Our Novelettes.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1522, 12 March 1886, Page 4

Our Novelettes.

THE BIVAL DOCTOBS.

(Continued.)

Clire Northcote was silent; he turned on his heel and walked away from her—he felt just then that his raging jealousy against the lawyer could not brook the sight of the wist* ful face so gentle to nil save him.

" Will you tt<ke the men away ?" she asked, very earnestly. It was with a sort of triumph that he heard her pleading to him at last ; fain would he lengthen those moments, and he paused not in his walk, made no reply. She waited a while, with a heart that sickened as she thought of the mother she so dearly loved, and then, as despair overcame her, she suddenly lost her composure and burst into a passion of excitement which fairly startled Clive Northcote.

"You wicked, wicked man!" she cried. " This is the hour of your triumph; day by day you have comrassed my ruin, and I am ruined at last. How shall I forgive myself for stooping to plead to you, meanest of men, that could drag down a defenceless woman ? Do your worst, take all that we have—may your riches curse you as I do, murderer of my mother!" Clive Norfhcote's fice was flushed with shame and anger ; all his worst feelings were roused by her contemptuous defiance. " Yes—l will worst," declared he. " If you cannot pay me, the law must take its course. lam not to be insulted with impunity. If you are turned put of your borne you need not go far to seek one." " There is a grave for my mother, and a workhouse for me," said sh<», bitterly ; '* and either would be sweeter than receiving your patronage, Doctor Northcote. I wish you good night. What a clear peaceful conscience will be yours hencelorth! I have heard of your mercy and goodness—l thank you for all you have shown me." She turned towards Ihedoor, but the storm shook the windows —and she looked such a tiny wayfarer to wage war with the elements. " Don't go yet," said he, hoarsely ; ** your clothes and boots are drenched j aud the rain is enough to drown you."

• What is the rain to a woman f" cried she, fierc ly, the pent-up agony of her struggles finding vent in the angry protest. " Men must tako cure of themselves when the storm conies on —it is we who go out to face it." " But you will not fuce it long," persisted tho Doctor. "Mr Grosham is ready enough to shelter you, I know."

With a puzzled look Kissie raised one hand to her aching head, and Northcote saw her other ungloved one groping for tho handle of the door.

" You are not well enough to go yet, Doctor Laud," said ho, setting his baek ugainst tho surgery-door. She looked at him vacantly for a moment, and then broke into a ringing hysterical laugh, followed by screams so loud and piercing that, had not hysteiical cases oftc i been introduced into the surgery, the household must have hastened jthither in alarm. It was the first hysterical attack in the woman-Doctor's life, but to have saved that life she could not have withheld her screams.

" Hush, hush I" said Northcote, putting his arm about her in a moment, as though she were one of his sick child-patients. " You will alarm the whole house, my poor child. There—there—compose jourcelf, for your mother's sake. Whit, crying now ? Never mind, it will do you good. And now listen to me. I will say no more about rent for eight or ten weeks, when Jperhaps your prospects will be brighter. 1 do not care for this money on account, as I should prefer to re* ceive ( the whole lump-sum; and, whenever you have done crying, I will take you home and kick those confounded rascals out. On my word of honour, I had no notion they would be put m possession, or I would hare forbidden the proceedings at once." The girl's sobs only came thicker and faster as his altered tones came upon her ears; kindness was tbv most p tout means possible of upsetting Doctor Laud's equanimity. Nonhcote had forced her into his great easychair, and he knelt down beside her, chafing lier cold, trembdug bauds His yearning was mighty to take her into his arms and clasp her in a passionate embrace j her hat was off, aud her loose hair swept his cheek.|

" You have overworked yourself, said he j " your mind is fur stronger than your body." " I am goiug out of my mind," returned Keziah, lifting her head with a curious glitter in her eyes. " The Cold will be clear to you toon, Doctor Morthcote, for I have been studying mental diseases, and I have watched mine coming on so gradually." " Have you many books on the subject?" asked Northcote, the touch of her little hands which he held in his, thrilling him with a thrill of such yearning as no touch of Rose Dauvers's had ever aroused.

" Oh, yes \" I am making it a particular subject of study." " It is interesting certainly, and I should appreciate the loan of the books you mention. Come, I have obliged Jyou about your rent, will you give me permission to borrow them ail f<<r a time?"

