CHAPTER XVI.
DR. ARTHUR'S NEWS.
The doctor was on horseback, but standing a little way off from the steps.
'Stay where you are' he said, speaking low however. 'Dane, there is ship fever among those Swedes that have just come to the Hollow.'
'The Schiffers?'
'Yes. I was not certain till to-night, but I have been all day taking precautions and making arrangements, and could not get away a minute sooner. I was afraid you might miss a message; and I would not write notes there to be opened here. Now I cannot stop to talk, but if you will send me general orders every morning for men and business in the Hollow, I will see them carried out. Good- night.My respects to her Grace.'
'StopArthur!' said the other as he was moving off'I shall be there presently.'
'On no account!' said Dr. Arthur wheeling round. 'I am too glad that you were here to-day. Always depute that part of your work which somebody else can do.'
'I will be there, Arthur, in an hour or two. Go onyou had better not wait for me.'
Dr. Arthur sat still a minute, looking down between his horse's ears.
'Well,' he said,'perhaps it is none of my business, but do you know what a sensitive plant you have to deal with in there? She must not have another shock like that mysterious one of a month ago. Good-night!'
With a somewhat slow step, Rollo left the hall door and went back to the red room. But his face shewed no change to disturb Wych Hazel. He came back first to the fire, and somewhat thoughtfully, quite silently, put it in order. By that time he was ready. He faced Wych Hazel, and spoke in his ordinary tone.
'I am glad we have had this day, Wychand I am glad we have had our talk this evening: for I find we cannot have another in some time.'
'You are going away?' she said, rising and coming towards him. 'One of your business trips? Then this will be my time for a few days in town, to "do about dress" a little. Do you suppose honestlythat anybody wants my new gloves?' The question came with a laugh and a flash which yet did not hide it. But silently Dane folded his two arms about her and pressed kiss after kiss upon brow and lips. That shewed feeling more than he meant to shew it. Yet when he spoke his tone was clear and sweet, no shadow at all in it.
'I am not going away.'
She drew off as far as she could, to look at him, with sudden instinctive fear. Only her eyes put questions now.
'Yes,' he said,'there is sickness in the Hollow. And it is contagious sickness.'
'O, is there?'with a grave look which yet told more of relief that concern. 'And you are going to help Dr. Arthur take care of them!'
He answered absently, looking at her, as a man might who expected to lose such an indulgence for some time to come. Her face was very thoughtful for a minute; then she looked up with almost a smile.
'Yes,' she repeated,'of course you must. Well, I am ready.'
'Are you?' said he. 'For what?'
'You think I do not know enough,' said Hazel with some eagerness; 'and I do not know much; but I can follow directions. And Byo declares she was never so taken care of in her life as once by me.'
Instead of answering, at first, Dane clasped her closer in his arms and kissed her, as if in anticipation of the hunger for the sight of her which would shortly set in.
'I should like to have you take care of me,' he said at length. 'If I needed a little care, that is.'
'Well,' said Wych Hazel, 'you may put it so, if you like. You will need a great deal before you have been in that Hollow two days.'
'Need it. Do you think you can give it?' said he wistfully.
'Without a doubt.'
'But you are not my wife, Wychyou cannot be there with me now. And if you were my wife, you could not. Do you think I would let you?'
She shrank back a little, hanging her head. This view of the case had certainly not come up.
'I thoughtI supposeanybody may come and go to see sick people,' she said under her breath. 'I thought, anybody might stay with them. And I think so now. I never heard of etiquette over small-pox.'
'You could not "come and go" to these people. I shall establish a strict quarantine, and probably be in it myself. You must not come even near the Hollow.'
'But I need not have anything to do with you,' pleaded Hazel. 'I am going to serve under Dr. Arthur.'
'That is just my place.'
'You may keep it,' said Hazel. 'A woman's place is not solid and stationary like a man's. Nobody will know where I am, but some poor sick child that everyone else is too busy for.'
Perhaps Dane smothered a sigh; but he only said, clear and clean- cut the words were now,
'I cannot have you there, Hazel. You must keep your place and do your work here. The Hollow is my business.'
'And you mean to leave me outside of your business?' she questioned, with eyes incredulous even yet.
'Outside of this business. And you are not to come even near the Hollow. I know you do not like to give promises, and so I do not ask for one. This is not a request. You understand?'
'Olaf!'It was the sweetest of pleading tones. But no more words followed,neither word nor look.
'Ah you have adopted me at last, have you!' said he. 'I have been waiting for this. And the sweetness of it will be in my ears all these days before me. The next time you speak that word in such music, Hazel, I will give you what you ask.'
'Not now?' she said softly. 'I may not go even to Gyda's?'
'Gyda will be with me.'
The words, the utterance, were cheery, clear and sweet; at the same time strong and absolute. And Rollo wore a look which I think a woman does not dislike to see on a face she loves, even though its decisions be against her; there was sweetness enough in it, also unmanageableness! No shadow, it must be noted. If he was going into danger, and knew it, the fact did not shadow him.
Hazel stood still, struggling with herself; fighting the disappointment and the restraint; most of all, the sorrow which came in the train of the other two. For with the passing away of her own thought of going, the thought that he must go came out clear and strong. Into that infected place, to be shut up in quarantine with no one knew what! Hazel passed her hands across her forehead as if she were pushing the shadows right and left, bidding them wait.
'I wanted to ask,' she said,and then the voice changed, and suddenly the soft touch of her fingers came to his face, stroking back some lock of hair to its accustomed place. But the look was as intent and unconscious as if she never expected to see him again in all her life. And he stood still, like a man under a spell, which he would not break by the least movement.
