Part 64 (1/2)

”I will give him the message.”

”Thanks--good-bye.” And therewith Miss Burgoyne and her brother Jim withdrew.

But if Maurice set his face against that young lady being allowed to see Lionel in his present exhausted condition, it was quite otherwise with his notions about Nina. He talked to the three doctors, and to Mrs.

Moore, and to Francie--to Francie most of all; and he maintained that, so far from such a meeting causing any mental disturbance, the knowledge that Nina was in London, was close by, would only be a source of joy and placid congratulation and peace. They yielded at last, and the experiment was to be tried on the Sat.u.r.day morning about eleven. Nina was told. She trembled a little, but was ready to do whatever was required of her.

”Well, now,” said Maurice to her, when she came up that morning (he noticed that she was dressed with extreme neatness and grace, and also that she seemed pale and careworn, though her beautiful dark eyes had lost none of their soft l.u.s.tre), ”we mustn't startle him. We must lead up to his seeing you. I wonder whether your playing those Neapolitan airs may not have left some impression on his brain?--they might sound familiar?”

At once Nina went to the piano and silently opened it.

”I will go and talk to him,” he whispered. ”Just you play a little, and we'll see.”

Mangan went into the next room and began to say a few casual words, in a careless kind of way, but all the time keeping watchful and furtive observation of his friend's face. And even as he spoke there came another sound--soft and low and distant--that seemed to say, ”_A la fenesta affaciate_--_nennela de stu core_--_io t'aggio addo che spasem, ma spasemo d'amore_--_e cchiu non trovo requia, nennella mia, ppe te!_--”

”Maurice!” said Lionel, with staring eyes. ”What is that? Who is there?”

”Don't you know, Linn?” his friend said, tranquilly. ”She has been here all through your illness--she has played those airs for you--”

”Nina? Nina herself?” Lionel exclaimed, but in a low voice.

”Yes. If you like I will bring her in to see you. She has been awfully good. I thought it would please you to know she was here. Now be quite quiet, and she will come in and speak to you for a minute--for just a minute, you know.”

He went and asked Nina to go into the room, but he did not accompany her; he remained without. Nina went gently forward to the bedside.

”Leo, I--I am glad you are getting on so well,” she said, with admirable self-possession; it was only her lips that were tremulous.

As for him, he looked at her in silence, and tears rolled down his cheek--he was so nerveless. Then he said, in his weak voice,

”Nina, have you forgiven me?”

”What have I to forgive, Leo?” she made answer; and she took his hand for a moment. ”Get well--it is the prayer of many friends. And if you wish to see me again before I go, then I will come--”

”Before you go?” he managed to say. ”You are going away again, Nina?”

His eyes were more piteous than his speech; she met that look--and her resolution faltered.

”At least,” she said, ”I will not go until you are well--no. When you wish for me, I will come to see you. We are still friends as of old, Leo, are we not? Now I must not remain. I will say good-bye for the present.”

”When are you coming back, Nina?” he said, still with those pleading eyes.

”When you wish, Leo.”

”This afternoon?”

”This afternoon, if you wish.”

She pressed his hand and left. Her determined self-possession had carried her bravely so far; there had hardly been a trace of emotion.

But when she went outside--when the strain was taken off--it may have been otherwise; at all events, when, with bowed and averted head, she crossed the sitting-room and betook herself to the empty chamber above, no one dreamed of following her--until Francie, some little time thereafter, went quietly up-stairs and tapped at the door and entered.