HE AND SHE. Chapter VI. Afterwards.

Otago Witness, Issue 2006, 4 August 1892, Page 37

HE AND SHE.

Chapter VI. Afterwards.

A COLONIAL STOKY.

By FABIAN BELL.

Author of " Stella," " After Lone Years," " The

Letter in Cypher," &c, <fee.

INK had an attack of brain fever, and rose trom it a shadow of her former self ; her rich golden hair had been shaved off, her cheeks were hollow and deathly pale, her figure shrunken to mere skin and bone— a wreck— a shadow of her former self 1

"How she must have loved him," said the nurses, attracted like all women by the touch of romance.

During her delirium she had raved of two m9Q, Dick and Tom, which was the husband tuey knew not, for long before she was at the worst Tom had been buried in a nameless grave, no letters or papers on his person affording any clue to his identity.

They kept her at the hospital as long as they could, those kind nurses ! and would fain have had her join their number, but Aline had no desire to do so. Beaten down by to many storms she desired nothing but rest. Ob, to be in the country away from this great town with its strong heart of humanity, its cruelties, and wrongs 1 Oh !to be away from it all, to see green fields and trees once moie, to drink in the pure sweet air, to tread green turf, to gather flowers. There was healing in the thought ; later on she would take up the burden of life and carry it to the end. Bat now she was tired, so tired she must rest.

The shock of Tom's sudden and awful death, following on a long period of privation, if not actual starvation, had so completely unnerved and weakened her that it seemed as if she would never leave her bed alive. For days and even weeks she hovered between life and death, the delicate balance inclining first to one side and then to the other. But finally life triumphed ; if that could be called a triumph which raised from the gates of the grave one who would fain have sought refuge wilhia them. There are times when life makes no farther claim upon us, when iC seems as iC we had . doi!8 all we could rlo, and ni.iy fairly lay down the bin don which we have earned so long. Such a time had come to Aline, with Tom's death her trials, as well as her duties, had practically come to an end ; it seemed to her that she had lived out her- life, and anything further must be a kind of anteclimax. Aud it was with a curious feeling as if the new life were in the nature of a resurrection that she actually found herself recovering and able to leave her bed and move into the convalescent ward.

The two nurses who had been her chief attendants, and to whose watchful and unremitting care her recovery was chiefly owing, were naturally jubilant at this proof of their skill, and the doctors shared in their satisfaction. She had become to all of them something more than " a case." A vital, an interesting personality. The circumstances under which she was introduced to their notice, the terrible accident and hideous death of her husband, the unusual fact that a woman so young, handsome, and evidently a lady should remain in the hospital for weeks and never be inquired for once, threw an air of mystery around her that was not without its charm. She seemed in some sense peculiarly their own, and so claimed a special consideration at their

