"He is getting on splendidly," I answered. "And he wants to have a
little chat with you."
"And may he?"
"If you will promise to be very, very ordinary, and not to excite
him."
"I promise," she said with earnestness.
"Remember," I added, "quite a little, tiny chat!"
She nodded and went in, I following. Upon catching sight of her,
Alresca's face broke into an exquisite, sad smile. Then he gave his
valet a glance, and the valet crept from the room. I, as in
professional duty bound, remained. The most I could do was to retire
as far from the couch, and pretend to busy myself with the rolling up
of spare bandages.
"My poor Rosa," I heard Alresca begin.
The girl had dropped to her knees by his side, and taken his hand.
"How did it happen, Alresca? Tell me."
"I cannot tell you! I saw--saw something, and I fell, and caught my
leg against some timber, and I don't remember any more."
"Saw something? What did you see?"
There was a silence.
"Were you frightened?" Rosa continued softly.
Then another silence.
"Yes," said Alresca at length, "I was frightened."
"What was it?"
"I say I cannot tell you. I do not know."
"You are keeping something from me, Alresca," she exclaimed
passionately.
I was on the point of interfering in order to bring the colloquy to an
end, but I hesitated. They appeared to have forgotten that I was
there.
"How so?" said Alresca in a curious whisper. "I have nothing to keep
from you, my dear child."
"Yes," she said, "you are keeping something from me. This afternoon
you told Sir Cyril that you were expecting a misfortune. Well, the
misfortune has occurred to you. How did you guess that it was coming?
Then, to-night, as they were carrying you away on that stretcher, do
you remember what you said?"
"What did I say?"
"You remember, don't you?" Rosa faltered.
"I remember," he admitted. "But that was nonsense. I didn't know what
I was saying. My poor Rosa, I was delirious. And that is just why I
wished to see you--in order to explain to you that that was nonsense.
You must forget what I said. Remember only that I love you."
("So Emmeline was right," I reflected.) Abruptly Rosa stood up.
"You must not love me, Alresca," she said in a shaking voice. "You ask
me to forget something; I will try. You, too, must forget
something--your love."