“Better—my head clearer—my nerves steadier—but a weary weight at my heart.”
“It shall go away, Carolyn. I know how to drive it away. But first you must take something.”
And Zuleime rang the bell, and told the servant who appeared, to bring Miss Carolyn some fresh tea and toast.
While he was gone after it, Zuleime bathed her sister’s face and hands, and combed out her hair, and by the time she was made comfortable, the servant re-appeared with the refreshments.
After Carolyn had breakfasted lightly, (and this was the first food she had taken for thirty-six hours,) she fell exhausted back upon her pillow, and said—
“I cannot appear this morning, Zuleime! I am tired of acting a part!”
“You need not do it, dear Carolyn! The people have breakfasted, and are almost all gone—and the others are going. Carolyn, dear, I saw Archer when he went away—”
Miss Clifton was still too proud to make a comment.
“Carolyn, he looked broken-hearted, despairing—indeed he did! Oh, Carolyn! I think if he could have hoped that you would have made up with him, he would have let his regiment go to perdition rather than not hastened to your feet!”
“Why did he not try, then?”