“Very sad earnest she may find it, I fear. Can I do anything for you?” as they reached the gate of Aucuba Villa.
“No, thank you, unless to get the house off my hands.”
“You are alone. Will you not come and spend the evening with us?”
“That is very kind, but I have too much to do, and besides, Sister Margaret is coming to spend the night with me.”
“I am glad to hear it.”
“Yes, Mr. Charnock, I trust I have learnt something in this spell of work. I’ve not been for nothing in such scenes with those Sisters and young Bowater. I’m more ignorant than half the poor things that I’ve heard talk of their faith and hope; but I see it is not the decorous humbug it once looked like. And now that I would have learnt, here I go to Monaco.”
“You will learn. You have a work before you that will teach you.”
“My boys are young enough to start with on a different tack,” she said. “You will tell me—no—I’ll not hinder you now. I shall see you again.”
Julius was too anxious to get home to refuse to be released, much as he felt for this brave woman. The day before, Herbert had been frightfully faint and exhausted by the morning’s attack of fever, but had been so still ever since that there was a shade of hope that the recurrence might not take place; and this hope grew stronger, when Jenny came into the outer room to say that the usual time for the fever was passing so quietly in a sort of sleep that Dr. Worth seemed to think rally possible, if only there was no fresh access.
They stood over the fire, and Julius asked, “Can’t you lie on the sofa, Jenny? I can stay.”