The girl could not comprehend Doctor Northcote's manner; she raised her head for a moment and Rooked wonderingly into his eyes. There was & something in them that was perceptible iu a measure even to her simple mind, so innocent of aught save " how to make two ends meet." A vivid, burning flush crossed her earnest face j she wi hdiew tier hands and rose from the chair, steadying herself with difficulty. "If you really mean to give me time and withdraw those men," siia she, " I can only thank and bless jou from the bottom of my heart; as for my buoks, you are welcome to borrow any and all of them." " Well, then, I will step across the road with you at once," returned he.

His rough coat was on in a moment, and betore she was aware of his intention, an enormous plaid wui wrapped about herself.

He offered her his arm at the gate, but hlio put it away with the words—- " I hare learned to keep my footing anywhere, Doctor Northcote) I hare never taken a gentleman'* arm since I used to walk out with papa on his leisure afternoons, when I was very young." " You are altogether too independent iu your old age," observed her companion, coolly possessing himself of her hand and placing it upon his sleeve. So the rival Doctors walked arm-in-arm through the rain, Northcote recognising with deep alarm agui-h shivering had taken possession of Kissie —a shivering that was strong enough to shake her slender frame. Mrs Laud opened the front-door of Woodbine Cottago before they had time to knock.

" Goodness me, Kissie," sbe exclaimed, " one would tbiuk that your chest was like iron, and that none of your sisters had died of decline, to see how you go on! Yon are the most distracting girl that ever tried a mother's patience. fAod now whom have you got with you, pray f" « Mjmma aw—-«"

" Mrs Laud, let me introlu ¥ e myself a° your neighbour, Doctor Norihcote. My brother—l mean sister—practitioner here has kindly consented to lend me certain important volumes, which I hare como to fetch."

" Well, i*s neighbourly to look in upon us, Doctor, but I don't know that you have alway acted fair by Kissie." " Mamma dear, Doctor is very kind ; we made quite a mistake about him." " There, now ! Didn't I tell you, Kis ie ho was just like Captain Vernon, who came courting me when I was a girl of jour own age ? And here has Kissie been cal'ng you all manner of names, Doctor, and telling mc your aim was to ruin her reputation !' " There is not a reputalion in in the world I respect as I do that of your daughter," spoke up Doctor Northcote, with flushed cheeks.

" Well, come in and have a hit of supper with us, as you are from home this evenin...."

" Mamma darling !'* whispered Kissie in a low voice. How could her mother forget that there was nothing in the house but bread and butter, and the miniature muttonchop that Kissie had secured for Mrs Laud herself ?

" First of all, Mrs Laud, may I go down to your kitchen and dry myself |»t the fire ? I am terribly afraid of taking cold." " I could cure you, Doctor," said Kisiie, daring even to be saucy in the joy of relief.

•' Thank you, "Doctor Laud, but I would rather j not —I am not quite tired of life yet." " Well, make yourself at home, and dry yourself at the kitchen fire, though between ourselves, I believe that Martha has asked her young man in again, i'uu know, Kisie, I heard men's voices in the kitchen several times yesterday, and if I could bear to be worried just now, I would inquire into it"

" I will (despatch all intruders <br you," said Northcote. " Don't you come down, child. I can find my way to the kitchen." And so he did, and the two] officers found their way not unwillingly from the cottage soon after. The writ was in his name, so they took their orders readily e:'ough Jrom him

" And what have you for supper, Martha ?" he asked, seating himself on the table, to the wide-mouthed admiration of the delighted Abigail. " The mistress has a chop, sir—Miss Kissie mostly has bread. She's saving in her eating is Miss Kissie." " Isn't that the surgery bell ? She doson't leave this bouse again to-night—that is certain, if the Queen herself req urea her." Doctor Northcote darted upstairs three steps at a time, to find Kissie, still in her wet waterproof, unfastening the door to a country lad of fifteen, who informed her that Farmer Jenkins's eldest girl was " powerful bad with the spazums." " And you want the Docsor ? All right, my man. Run back and tell them the Doctor will be down in a twinkling." The boy disappeared, but Kissie turned to Northcote with consternation in her fuoe.

•' It is me who is wanted," said she, earnestly.

" Talk grammar if you pleise, madam," rejoined he, drawing on his ulster once mote. " Doctor Laud is not well to-night, so I attend to her patients instead. She shall come round in the morning." " Doctor Northcote, I have so few patients left," said she, in a low beseeching voice. " You may trust me here," declared Northcote, putting his hand upon her shouldiT. " We must work into euch other's hands, you see —it does not answer to be rivals. Are we friends at la-t, Doctor Land ?"

