernon rose from the sofa on which he had
seated himself, and bowed with a half-impatient, half-regretful air.
"I'm too ashamed for words," he said. "Why did you trouble? The beef tea
is all right."
"It's no trouble," said Nell. "Are you comfortable?"
"Quite--quite," he replied; but for the life of him he could not help
glancing at the window.
Nell suppressed a smile.
"Isn't it rather hot?" she said.
"Now you mention it, I--I think it is, rather," he assented. "I'll open
the window."
"No, no," said Nell. "I'll do it; you'll hurt your arm."
She opened the window.
"If--if there was a chair," he said hesitatingly. "I'm not used to a
sofa--and--I'm afraid you'll think me very ungrateful! Let me get the
chair. Thanks, thanks!" as she swiftly pulled the sofa out of the way
and put an easy-chair in its place.
"You see, it will be a change to sit up," he said apologetically.