Part 7 (2/2)
She seemed so unlike herself, in her long white dressing-gown, the light of the candle she was holding making her look so pale, and her eyes so strained and anxious--_was_ it the candle, or was she really so very pale?
”Elsa,” he said sleepily, ”what are you doing? What is the matter? Isn't it dreadfully late--or--or early for you to be up?” he went on confusedly.
”It's the morning,” said Elsa, ”but we haven't been in bed all night--Frances and I. At least, we had only been in bed half an hour or so, when we were called up.”
”What was it?” asked Geoff, sleepily still. ”Was the house on fire?”
”Oh, Geoff, don't be silly!” said Elsa; ”it's--it's much worse. Mamma has been so ill--she is still.”
Geoff started up now.
”Do you want me to go for the doctor?” he said.
”The doctor has been twice already, and he's coming back at nine o'clock,” she answered sadly. ”He thought her a tiny bit better when he came the last time. But she's very ill--she must be kept most _exceedingly_ quiet, and----”
”I'll get up now at once,” said Geoff; ”I won't be five minutes, Elsa.
Tell mamma I'd have got up before if I'd known.”
”But, Geoff,” said Elsa, firmly, though reluctantly, ”it's no use your hurrying up for that. You can't see her--you can't possibly see her before you go to school, anyway. The doctor says she is to be kept _perfectly_ quiet, and not worried in any way.”
”I wouldn't worry her, not when she's ill,” said Geoff, hastily.
[Ill.u.s.tration: IT WAS ELSA.]
”You couldn't help it,” said Elsa. ”She--she was very worried about you last night, and she kept talking about your umbrella in a confused sort of way now and then all night. We quieted her at last by telling her we had given you one to go to school with. But if she saw you, even for an instant, she would begin again. The doctor said you were not to go into her room.”
A choking feeling had come into Geoff's throat when Elsa spoke about the umbrella; a very little more and he would have burst into tears of remorse. But as she went on, pride and irritation got the better of him.
He was too completely unused to think of or for any one before himself, to be able to do so all of a sudden, and it was a sort of relief to burst out at his sister in the old way.
”I think you're forgetting yourself, Elsa. Is mamma not as much to _me_ as to you girls? Do you think I haven't the sense to know how to behave when any one's ill? I tell you I just will and shall go to see her, whatever you say;” and he began dragging on his socks as if he were going to rush down to his mother's room that very moment.
Elsa grew still paler than she had been before.
”Geoff,” she said, ”you must listen to me. It was for that I came up to tell you. You must _not_ come into mother's room. I'd do anything to prevent it, but I can't believe that you'll force me to quarrel with you this morning when--when we are all so unhappy. I don't want to make you more unhappy, but I can't help speaking plainly to you. You _have_ worried mamma terribly lately, Geoff, and now you must bear the punishment. It's--it's as much as her life is worth for you to go into her room and speak to her this morning. I cannot allow it.”
”_You_ allow it!” burst out Geoff. ”Are you the head of the house?”
”Yes,” said Elsa, ”when mamma is ill, I consider that I am. And what's more, Geoff, I have telegraphed to Great-Uncle Hoot-Toot. He made me promise to do so if mamma were ill. I expect him directly. It is past seven. Geoff, you had better dress and take your breakfast as usual. I will come down and tell you how mamma is the last thing before you go.”
”I _will_ see mamma before I go to school,” he replied sharply. ”I give you fair warning.”
”Geoff,” said Elsa, ”you shall not.”
And with these words she left the room.
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