" Thank you for jour kindness to-night," said she, her eje* heayy with tears. " Hewn bless you for your goodness! I will pay you as soon as possible." " I am no longer the meanest of men, then, in somebody's estimation ?" " Ihank you," was all she eouM say. " And you are not my superior in medical capacity eh, Doctor Laud P" But jKissie's professional pride rendered her silent on this point. She looked at him with a gleam of mischief that sparkled amid her tears ; and then occurred something most decidedly unprofessional. Northcote put both hU arms round the wet wa'erproof and the shiv.ering form it encircled, and kissed her passionately , onoe—twice—three times. Ere her lips could utter the angry protest that arose to them, be had vanished, and she was left alone in the surgery, the purse with the twelve pounds thrown upon her case-book, with a scrap of paper slipped inside the elastic—" I will send to-morrow for the books I require."

Clivo Northcote's mind was in a tumultuous whirl as he proceeded through the driving rain to Farmer Jenkins's. Now that his arms had encircled the fair young rival—now that his lips had touched her own—the consciousness of the whole truth had flashed upon him like a Revelation. This brave, true woman, whom he had stigmatised as mannish and strong-minded, whom he had crushed by his ma-culine strength of purpose, had so entwined herself with his own cares, so haunted his thoughts and dreams, that what he deemed relentless hate had melte 1 at the touch of those sweet lip* into the one strong love of a man's life. He blamed himself angrily for having given way to his feelings and behaved in a manuer Doctor Laud must have considered most ungentlemanly. •< It was a shame to take advantage of her trouble 1" he exclaimed. •• What a story to my discredit she could spread about it! But that she won't do, my own sweet little rtissie ! Who that knew my Kissie could waste affe:« lion on ihe dreeecd-up dolls that are considered the bell* s of society P Now I gee what has been wanting in Hose Danvers all this time, atd why of late 1 have wearied of her company, and lost all feeling of jealousy even towards dir Harold. A man want 3 mind as well aslface in a woman—self-sacriGce as well gelf-corap!aceice. Oh, Kissie, my darkey d troubled pet, what a power of loving your heart must hold, since it shrines a mother so tenderly I" Thn startled indignation that flashed into Kissie's eyes as sh« withdrew from his sudden embrace show<d dire Northcote he had been all too rash. He made a firm resolution that, night to avoid Dr Laud entirely till he could rely upon his composure in her presence; but he resolved likewise that the shy yet earnest face his lips had toUchdd should be gladdened once more by prosperity in things temporal if he had to give up practising altogether in the neighbourhood.

He was more successful than he had expected in his desire to be spared a meeting with Kis«ie. Driving along the country lanes the familiar glimpses of the little, tradging, waterproofed figure were strangely wanting now. For a whole week Northcote congratulated himself that he was coming back to hit senses and that she was busy with at least half-a-dozen, he was " compelled to decline, owing to the exceedingly great pressure upon his time already." At the end of that spacfl, however, Farmer Jenkins came up to him to beg him to continue his treatment of his daughter, whose symptons of suffering had returned, and informed him that Doctor Laud had not once been near the farm.

A faint growing rumoor in Lowmead came f'liuallj (9 ffwtiwQta'i tan j toftt mi

that Doctor Laud was ailing, some that she ' wos dangerously ill, and some that she was was djin? Coming from the Rectory—where he heard Mrs Grant wondering how Mrs Laud managed now Kissie was laid up— Northcote, walking like a dnzed man, came upon Doctor Lund's little medicine-boy bemilling bis leisure by stoning chickens in the high-road* *« What's the matlerwith Doctor Laud?"' he asked

" Bumm»t to the cbrst, mister," replied the boy, no'ing the interrogator. " Is the Doctor in bed ? Is she very ill indeed ?"

" Powerful b id, mister," he answered. " And Mistress she be worrying Mies Kissie,' cause she ean't get to her patients, but she can't ptiml up yet, Martha says. Martha s>«vs as how she won't get over it; but. she will," added the boy. looking jealously at Northcote. whom ho know very well by sight, " 'cause she knows how to cure everybody who's sick." •' But who attends her ?" a«ked Northcote, turning very pale, as he thought of the sick girl watching her symptoms and wearied by her mother's distress. " She's doctored herself all thie time; but she dosen't rightly have her senses sometimes. But I was to have come for y«>u yesterday, mister—and Martha says as how Miss Eissie heard them whispering about it, and went into a passion, and said as how she wouldn't have uo doctor ne<»r her."

Northcote strode away in deep agitation. Was this a whim of professsonal conceit, or a rooted anger asainst himself. The consciousness of having given deep offence kept him away from Woodbine Oottsge; but he had never in all his life passed hours more pain* ful than those which dragged away their weary length till seven o'clock that evening, when Martha hurried across to Ravensbridge House, imploring him to see " Miss Eissie" at once.

