Part 20 (2/2)

In the region of harsh nasals, Clementina had never spoken through her nose, and she was now as unaffected in these alien inflections as in the tender cooings which used to rouse the misgivings of her brother Jim.

When she was with English people she employed them involuntarily, and when she was with Americans she measurably lost them, so that after half an hour with Mr. Hinkle, she had scarcely a trace of them, and with Mrs.

Lander she always spoke with her native accent.

XXIII

One Sunday night, toward the end of Lent, Mrs. Lander had another of her attacks; she now began to call them so as if she had established an owners.h.i.+p in them. It came on from her c.u.mulative over-eating, again, but the doctor was not so smiling as he had been with regard to the first. Clementina had got ready to drive out to Miss Milray's for one of her Sunday teas, but she put off her things, and prepared to spend the night at Mrs. Lander's bedside. ”Well, I should think you would want to,” said the sufferer. ”I'm goin' to do everything for you, and you'd ought to be willing to give up one of youa junketin's for me. I'm sure I don't know what you see in 'em, anyway.”

”Oh, I am willing, Mrs. Lander; I'm glad I hadn't stahted before it began.” Clementina busied herself with the pillows under Mrs. Lander's dishevelled head, and the bedclothes disordered by her throes, while Mrs. Lander went on.

”I don't see what's the use of so much gaddin', anyway. I don't see as anything comes of it, but just to get a pa.s.sal of wo'thless fellas afta you that think you'a going to have money. There's such a thing as two sides to everything, and if the favas is goin' to be all on one side I guess there'd betta be a clear undastandin' about it. I think I got a right to a little attention, as well as them that ha'n't done anything; and if I'm goin' to be left alone he'e to die among strangers every time one of my attacks comes on--”

The doctor interposed, ”I don't think you're going to have a very bad attack, this time, Mrs. Lander.”

”Oh, thank you, thank you, docta! But you can undastand, can't you, how I shall want to have somebody around that can undastand a little English?”

The doctor said, ”Oh yes. And Miss Claxon and I can understand a good deal, between us, and we're going to stay, and see how a little morphine behaves with you.”

Mrs. Lander protested, ”Oh, I can't bea' mo'phine, docta.”

”Did you ever try it?” he asked, preparing his little instrument to imbibe the solution.

”No; but Mr. Landa did, and it 'most killed him; it made him sick.”

”Well, you're about as sick as you can be, now, Mrs. Lander, and if you don't die of this pin-p.r.i.c.k”--he pushed the needle-point under the skin of her ma.s.sive fore-arm--”I guess you'll live through it.”

She shrieked, but as the pain began to abate, she gathered courage, and broke forth joyfully. ”Why, it's beautiful, a'n't it? I declare it wo'ks like a cha'm. Well, I shall always keep mo'phine around after this, and when, I feel one of these attacks comin' on--”

”Send for a physician, Mrs. Lander,” said Dr. Welwright, ”and he'll know what to do.”

”I an't so sure of that,” returned Mrs. Lander fondly. ”He would if you was the one. I declare I believe I could get up and walk right off, I feel so well.”

”That's good. If you'll take a walk day after tomorrow it will help you a great deal more.”

”Well, I shall always say that you've saved my life, this time, doctor; and Clementina she's stood by, n.o.bly; I'll say that for her.” She twisted her big head round on the pillow to get sight of the girl. ”I'm all right, now; and don't you mind what I said. It's just my misery talkin'; I don't know what I did say; I felt so bad. But I'm fustrate, now, and I believe I could drop off to sleep, this minute. Why don't you go to your tea? You can, just as well as not!”

”Oh, I don't want to go, now, Mrs. Lander; I'd ratha stay.”

”But there a'n't any more danger now, is the'e, docta?” Mrs. Lander appealed.

”No. There wasn't any danger before. But when you're quite yourself, I want to have a little talk with you, Mrs. Lander, about your diet. We must look after that.”

”Why, docta, that's what I do do, now. I eat all the healthy things I lay my hands on, don't I, Clementina? And ha'n't you always at me about it?”

Clementina did not answer, and the doctor laughed. ”Well, I should like to know what more I could do!”

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