hands. If her life were given back from the grave the credit beloDged to them, and if she did not appreciate the gift they did. It is also strictly in accordance with human nature that the more they did for her the more they desired to do. " I think you all conspire to spoil me," she said more than once with tender gratitude. " Why are you all so good to me 7 " 41 Perhaps because you need it more than some others," said the matron quietly ; "but indeed, my dear, we try to be good to all our patients. You must reward us by trying to grow strong and well." But she recovered very slowly. The spur, the desire for life was wanting. It was -not, as the nurses thought, because sho had loved Tom so much that his death left life a blank ; but because with him all her dutieB seemed to have come to a natural end. The play was played out, the curtain had fallen, and there an end. 41 We must rouse her In some way," said the great doctor who had taken charge of the case, 4> or she will slip through her our hands after all." It was then that the nurses suggested that she should remain with them and become a probationer* 11 The work is so interesting," they pleaded. " We are sure you would like it." Aline shook her head. " I am so tired." " You are still weak, but you would get better if you had something to do. Something that you muet do," and the youngest of the nurses, a pretty girl not jet 20, began to enlarge on the charm and fascination of their work. But Aline would not be tempted, shrinking instinctively from the sights and sounds which she must witness. 41 No, I cannot be a nurse. I have no gift that way. But I feel that I have already trespassed on your kindness too long. It is quite time that I left the hospital." •' Shall you stay with friends 7 '' 41 1 have no friends." 41 No friends I Then all the more reason why you should remain with us." 44 It is your kindness that speaks and not your better judgment. Dr Longford would not wish it, I am sure." And the doctor whsn consulte:! agreed with Aline. 44 She could not do the work. It would kill her," he aaid abruptly. 44 We must get her into the country." As soon as she was strong enough Aline went to the lodging house which she had left so abruptly on that fatal night. The landlady lifted up her eyes and hands in astonishment. "Sakes alive 1 Is it yon, Mrs Webster," she cried. 41 1 thought you had made a moonlight flitting. Where have you been 2 You do look bad." 44 1 have been in the hospital, ' said Aline, feebly taking a seat which had not been offered. 44 And Mr Webster ! Where is he 7 " 44 He is dead ! " The woman paused in her voluble questioning to gaze with astonishment on Alines dresa, which was the same which she had worn two months before. 44 Dead I and you have not paid him that much respect to put on a bit o' black." Aline shook her head. 41 It does not matter. Will you give me my key, please. I want to get some things." 44 Your key 7 Why, you did not come back, and so — and so " 44 You have let the room to someone else." 44 Just so," she answered, glad to be relieve I from an embarrassment. " Perhaps it is as well. But where are my boxes. Of course you kept them." 14 Well, you didn't come, and there was a month' 3 rent owing, and so — and so " "Yes?" 41 1 sold them," Ehe said desperately. 44 Sold them to pay expenses. We advertised them in the paper*", and you never turned up ; and so, thinking you had done it on purpose, and meant to give us the slip, I sold 'era." 44 You— sold— my boxes!" repeated Aline slowly, as if she could not take in the meaning of tne words and they would become clearer by repetition. 41 Yes. I'm sorry now, as you have turned up ; but it can't be helped." 44 But surely yon did not sell them alj, dresses, trinkets, trifles of all kinds. They were not of much value, yet they would have paid your account half a dozen times over. Surely you did not sell them all 7 " 44 Yes, I did," said the woman doggedly, guiltily conscious that at that very moment she had on a petticoat and stockings which had belonged to her late lodger. " Yes, I did ; and I can tell you they fetched very little — old clothes ain't of much account any time — not enough to p% what you owe me. Perhaps you will pay the difference now you are here." This was a little too much. 44 Let me have an account of the sale, and what the different articles fetched," said Aline quietly, 41 and then we will see how the account stands." Upon which the landlady became abusive, and threatened to hand her over to the polic?. And Aline, unable to cope with the loud voiced virago, withdrew, houielefcs and penniless, a beggar in heart and in hope. Fortunate for her that she had friends at the hospital. That night she told the matron her story. The good woman was pensibly effected ; indeed more so than tbe teller, who seemed to regard the whole thing in an impersonal way as if it did not concern her at all, and wound up with the words : 41 And now what would you advise me to do. I have not a penny or a friend in the world. I have not been brought up to any trade or profession. I cannot dig, to beg I am ashamed."

" Well, in the first place, you are not altogether without friends, I can assure you that you have many real true friends in this building. Dr Longford was speaking about you to-day. You know, or perhaps you don't know, that he has a cottage in the country, at , which he has some thoughts of turning into a convalescent homp, he would like you to go there for a few weeks and try to recover your strength."

" It is very good of him." "He is very much interested in you, and indeed so are we all. You will go there and get strong, and then we will consider what is the next best thing to be done, You will

allow me to tell him what you have just told me ?"

" Not yet, I had rather that no one knew it but you. I would not have told you but that it seemed to me that I was imposing upon you, you might have thought that I was better off, that I had money or Mends who would pay my expenses, aud besides— l have no money and no clothes, nothing." " And you would like me to lend you a few pounds. Of course ! I was justgoiug to offer it. Fortunately I got my salary yesterday, and you can h%ve it all, or a3 much as you want." The slow tears rose to Alines eyes. " You are very good. 1 '

"Nonsense! that is nothing. That U a mere loan. You will pay it me back some time, and if not I shall be none the worse. If I have not got it I can't spend it, you knowi To-morrow we will go into the town shopping if I Can spare an hour, and the next day you will go into the country to the doctor's place. Will that do 7 "

"Yes, indeed. I do not know how to thank you."

" Then say nothing. lam only too pleased to help you, and the kind woman kissed her patient and bustled away, intent on her many duties.

The programme was faithfully carried out.

For the first time since she had left Dunedin four years before, Aline found herself once more in the country. The fresh, pure air gave her new life. With every breath she seemed to grow stronger and to be more like herstlf. At the end of a week, when Dr Longford came out, he was fairly amazed at the improvement.

