Watson was silent, and just then Cornelia came into the room and dragged him off to inspect her horse, as Jack had told her of his reputation as a judge of horseflesh. He went willingly enough, for his ideas on the subject under discussion were not quite clear, and he also felt a trifle elated at the prospects of showing off the good points of a horse to such an attractive listener. They could not have more than reached the barn, when Mr. Genung was announced.
Evidently he was in ignorance of Watson’s arrival; had simply “dropped in” on his way to the mine where, as one of the largest stock-holders, his influence was felt. Although unpopular with the miners, all admitted him to be just according to his convictions and his advice sound. Hernando’s trouble had aged him greatly. His once black hair was thickly strewn with grey and after the greetings were over, he sank into a chair quite exhausted. Eletheer slipped unobserved from the room and shortly returned with a cup of coffee, well knowing Mr. Genung’s weakness. He accepted it gratefully, saying, “Ah, my dear, you have chosen the right profession!”
“If all my duties were to be as pleasant as this, I have certainly selected an easy one,” she laughed.
“By the way,” he said, “I am the bearer of a message from Dr. Brinton to you. He was driving like mad up Lombardy Street, but seeing my direction, I presume, halted long enough to say that he would like to have you call at his office this afternoon. Dr. Herschel was with him. Now,” handing her the empty cup, “I have delivered the message, and you may refer him to me for recommendation.”
Conversation drifted into generalities and Eletheer went to help her mother in household duties.
Eletheer was not given to presentiments, but the mention of Dr. Herschel’s name made her shiver. She always thought of him in connection with that awful night of Hernando’s departure for Shushan and could barely restrain her excitement at the thought of meeting him for, in her eyes, he was all-powerful. “Ridiculous,” she thought, giving herself a mental shake. “I’m a goose to be nervous, and very likely he is not in any way concerned with Dr. Brinton’s message to me.”
Her hands and feet kept time with her busy brain and long before noon no trace of disorder was to be seen. As Mrs. De Vere often lamented, she was not “like other girls.” Generous to a fault and charitable toward her friends, yet, like Granny, she would not tolerate weakness nor a deviation from her standard of right.
During her grandmother’s lifetime, her religious training was strictly in accordance with the teachings of the Reformed Dutch Church. The Bible, including punctuation marks, she had been taught to regard as a direct revelation from God and her childish doubts were sternly rebuked. After the old lady’s death, other influences crept in and association with people of expanded minds created a tumult in her naturally analytical brain. But the first impression was too deep to be completely obliterated, and though she could not conscientiously become a member of the church in whose doctrine she had been so thoroughly grounded, any imputation that her belief in it was weak was resented until obliged to admit that it was true, and even then she recoiled from the thought. Hernando’s troubles stirred the smouldering fires anew, and later from her experience among suffering humanity at the training school, where the physicians and surgeons, and in fact the entire hospital staff, were decidedly unorthodox, she was obliged to say when asked her belief, “I don’t know.” To try to do right and let the future take care of itself became her creed and she accepted it, knowing no better.
Two o’clock, Dr. Brinton’s office hour, came at last and, in a flutter of excitement, Eletheer hurried through the busy streets toward his office. She had not long to wait, for, though the reception-room was full, on receiving her card Dr. Brinton ushered her into his private office where who should advance to meet her but Dr. Herschel. Evidently the appointment was with him for Dr. Brinton had disappeared.
“What can Dr. Herschel want of me!” Eletheer thought, nervously taking the nearest seat. Her doubts, however, were soon dispelled; as, drawing from his pocket a formidable-looking document, Dr. Herschel said,—“This is ‘Old Ninety-Nine’s’ will—for such it is to all intents and purposes—written in Spanish as you see. You know its history but not its entire contents; however, as you are practically in the profession, a full understanding of the will may have an added interest as it shows what advances have been made along bacteriological lines and, I might add, clearly illustrates the influence of mind over matter.