Mrs. Falchion, Volume 1.

ranean instead of the Red Sea, where the heat was so great; but fortunately we should soon be there. There was no other case of sickness on board, and I could devote plenty of time to hi

ched. Mud barges were fairy palaces; Arab punts beautiful gondolas; the ragged Egyptians on the banks became picturesque; and the desolate country behind them had a wide vestibule of splendour. I stood for half an hour watching this scene, then I went below to Roscoe's cabin and

rous his illness might be. She went to the berth where he lay, the reflected l

is on deck. Madame said she would not need me for a couple of hours.

ad been up all the night before; still I h

d like to do it. I can at least watch." Then

ed for the sick man, and I told Belle-for she seemed much interested-the nature of such malarial fevers, the acute forms they sometimes take, and the kind of treatment required. She asked several questions, show

e to contend for a long time against those f

l antagonist he would be. For it improves some men to wear glasses; and Clovelly had a delightful, wheedling tongue. It was allusive, contradictory (a thing pleasing to women), respectful yet playful, bold yet reverential. Many a time I have longed for Clovelly's tongue. Unfortu

sely about Roscoe's case, and to drive Clovelly's invasion from my min

fer much?" s

. I told her that he was only flushed and haggard as yet and that he was little wasted. A thought flashed to her fac

obable,"

em was inscrutable. She continued quietly: "I will go a

"He is sleeping. To-

t Justine was at that moment watching beside

care to walk with me. Please d

aid now: "Mrs. Falchion, you have suggested what might easily be possible in the circumstances, but I candidly admit that I have never yet found your pres

e, one might feel a just and great resentment, and have in one's hand the instrume

e chanced a time when they came home with great force. I think, indeed, t

"if I am as cruel as y

t I have been thr

hour I went below to Galt Roscoe's cabin. I drew aside the curtain quietly. Justine Caron evidently had not heard me. She was sitting beside the sick man, her finge

Falchion is willing, you coul

her eyes. "Indee

e?" She bowed her head, and her look was eloquen

tine Caron should help to nurse him. This would do far more for hi

be a good preparation for going on the bridge at three o'clock in the morning. About half-pa

he is ubiquitous. Mr. Roscoe's past is mixed up with hers somehow. I don't suppose men talk absolute history in delirium, but

oment. I said to him: "She shall nurse him, H

rench girl shows that she is to be trusted. But as for myself, Marmion M.D., I'm sick-sick-sick of this woman, and all her words and works. I believe that she ha

ds might not be very significant, but pieced together, arranged, and interpreted through even scant knowledge of circumstances, they were sufficient to give me a key to

here is no pulse-Her heart is still-My God, her heart is still!-Hush! cover her face. . . . Row hard, you devils!-A hundred dollars if you make

e would begin again. "It was not I that did it-no, it was not I. She did it herself!-She plunged it in

always reckoned sane. At last I got him into a sound sleep, and by that time I was thoroughly tired out. I called my own steward, and asked him to wa

Mediterranean, and the sea was delightfully smooth. G

position about Justine Caron. She shook her head a little impatiently, and said that Justine had told her, and that she was quite willing. Then I asked her if she would not also assist. She answered immediately that she wished to do so. As if to

r the first day, when she was, I thought, alternating between innate disgust of misery and her womanliness and humanity,-in these days more a reality to me,-she grew watchfu

e even when I had com

itter tone: "I hate you. I once loved you-but I hate you now!" Then he laughed scornfully, and fell back on the pillow. She had been sitting very quietly, musing. His action had been unexpected, and had broken upon a silence. She rose to her feet quickly, gave a sharp indrawn breath, and pressed her hand

ine, if very simple and single-minded, was yet too much concerned for both Galt Roscoe and Mrs. Falchion to give the inquiring the slightest clue. She knew, indeed, little herself, whatever she may have guessed. As for Hungerford, he was dumb. He refused to consider the matter. But he roundly maintained once or twice, without any apparent relevance, that a woman was like a repeating decimal-you could follow

near him. He invariably declined them, and said he would take one of the others from the tea-box -my very best, kept in tea for sake of dryness. If I reversed the process he reversed his acti

d at Gibraltar. Justine Caron and myself had been watching beside him. As the bells clanged to "slow down" on

een ill?"

entirely to be trusted.

ery ill," I replied,

osed his eyes. After a moment he opened them, and said, looking at Justine: "You have hel

so little,"

to me," he gently replied. "For I l

the debt I owe to you and to God-now." He did not understand thi

done most for him is Mrs. Falchion." His brows contracted as if

out her being with me, but nothing clea

urmured: "Shal

but Roscoe nodded, and

ed with their past-whatever it was- might be brought up, and I knew that entire freedom from excitement was necessary. I might have spared myself any anxiety on the point. Whe

the past; but so much had occurred that the days

say to him one comforting word, or to touch his hand in forgiveness and friendship. And was this man so much better than Boyd Madras? His wild words in de

rmion says that you have helped to nurse me throu

nt in her voice. "One could not let an old acquai

an acquaintance. I ventured instead: "I am sorry, but I must cut short all conversation for the p

Beneath her look his face flushed, and his eyes grew hot with light; then they dropped, and the eyelids closed on them. At that she said, with an incomp

he wa

nnoyed me as much as she had perplexed me; her moods were like the chameleon's colours. He lay silent for a long time, then he tur

tinued. And though I urged him not

old, and the garrison

n Beth

said, Oh that one wou

ell of Bethlehem t

of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took and brought it to Dav

is; is not this the blood of the men that went in jeo

always buys back the past at a tremendo

nd then, because I knew not what els

ad past bury

l sleep," h

ITOR'S B

nal dis

envy pr

isingly listens outs

vulgar penalt

ificent ally; i

seemed, in the ma

rk to do, woman, lo

t to be idle-a

to be polit

treated worse

ack the past at a

't choose

able things in a

ndered by, leaving a

vility which be

ick man are not al

great breeder

f a woman-than ma

this much femin

hose who do not

is gone Grave

bid enjoyment