" In a month you will be quite a different woman," he said smiling.

" I feel different already," she answered gratefully. " I think it is time that I looked about for something to do. I feel that I have no right to impose so long upon your hospitality."

" We will talk of that at some future time," he said lightly. "At present it is your v* hole and sole duty to get well."

As Aline grew stronger she began to feel the necessity for some occupation —something that would occupy her mind as well as her fingers, and prevent brooding. She would fain have forgotten the past cr have busied herself in such a manner m to drown the stings of memory.

She was sti.'l young, not yet 30, and twice a widow. Alone, utterly cut off from her friends and kindred, for she felt that after so long a silence it would be impossible to communicate with them again, and indeed the recollection of the last few years was so painful that a touch npon ift was like touching an open sore.

"By this time they think me dead. I will bs dead to them," she decided, feeling that though she could gratefully accept the kindness of strangers she could not endure the openly expressed pity and condolence of those whose nearnesss of kin gave them a right to say the peculiarly disagreeable things which none but relations venture upon. Twice a widow, and yet she had never been in love. Well for her perhaps that it was so. As regarded Tom Webster her conscience was at rest. She had certainly done her duty by him to the best of her ability, if she had not loved him better it was because such love as poets and romancers speak of was to her impossible — indeed she seriously doubted whether there was such a thing in the world, all that she bad heard or read on the subject seeming: to her so painfully exaggerated.

It must be confessed that her matrimonial experiences had not been of the most satisfactory kind. From first to last Dick had been a stranger. Their lives had touched, but never fused ; at the time when she knew him best her nature had been incapable of understanding him. His passiouate love, his perfect self-devotion she had not even guessed. She had understood Tom better, but the knowledge had been altogethpr pain, so far as she knew he had not one redeeming quality, though it is said, perhaps truly, that no one is altogether bad. Probably Tom Webster was the exception which proves the rule.

No wonder Aline desired to forget the past. Friendlesp, penniless, but free, the world lay before her, and had she been only sufficiently strong-minded she would have hailed this freedom as the best thing life could bestow ; but it was not so, the sting of shame, and of a vicarious suffering, and wrong-doing, which had been with her so long, could not be immediately shaken off. As she had so often said,[his shame waa hers, his disgrace was hers, she could not separate herself from it. Had she been a Boman Catholic she would probably have spent the remainder of her life in praying for the pardon of his soul. Being a Protestant she did not consider that such prayers were likely to prove efficacious. That the Great Father should directly interest himself in the redemption of a soul so utterly lost and degraded seemed highly improbable, and yet

Aline grew stronger every day, and with her strength grew the desire, the absolute neoe-fciiy for work or some kind, though what il was to b« she could not tell. She still shrank from the duties required horn a hospital mir-c, not that she undervalued the noblo women who performed them, but because she felt hcrs«lf physically unequal to the strain which is put on every nerve.

" I could not undertake il," she said piteously, and Dr LoDgtord smiled, and told her that there were other careers open to her.

As so often happens an accident decided her choice.

Near to the cottage lived two maiden ladies— sisters — they took a lively interest in Dr Longford's experiment and in his patients, and wera accustomed to call at the cottage from time to time, and make acquaintance with its inmates ; also to send them little presents of fruit and flowers and garden produce. To these ladies the doctor had specially commended his favourite patient, telling them as much as he himself knew of her history — i.e., the sudden and tragic death of her husband, her own sexious illness, and poverty.

Less than this would have sufficed to arouse their interest. It seemed as if a romance had come into their quiet uneventful lives. Miss Jane Graham, the younger sister, who was, however, in all things the leading spirit, would fain that Aline should have made their house her home for an indefinite period, and finding that she would not

agree to this loaded her with small gifts and pressing invitations.

"We like you to come and see us very much. Don't we, sister ? Lulu likes you too."

Lulu was a particularly snarly and aggravating cur of no special breed, to which the good ladies were much attached, and which was justly disliked by their friends, nnd still more by the pet animals of their friends. The Misses Graham never went anywbore without this creature, aud their favourite superstition endowed the uninteresting mongrel with almost superhuman powers of discernment and appreciation. Aline had received the cachet of its approval, hence the enthusiasm of its mistres3. " Lulu likes you ; don't you, Lulu ? " Lulu looked wise and said nothing, tiros establishing his character for wisdom at slight expense.

