Part 12 (2/2)
”Then I think I'll go and find Seymour. I want somebody to talk to, and Ned looks too lazy even to wink.”
”Seymour isn't back yet,” drawled Ned, speaking solely for the purpose of disproving Archie's accusation, ”he went off with Miss Mabel, and a precious while he has been doing that quarter of a mile.”
”Oh, there he is!” exclaimed Minnie, as he pa.s.sed the window, and a moment later he entered the room looking very grave indeed.
”What's the matter?” inquired all three almost in a breath.
”It's Mabel,” he replied slowly. ”She is in great danger, the doctor thinks she has burst a blood-vessel, but cannot be quite sure yet.”
”But how did it happen?” cried Minnie, ”she was all right when she left here. She did not feel ill at all--only tired.”
”The doctor says it must have been the excitement, but I am certain he is wrong there. I know more than he does.” The last words were spoken in a voice too low to reach any one but Minnie.
”I know,” she said, ”she told me about it to-day.”
”But you don't know half though--you don't know the terrible state of mind she's been in for months--it may have been years for aught I know, the wearing strain of incessant strife between feeling and reason going on beneath every other interest and occupation. It was little wonder, I think, that it should tell on her thus at last.”
Minnie listened in silence while Seymour spoke, and then she said in a low, almost inaudible voice:
”Why did Mabel keep this from me?” And without waiting for a reply went out and sought her own room.
CHAPTER IX.
THE END.
Next day Mabel was no better. Minnie called two or three times during the day, but she was unconscious each time, and remained so all that night, and most of the next day. But towards evening she revived slightly and her consciousness returned.
Minnie was not with her at the time, but as soon as she became acquainted with the fact she hastened to her friend's side. She was allowed to see her only for a few moments, and during that time they were not permitted to exchange more than half-a-dozen words.
On the same evening, immediately after her short interview with her friend, Mr. Kimberly called Minnie into his study, saying he wished to have a little conversation with her.
Having first inquired for her friend, and expressed his pleasure on hearing of her improvement, opened the subject on his mind by inquiring how long she had known Miss Cameron.
Minnie was somewhat astonished by the question, and especially by the abruptness of her father's manner of putting it, but she gave a clear and concise account of her friends.h.i.+p with Mona, and of her previous acquaintance with her in Miss Marsden's school.
”Then you have only been friends for a very short time,” was his comment when she had finished.
”Only for a few weeks, papa,” she replied.
”And has she never mentioned to you since the date of your friends.h.i.+p her former acquaintance with your brother Charlie?”
”No, she has not, but I am aware of it notwithstanding,” confessed she, wondering more than ever.
”Well, it seems they became acquainted in London at the house of my friend Mrs. Cameron--Mr. Cameron's sister it turns out, although I was not aware of the circ.u.mstance until to-day.”
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