“Now go, Elfie dear. Go at once. He is suffering extremely for want of attention; and his wound must be looked to immediately,” urged Erminie.
Elfie sat her basket of oranges within Goldsborough’s reach and pointed imploringly to it, and she had the comfort of seeing him smile, and take one and put it to his lips, before she left the ward.
In a very few minutes one of the young assistant surgeons came up in answer to Miss Rosenthal’s summons, and stood beside the bed of the intensely suffering man.
“Yes, Miss Rosenthal, his wound must be looked to immediately,” said the young man.
And Erminie got up to go.
“Good-bye, Colonel Goldsborough. I will see you again to-morrow, when I hope you will be better,” she said, gently.
“Good-bye, Miss Rosenthal; and a thousand earnest thanks.”
When Erminie had entered the carriage, and had given her order to the coachman to drive to the Emory Hospital, and when they were once more on their way, she turned to her silent companion and said:
“Elfie, my dear, you must be very careful what you do, unless you would fetter your whole life with that forced marriage. As it stands now, without your consent it is not binding on you. With your consent it becomes indissoluble.”
“I have not consented,” said Elfie.