Part 33 (2/2)
”What telegram?” asked Kitty. ”I haven't had one.”
”Why, to tell 'ee to come 'ome 'cause Mrs. Pike is so ill. And if it haven't reached 'ee, why the postmaster-general ought to be written to 'bout it. But,” breaking off with sudden recollection, ”you'm come; and if you didn't get that tellygram, whatever made 'ee to? You didn't have no token, did 'ee?”
”I had Betty's letter,” said Kitty, trying to sort things out in her mind. ”That was all I had, and that brought me. I expect I had left before the telegram reached. I remember now I pa.s.sed a boy on my way to the station. But what about Betty? Have you heard anything? Has she come back? Have you sent in search of her? Weller told me about poor Aunt Pike--oh, Isn't it dreadful, f.a.n.n.y! Two such awful things to happen in one day! But he didn't know anything about Betty, and I didn't tell him. She hasn't been found, I suppose? I must go. I think I may be able to find her if I start at once--but there is Aunt Pike.
What must I do first?” despairingly. ”I _must_ find Betty. She has no one else to look after her, while Aunt Pike has you.”
”If you wants Miss Betty, you'll find her in her bedroom,” said f.a.n.n.y, looking somewhat cross and puzzled. ”I don't know, I'm sure, why you're making such a to-do about seeing her, when there's so much else to think on. Miss Betty's all right, and so is--Why, Miss Kitty, what's the matter? You ain't feeling bad, are you?” cried f.a.n.n.y in great alarm, for poor Kitty had dropped, white and limp, and trembling uncontrollably, into a chair in the hall.
”Oh no--no. I'm all right. Only--I'm so--so glad. I have been so frightened about her; but I am _so_ glad--so--I came to--to try to find her. No one knew I had come, and all the way I was thinking of her out all night in the dark and rain; and then the good news came, and it-- made me feel--feel--” Kitty's head fell forward again, and the world seemed to rock and sway, and recede farther and farther from her, when a voice said, ”Leave her to me,” and some one lifted her up and laid her on a couch, and then something was held to her lips and her nose, and presently Kitty began to feel that the rest of the world was not so very, very far off after all, and then she sighed and opened her eyes, and saw a strange face looking down at her. It was rather a tired, anxious face, but it smiled very kindly at Kitty.
”Better now?” asked Dr. Yearsley.
”Yes, thank you,” whispered Kitty. ”How funny!”
”I am glad you can see any fun in it,” said the doctor with the ghost of a smile. ”It is the only funny thing that has happened in this unlucky house for the last day or two. But it isn't the sort of humour I appreciate.”
”I am so sorry,” said Kitty, trying to rise, ”only I have never fainted before, and it seemed so odd that I should. It is a horrid feeling.”
”Yes, not the sort of thing you want to repeat. But perhaps it will cheer Jabez. We have had two catastrophes, and he has got it into his head that there has got to be a third. Perhaps this will count as the third, and the spell be broken. Now lie still, and rest for a little while and have some food. You are exhausted, and I want strong reliable helpers, not any more patients,” with a smile that robbed his words of any harshness. ”You and I have our hands full.”
Kitty smiled up at him bravely. ”I am ready to do anything I am wanted to. How is Aunt Pike?” anxiously. ”May I see her? Is she very ill?”
Dr. Yearsley looked grave. ”I will answer your questions backwards.
Yes, to be quite frank with you, as the head of your family for the present, she is seriously ill. She has had a stroke of paralysis, and at first I thought I must send to your father; but I was very unwilling to worry him, and I waited a little to see how things went. I am thankful to say she has rallied a little, and if she goes on improving, even though it is but slightly, I am hoping he may be spared the bad news until we can send him better news with it. I don't want to worry him if I can help it.”
”Oh no,” said Kitty earnestly, ”and he would worry dreadfully at being so far away.” She felt very kindly towards the doctor for his thoughtfulness for her father.
”You shall see your aunt later. She has asked for you many times, but we hardly knew whether she was conscious or not when she spoke.
She must be kept very quiet though, and free from all anxiety. I have got in a nurse for her. Don't be frightened. You see there was no one here with the time or knowledge to give her the attention she required, and it was a very serious matter. I sent for you because, if she really wants to see you, and it would relieve her mind in any way to do so, it is important that you should be here, and the children needed some one to--”
”Oh,” cried Kitty, remorseful that she should have forgotten her all this time, ”Anna! What a state she must be in about her mother. How is Anna?”
”Yes, poor Anna,” echoed Dr. Yearsley with a sigh, ”she is in a very distressed state. I wish you could calm her, and get her to pull herself together a little.”
”I will try,” said Kitty gravely. ”And there is Betty. I am longing to see her.”
”I doubt Miss Betty's complete joy at seeing you,” smiled the doctor.
”I think there may be some embarra.s.sment mingled with her pleasure.
Her return was--well, _she_ might think it ignominious. Luckily no one in the house but myself knows that she had really run away. I am afraid, though, that she has something on her mind that is troubling her--something in connection with Mrs. Pike's illness.”
Kitty recalled Betty's letter, and her heart sank. She became so white, and looked so troubled, that the doctor tried to comfort her.
”Whatever she may have said or done,” he explained excusingly, ”she did in utter ignorance, of course, of any ill result being likely to follow, and she cannot be blamed entirely for the disaster. Mrs. Pike has been seriously unwell for some time; in fact, I had ventured to speak to her about her health, and warned her, but she resented my advice. Believe me, that what has happened would have happened in any case; any little upset would have brought it about; but Betty may have precipitated matters.”
Kitty listened with wide, grave eyes; her heart was heavy and anxious, her mind full of awe and care. How terribly serious life had become all at once; how real and possible every dreadful thing seemed, when so many came into one's life like this.
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