Part 24 (1/2)
”Good gracious!” Mary exclaimed. ”And I was due at the ambulance at eight. I must have been asleep hours and hours, madame. I lay awake for a time--two hours, perhaps, and the last thing I thought was that I should never get to sleep, and then I have slept all this dreadful time.”
”Not a dreadful time at all,” Madame Michaud said with a smile. ”You have not slept a minute too long. I feared for you when you came in yesterday. I said to my husband in the evening, 'That angel is killing herself. She could scarce speak when she came in, and I cry when I think of her face.' You may thank the good G.o.d that you have slept so long and so soundly. I can tell you that you look a different being this morning.”
”I feel different,” Mary said, as she sprang up, ”will you ask Margot to bring me my can of water at once.”
”Yes, but drink your coffee and eat your bread first. Margot said you only took a few spoonsful of broth last night.”
”I must have my bath first and then I will promise you I will drink the coffee and eat the last crumb of bread. You will see I shall be quite blooming by the time I come down.”
Madame Michaud was obliged to admit that Mary looked more herself than she had done for days past when, half an hour later, she came downstairs ready to start.
”I shall be scolded dreadfully, madame, when I get to the ambulance four hours after my time.”
”You look so much fitter for work, my dear, that if the doctor has eyes in his head, he will be well content that you have taken it out in sleep.”
Mary walked with a brisk step down to the hospital.
”I will think no more of it,” she said resolutely to herself. ”I have chosen to be a nurse and I will go through with it. I think when I get home after this is over I will become a nursing sister--at any rate I may do some good at that; there is plenty of work in the world, even if it is not in the way I thought of doing it.”
But she hesitated when she reached the tents, afraid to go in. One of the other nurses came out presently.
”Which tent is Dr. Swinburne in?” she asked.
”In this,” she said, ”I was just speaking to him.”
”Would you mind going in again and asking him to come out. I am dreadfully late this morning and I should like to see him before I go in.”
A minute later the surgeon came out.
”What is it, Miss Brander?” he said, kindly. ”I missed you this morning, and hoped you were taking a good sleep.”
”That was just it, Doctor, and I do feel so ashamed of myself. They thought I looked tired, when I came in, and were silly enough not to wake me this morning.”
”Not silly at all, my dear. They did the very best thing for you, for you had gone through a terrible strain here. I am glad, indeed, it was sleep and not illness that kept you away. You are looking quite a different woman this morning.”
”I am so glad that you are not angry. Please tell me how the wounded are getting on?”
”There were ten deaths in the night,” he said, ”but as a whole they are going on well. You will be glad to hear that the young Englishman who was shot through the body has pa.s.sed a quiet night, and I have now an almost a.s.sured hope that he will recover. Had there been any vital injury its effects would be visible by now. Now run in and take up your work.”
With a grateful look Mary entered the tent and was soon engaged at her work. She was some little time before she made her way to the farther end of the tent. Then she went quietly up to Cuthbert's bedside.
”I have just had good news of you, Cuthbert. The doctor says he has the strongest hopes now of your recovery.”
”Yes, he has been telling me that I am doing well,” he said. ”Have you only just come? I have been wondering what had had become of you. You looked so pale, yesterday, that I was afraid you might be ill.”
”I have been sleeping like a top,” she said, ”for I should be ashamed to say how many hours. Of course I ought to have been here at eight, but they did not wake me, and I feel all the better for it.”
”I remember not so long ago,” he said, ”that a certain young lady declared that it was ridiculous for persons to interfere in business which did not concern them. Now here you are knocking yourself up and going through horrible work for people who are nothing to you. That is a little inconsistent.”
”I do not argue with people who cannot speak above a whisper,” she said.
”Another time I shall be able to prove to you that there is nothing inconsistent whatever in it. Well, thank G.o.d that you are better, Cuthbert. I should not have gone away yesterday afternoon if Dr.