“And here is your reward,” said Mr. Hammond, putting a piece of gold in the boy’s hand.
“If you please, sir, I don’t like to take any pay for serving of her,” said Leo, hesitatingly.
“Nonsense! Take it for serving me, then,” laughed Dick, forcing the money upon the youth.
Leo pocketed the fee, and hurried home.
It was quite dark when he reached the house.
All that night mammy sat up and watched by the bedside of her charge. Drusilla slept soundly and late.
All dreaded her awakening. But to the surprise and relief of her attendants, she awoke quite calmly; though whether her quietude was the lethargy produced by the continued influence of the morphine, or whether it was the apathy of despair, it was hard to tell. She permitted the nurse to bathe her face and hands, and to smoothe her hair. She partook slightly of the light breakfast that was brought her. But beyond these she scarcely moved, looked or spoke. After an hour or two she intimated that she would rise; and, with the assistance of her nurse, she got up, dressed herself, and went to her easy chair. And there she sat, pale, mute, and still as death.
“Mammy,” whispered Pina, “speak to her—make her talk. Indeed it scares me all but to death to see her that away.”
“Hush,” muttered the nurse, “let her alone. ‘It’s ill waking sleeping dogs’—which I mean to say, long as she’s quiet be thankful for it, and don’t ’sturb her.”
“But I’d rather see her cry, and scream, and rave, than see her so.”