'Those people,' she began again hurriedly, bringing herself back to business and a business tone, 'will want a great deal. And there is not much in the Hollow, nor on the hill. If you will let me, I can have supplies sent from here every day. Mrs. Bywank will know what. And my messenger need not go near that part of the Hollow; the things can be left at any point you say.' She looked up eagerlythen down again; not much fonder than he was of asking what she could not have.
'Do that, by all means,' was the answer. 'Your supplies may be left at the mill where I read.'
The shadow on her face deepened.
'Will you write?'
'No.' His face began to take on something of the yearning look of the Huguenot in the picture.
'How then shall I hear?'
'I have been thinking about that. I do not know; unless Arthur can carry reports now and then to Dr. Maryland, and Prim or her father bring them to you.'
'He may come straight here at once,' said Hazel. 'I can talk out of a window as well as anybody else. And if anybody ventures to come here to comfort me, I shall'
'What?' said Rollo smiling.
'Send me no reports that way. I could not bear it. And Dr. Arthur will stay in the Hollow while you stay.'
There was a moment's gesture that reminded him of the despairing way in which she had flung herself down in the chair, that long ago night at Green Bush.
'Dr. Arthur will go and come as a physician should, according to the demand for him. What will you do, my little Wych?'
'I do not know. Only one thing.'
'What is that one thing?'
Again Hazel was silent, struggling with herself, controlling her lips to speak.
'Just one thing'the words came passionately now. 'If you are sick, I shall come. And it is no use to lay commands on me, because I should break them all in one minute. I know I should. Promises or commands or anything else.'
He paused slightly before he spoke.
'Do you know, Mrs. Bywank once said in my hearing that you were the lovingest little thing that ever lived. I knew she was right. I have been waiting for this minute. It makes me a rich man. But you will not come to the Hollow, Hazel, even though I were ill. You must love me enough to mind my wishes. It is hard, I know. It is the very last and uttermost proof of love.'
Hazel was bending down, busy detaching something from her chatelaine. The fingers were quick and hurried, but the words came slow.
'Hush,' she said. 'You must not say that. You are confusing things. And your rights do not cover all the ground. There is a corner, somewhere, where mine grow. Now'she raised her head, drawing a long breath,how fast the gathering tide of anxiety and sorrow came rolling in!'See here. I know you have nothing so womanish as a vinaigrette about you,but womanish things are useful just now and then. Will you fasten this to your watch chainto please me?'The eyes were wistful in their beseeching. She was so uncertain of having anything granted to-night!
He met them with a grave, searching attention, and releasing her from the arms which had till then enfolded her, gravely fastened the vinaigrette as she wished. He turned slightly then and rested his elbow on the mantel-piece, looking down into the fire which his care had caused to leap into brilliant life. As motionless on her part Hazel stood, with fingers interlaced and still. But her eyes were on the floor. Presently Rollo roused himself, and stretching out his hand took Wych Hazel's and drew her nearer to him.
'I cannot go and leave this question undecided,' he said; 'and I must go soon. How shall it be settled, Wych?'
Some things are hard to talk of, which yet are in the thoughts; and contingencies take life and reality by being put in words. The shadow on the girl's face grew deep as she answered,yet the answer was quiet.
'You know, reverse the case, you would not be bound by any words of mine. You knowthat you are what I have in the world. And I know, that ifif' there was a moment's pause,'that if it came to that, I should go. I could not be bound.'
The gravity of his face as he listened to her, you could hardly call it a shadow, changed and flickered with a quivering smile; and the eyes flashed and then darkened again. The end was, he drew Wych Hazel into his arms, clasping her very tight.
'I knowI know,' he said, kissing her face with passionate touches which had all the sorrow of the time, as well as all the joy, in them. 'I know. All the same, I will not have you there, Hazel, if I am ill. I should settle the matter very quickly with anybody else; but you disarm me. I cannot stir a step without hurting you. What shall I say to you?' he went on, holding her fast, and stroking the hair back from her forehead with the gentlest possible touch. 'It has come sooner than I expected, this sort of trial, which generally comes, I suppose, whenever two lives that have been separate join together to become one. There will be differences of judgment, or of feeling; and what is to happen then? And what am I to fall back upon, when love and authority have both proved insufficient? for I have authority as your guardian. I shall have to ask now for your promise; the promise that you never break. For I will be secure on this head, before I leave the house, Hazel.'
'People should have reasons for exerting their authority.'
'Of that,' said Dane with the same gentleness, but very steadily, 'he who exerts it must be the judge himself.'
'Yes!' said Hazel, the impetuous element asserting itself once more, 'but there is no use in beginning as you cannot go on. Do you mean that alwaysI mean in futureif anything were the matter with you, the first thing would be to send me out of the house?'
'I hope not!' said Dane smiling. 'In my understanding of it, husband and wife belong to one another, and are inseparable. There are conceivable circumstances in which I might do it.'
A slight lift of the eyebrows dealt for a moment with this opinion and let it drop. Into those imaginary regions Hazel did not see fit to go. Nor into any others then. The flush of excitement died away, and the weary look settled down upon brow and lips. She said no more.
Rollo watched her a little while, then stooped and kissed her.
'I must go. Give me your promise, Hazel, that you will not come near the Hollow without my leave.'
She answered with a certain subdued tone that matched the face,
'I have no intention of coming. Your command is enough. If I can keep it, I will. No amount of promises could make my words any stronger.' But she looked up again, one of her swift eager looks, which again fell in silent gravity. There was scarcely another word said; except one.
'Look away from second causes, Hazel.'
Linking her fingers round his hand, so she went with him silently through the hall and down the steps; and stood there until he rode away into the darkness and the light of his work, and she came back into the light and the darkness of her own house.