第62章

"Because," said Garth, "that pleasant lady, as you rightly call her, has a noble, generous heart, and it might overflow with pity for my blindness; and pity from her I could not accept.It would be the last straw upon my heavy cross.I can bear the cross, doctor; I hope in time to carry it manfully, until God bids me lay it down.But that last straw--HER pity--would break me.I should fall in the dark, to rise no more.""I see," said Dr.Rob gently."Poor laddie! The pleasant lady must not come."He waited silently a few minutes, then pushed back his chair and stood up.

"Meanwhile," he said, "I must rely on you, Mr.Dalmain, to be agreeable to Nurse Rosemary Gray, and not to make her task too difficult.I dare not send her back.She is Dr.Brand's choice.

Besides--think of the cruel blow to her in her profession.Think of it, man!--sent off at a moment's notice, after spending five minutes in her patient's room, because, forsooth, her voice maddened him!

Poor child! What a statement to enter on her report! See her appear before the matron with it! Can't you be generous and unselfish enough to face whatever trial there may be for you in this bit of a coincidence?"Garth hesitated."Dr.Mackenzie," he said at last, "will you swear to me that your description of this young lady was accurate in every detail?""'Swear not at all,'" quoted Dr.Rob unctuously."I had a pious mother, laddie.Besides I can do better than that.I will let you into a secret.I was reading from Sir Deryck's letter.I am no authority on women myself, having always considered dogs and horses less ensnaring and more companionable creatures.So I would not trust my own eyes, but preferred to give you Sir Deryck's description.You will allow him to be a fine judge of women.You have seen Lady Brand?""Seen her? Yes," said Garth eagerly, a slight flush tinting his thin cheeks, "and more than that, I've painted her.Ah, such a picture!--standing at a table, the sunlight in her hair, arranging golden daffodils in an old Venetian vase.Did you see it, doctor, in the New Gallery, two years ago?""No," said Dr.Rob."I am not finding myself in galleries, new or old.But"--he turned a swift look of inquiry on Jane, who nodded--"Nurse Gray was telling me she had seen it.""Really?" said Garth, interested."Somehow one does not connect nurses with picture galleries.""I don't know why not," said Dr.Rob."They must go somewhere for their outings.They can't be everlastingly nosing shop windows in all weathers; so why not go in and have a look at your pictures?

Besides, Miss Rosemary is a young lady of parts.Sir Deryck assures me she is a gentlewoman by birth, well-read and intelligent.--Now, laddie, what is it to be?"Garth considered silently.

Jane turned away and gripped the mantelpiece.So much hung in the balance during that quiet minute.

At length Garth spoke, slowly, hesitatingly."If only I could quite disassociate the voice from the--from that other personality.If Icould be quite sure that, though her voice is so extraordinarily like, she herself is not--" he paused, and Jane's heart stood still.

Was a description of herself coming?--"is not at all like the face and figure which stand clear in my remembrance as associated with that voice.""Well," said Dr.Rob, "I'm thinking we can manage that for you.

These nurses know their patients must be humoured.We will call the young lady back, and she shall kneel down beside your bed--Bless you! She won't mind, with me to play old Gooseberry!--and you shall pass your hands over her face and hair, and round her little waist, and assure yourself, by touch, what an elegant, dainty little person it is, in a blue frock and white apron."Garth burst out laughing, and his voice had a tone it had not yet held."Of all the preposterous suggestions!" he said."Good heavens!