"Nay," she said; "you tried to open my eyes. I think this would have
come worse, but for this morning's stroke."
"Thank you," he said, earnestly.
"I daresay you know more than I have been able to understand," she
presently added; "it is like being in the middle of an explosion,
without knowing what stands or falls."
"And lobster salad as an aggravation!" said he, as the dish successively
persecuted them. "This dinner is hard on you."
"Very; but my mother would have been unhappy if I had stayed away. It is
the leaving the poor child that grieves me. She is in a fearful state,
between sore throat, starvation, and blows."
The picture of the effect of the blows coming before Rachel at that
moment, perilled her ability even to sit through the dinner; but her
companion saw the suddening whitening of her cheek, and by a dexterous
signal at once caused her glass to be filled. Habit was framing her
lips to say something about never drinking wine; but somehow she felt
a certain compulsion in his look, and her compliance restored her. She
returned to the subject, saying, "But it was only the woman that was
cruel."
"She had not her Sepoy face for nothing."
"Did I hear that Miss Williams knew her?"
"Yes, it seems she was a maid who had once been very cruel to little
Rose Williams. The Colonel seems to think the discovery may have
important consequences. I hardly know how."
This conversation sent Rachel out of the dining-room more like herself
than she had entered it; but she ran upstairs at once to Lovedy, and
remained with her till disinterred by the desperate Grace, who could not
see three people talking together without blushing with indignation at
the construction they were certainly putting on her sister's scarlet
cheeks and absence from the drawing-room. With all Grace's efforts,
however, she could not bring her truant back before the gentlemen had
come in. Captain Keith had seen their entrance, and soon came up to
Rachel.
"How is your patient?" he asked.
"She is very ill; and the worst of it is, that it seems such agony to
her to attempt to swallow."
"Have you had advice for her?"
"No; I have often treated colds, and I thought this a case, aggravated
by that wicked treatment."
"Have you looked into her mouth?"
"Yes; the skin is frightfully brown and dry."
He leant towards her, and asked, in an under tone-"Did you ever see diphtheria?"
"No!"--her brow contracting--"did you?"
"Yes; we had it through all the children of the regiment at Woolwich."
"You think this is it?"
He asked a few more questions, and his impression was evidently
confirmed.
"I must send for Mr. Frampton," said Rachel, homeopathy succumbing to
her terror; but then, with a despairing glance, she beheld all the male
part of the establishment handing tea.