The Misses Graham had friouds and re'ations all over the country. Thpy had come out many years before to keep house for a brother, who had since manied, arid had then invested their little property so well that it brought them in a comfortable provision for their old age. Not being troubled about money matters, nor indeed anything else except the well-being of their pets, they found plenty of time to interest themselves in the concerns cf a wide circle of friends and neighbours. They kept up a large ccrrespondeuco, and although they grumbled at the time and labour thus expended, and -A?o at the numerous commissions of their country friends, these things were really the s-alt of their lives, and kept them in Louc'i with tho rest, of the world, which would oihtii witn have left them stranded in their nriddlrogcd maidenhood outside tho waim stream of human life and sympathy.

These ladies took a great interest in Mra Web3ter, for whose misfortunes fcheir friend, the doctor, had stood sponsor, and it waa real pleasure to them to prepare for her, with their own hands, dainty puddings and jellies, and to visit her every few days with Lulu trotting at their heels.

On one such occasion it became cloar to Aline that they had something on their minds of more than ordinary importance; an unusual air of business breathad from the little ladies, and made itself felt in the very manner in which they settled their ampla skirts. 41 My dear Mrs Webster," begau Mhs

Graham. But Miss June promptly interrupted her.

" Let me tell her, Ellen. • I know more about it than you do. The letter was sent to me."

The elder sister meekly acquiesced, and with an air of great importance Miss Jane continued :

44 We have had a letter this morning, Mr 3 Webster, which will I think interest you. It is from our sister-in-law in the country." And drawing a closely-written sheet of paper from her pocket Bhe read an ordinary chit-chat letter of the U3ual tj pe.

Aline listened with polite attention wondering why it should interest her.

Having got as) far as the signature Miss Jane paused, gave a preliminary " Hem," looked around on her audience, and then read the postcript, which ran as follows :

"By the way, I wish you could find for me a really nico superior person, not exactly a servant, who would be willing to come up here and help mp, acting as housekeeper, &c. You know it is very hard to get servants, or to keep them when you do get them, so I want a superior person who will take an interest in tho home and won'i be always wanting to leave for the sake of a change or to better herself. If you can find me such a one I shall be indeed be gratoful. Of course lam willing to pay a good salary to a suitablo person."

Having read those lines in a -nio^t impressive tone of voicJ Miss Jasie iolded her hands upon her kntc, and lookod at Aline. There was no mistaking the meiniDg ot that look. Aline smiled as she replied to il,.

" And you think that I should suil youi' correspondent 1 "

" That is exactly what I said to Ellen when we got the letter. Mrs Webster is Lho very person if she will go. And Ellen thought so too. Didu't you, Ellen 7 "

" Yee, indeed," assented Miss Graham. 11 It is very goo.l of you, I am Bure," said Aline, gratefully ; " tell me a little more about jour sister, and where she live?."

"My sister-in-law," corrected Miss Jane. 44 She is the wife of our brother ; she is quite a young woman, not much older than yourself. She has four children, little more than babies, and since the last was born she has not been very strong. They keep three servants, when they can get them, bat as she says herself they are hard to get and harder to keep, and sometimes they have one or two and often none. It is a pretty place where they live, a beautifal house and. grounds, but its lonely, no neighbours within ten miles, and no women nearer than twenty."

" I should like that," said Aline, "I have lived so long in Melbourne that it would be delightful to get ritihl. away icto the country," and as t>iie t>aid it she remembi red wiih a budden fl.ish of recollection the time when she !md hated rim cuiuiUy and country life and pursuits.

" Would you, indeed, aud will you go 7 Shall I teli hsr that you wiil go, aua aC once."

Aline hesitated, and a dark red flush slowly rose and overspread her pale cheeks. '■ Mrs Graham will watit leferences, and

41 Our reference will be quite sufficient," said Miss Jane with dignity, apparently oblivious of the fact that she had only known Mrd Webster for two or three weeks, and that the doctor, who had acted as her sponsor, was but little better acquainted with the prsvious history of his interesting patient. " Will you go 1 " "I should like it very ranch, but "

" It, would be doing a. real kindness," said Miss Graham quickly, with a delicate intuitive penetration into Alines feelings. "Mary is not strong, and the children and servants worry her a great deal. You would le a great help." 14 But I am not sure that I am qmi'fkil. She would probably want a good cook, and I cannot do much in that way, only tho plainest things. I could manage to help in the sewing and the household, and such like, bat I am nothing of a cook."