Poor Mrs Laud had fretted herself into hysteric*, and lay perfectly incapable upon the breakfast-room couch ; Martha had tried in vain to secure the services of a nurse, and appealed to Doctor Northcote at last in sheer desperation, lieed for the first time how young and slight Kissie had dropped into a troubled skep during the short absence of the willing hindmaid ; and Nortcote reaa being she was against whom he had done battle, as he marked the short damp curling hair wandering over the pillows, scarcely whiter than the face those tresses framed.

A very few minutes showed him she was suffering from pleurisy, brought on by exposure and neglected cold; her backing cough was the means of awaking her, and Northcote soon saw that the cause of her betraying no surprise at his appearance was her drowsy condition of semi-insensibility. '* I have no more money," said she, sleepily. " Martha, don't let mamma hear of it. I will get come money for them." " Kissie," whispered Northcote, determined to arouse her from the troubles that disturbed her miud, " don't you know who has come to see you ?"

She raised her heavy eyes vacantly to bis face.

"Is it you, papaP" she asked, looking puszled and bewildered. 'Miss Kissie, dear, darling pet," sobbed Marl ha, " Don't you know the Docior—good, kind Doctor Northcote ? "

A gleam of intelligence spread gradually over the girl's face, and as it deepened a faint tisiog colour betokened that memory was averting itself as well as consciousness. " Did they eend for jou P " she asked sharply. '* I can doctor myself, thank you, Doctor Northcote."

" Nonsense,you eiily little goose! " rejoined Northcote, lightly—and he motioned to Martha to cross the room to the window. " Don't you know your patients »aiityouback sadly? The medicine I see there you may get Martha to throw into the duat'bin. I hare taken you i- to my hands, and I have no idea of weakening the which you hate been doing. Martha, bring me souse coals and a bundle of wood—l must have a fire here at onoe."

•* I cau't afford it," said Kis«ie faintljt M I know you would do me good, Doctor Northcote, but pray don't give me your services. I hate no money for doctor's fee*." " But every doctor doe* not male exorbit* ant charges," opposed Northcote, "and I covet much that is yours—don t yott remember 1 borrowed your books? I will prescribe for you, and when you are well I will ask in return something you are well able to part with, if you will. 3 " You shall have it, even if it is some, thing I yrize very much," she promised, earnestly. " Doctor, lam so giddy. How is my pulse P Lend me your watch I" «• You mind your own business, goosey," said Northcote, very disrespectfully, "and when youattend upon mo I will mind mine. Make up a splendid fire, Martha, while I prepare a dose in Dootor Laud's surgery, whi-h will *et her in the right way to begin with. No mind-worries, child," added he, stooping down, in a kindly whisper—" tnst yourself and everything to Heaven's care and my own."

" Doctor Northcote, I have walked through the fields to Lowmead, and I am not tired one bit. Isn't it bentttiful to feel the fresh air again P I wouldn't be you, to possess a Ottrriage-and'pair, and submit to be rolled about in weather like this."

" Don't take liberties with yourself," says Clive Northcote, swinging himself over the stile upon the other ede of which Doctor Kissie, fresh as the spring daises th»t stud the surrounding meadow j " you are scarcely equal to these hills as yet. But I like thosa rose*. Your illness has not harmed you materially, Doctor Laud," he adds, coming d»ngerously close to tier red lips.

«' Oh, don't tease! " cries Ki«sie, drawing back wi»h a burning blush. " I want to talk to you. Doctor Northcoej I am glnd I hare met \ou. L »st night I rec-.-ived the payment I exp cted from the nvdi-al ma»a«!ine to which I have contributed for a year. Onr butcher at Lowmrad has just changed the cheque. Don't let our rent continue longer in arrears;" and, too shy to lift her eyes to his own, she draws two bank*notes from her pocket.

"Thank you," savs Northcofe, gravely accepting them. "I will take this amount on account of your debt." "On account! I hive paid you in fulllook at the notes!"

"'To professional services rendered to Doctor Laud '"

" Oh, yes ! But indeed I could never make a return for all that. I won't ask who filled the house with dainties—l know who it was paid the London nurse. Doctor Northcote "

" Don't be ridiculous," he cries j "we settled then that I was to be recompensed on your recovery by something I was to ask you to resign to me." " Yes, certainly," says Kissie, trying to recover her composure; *' I am more than willing to meet your wishes. What do yon covet?"

" Do you promise it shall be mine *" " Of course I do," she answered, firmly, wondering why she could not help fancy ig there was a tremor in bis firm,, strong voice,