Part 44 (1/2)
She had had the unconscious power of making this man love her.
To and fro she waved the fan. For a while, at any rate, he would be hers. And when M. Ferraud said that the others wished to say farewell, she declined. She could look none of them in the face again, nor did she care. She was sorry for Cathewe. His life would be as broken as hers; but a man has the world under his feet, scenes of action, changes to soothe his hurt: a woman has little else but her needle.
All through the day and all through the night she remained on guard, surrendering her vigil only to M. Ferraud. With cold cloths she kept down the fever, wiping the hot face and hands. He would pull through, the surgeon said, but he would have his nurse to thank. There was something about the man the doctor did not understand: he acted as if he did not care to live.
The morning found her still at her post. Breitmann awoke early, and appeared to take little interest in his surroundings.
”Why do you waste your time?” his voice was colorless.
”I am not wasting my time, Karl.”
His head rolled slowly over on the pillow till he could see outside.
Only two or three fis.h.i.+ng-boats were visible.
”When will the yacht sail?”
Always that question! ”Go to sleep. I will wake you when I see it.”
”I've been a scoundrel, Hildegarde;” and he closed his eyes.
Where would she go when he left this room? For the future was always rising up with this question. What would she do, how would she live?
She too shut her eyes.
The door opened. The visitor was M. Ferraud. He touched his lips with a finger and stole toward the bed.
”Better?”
She nodded.
”Are you not dead for sleep?”
”It does not matter.”
Breitmann's eyes opened, for his brain was wide awake. ”Ferraud?”
”Yes. They wished me to say good-by for them.”
”To me?” incredulously.
”They have none but good wishes.”
”She will never know?”
”Not unless Mr. Fitzgerald tells her.”
”Hildegarde, I had planned her abduction. Don't misunderstand. I have sunk low indeed, but not so low as that. I wanted to harry them. They would have left me free. She was to be a p.a.w.n. I shouldn't have hurt her.”
”You do not care to return to Germany?”
”Nor to France, M. Ferraud.”