Part 13 (2/2)
”I'm sure I hope not,” I returned. ”We expect to have a professional nurse to-morrow, and then things will go better.”
”A professional nurse?”
”Yes; we have sent to Boston for one.”
”Sent to Boston for a nurse for that creature? She's a great deal better dead! She only leads men”--
”If you will excuse me, Mrs. Webbe,” interrupted I, pus.h.i.+ng the door still nearer to closing, ”I ought to go back to my patient. It isn't my business to decide who had better be dead.”
She started forward suddenly, taking me unawares, and before I understood what she intended, she had thrust herself through the door into the house.
”If it isn't your business,” she demanded sharply, ”what are you here for? What right have you to interfere? If Providence is willing to take the creature out of the way, what are you trying to keep her alive for?”
I put up my hand and stopped her.
”Will you be quiet?” I said. ”I cannot have her disturbed.”
”You cannot!” she repeated, raising her voice. ”Who gave you a right to order me round, Ruth Privet? Is this your house?”
I knew that her shrill voice would easily penetrate to Julia's bedroom, and indeed there was only a thin door between the sick girl and the kitchen where we were. I took Mrs. Webbe by the wrist as strongly as I could, and before she could collect her wits, I led her out of the house, and down to the gate.
”What are you doing?” she demanded. ”How dare you drag me about?”
”I beg your pardon,” I said, dropping my hold. ”I think you did not understand, Mrs. Webbe, that as nurse I cannot have my patient excited.”
She looked at me in a blaze of anger. I have never seen a woman so carried away by rage, and it is frightful. Yet she seemed to be making an effort to control herself. I was anxious to help her if I could, so I forced a smile, although I am afraid it was not a very warm one, and I a.s.sumed as conciliatory a manner as I could muster.
”You must think I was rather abrupt,” I said, ”but I did not mean to be.
I couldn't explain to you in the kitchen, the part.i.tion is so thin. You see she's in the room that opens out of it.”
Mrs. Webbe softened somewhat.
”It is very n.o.ble of you to be here,” she said in a new tone, and one which I must confess did not to me have a genuine ring; ”it's splendid of you, but what's the use of it? What affair of yours is it, anyway?”
I was tempted to serve her up a quotation about a certain man who went down to Jericho and fell among thieves, but I resisted.
”I could come, Mrs. Webbe, and apparently n.o.body else could.”
”They wouldn't,” she rejoined frankly. ”Don't you see everybody else knew it was a case to be let alone?”
I asked her why.
”Everybody felt as if it was,” responded she quickly. ”I hope you don't set up to be wiser than everybody else put together.”
”I don't set up for anything,” I declared, ”but I may as well confess that I see no sense in what you say. Here's a human creature that needs help, and it seems to be my place to help her.”
”It's a nice occupation for the daughter of Judge Privet to be nursing a disreputable thing like a Brownrig.”
”A Privet,” I answered, ”is likely to be able to stand it. You wouldn't let the girl die alone, would you?”
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