It was only the last part they heeded. What were descriptions of old temples to them with that little tossing head on the pillow?
“Oh, Esther,—poor, poor Esther!” Meg said, with the first sob in her throat since Alan had pronounced it to be the fever—“oh, if she knew!” But she was mercifully spared that knowledge. They held a grave consultation together, Meg, Nell, Pip, and the family doctor, while Alan stayed at the bedside. It really seemed useless to send for the travellers to come home. If it was only a slight attack the child would be quite well again by the time they returned; if—there was a catching of breaths—if even the very worst should happen, still they could not be home in time, and oh! what agony of mind they would have during the long voyage. It was even no use sending a cable until they received Esther’s next letter, for they had no address.
The doctor decided the matter.
“Don’t send,” he said; “please God we’ll have the little woman up and well in no time. I will [232] ]send in a trained nurse, she shall have every care possible. Mrs. Woolcot could not do anything further if she were here herself. Now about the other little folks.”
It had been decided at once to send the others away from fear of infection. Pip had even suggested packing them off by the early morning train to Yarrahappini.
But the doctor shook his head. There was the chance that they had the germs in their systems even now; it was neither fair to send them into other families, nor yet wise to allow them to go far from home nursing.
There was a furnished cottage about half a mile up the road: he advised that Poppet, Peter, and Bunty should be removed there until all danger of infection was over.
“This young lady might go to look after them,” he said, laying his hand on Nellie’s shoulder. “They will want some one, of course, and Miss Margaret will be quite sufficient to help the lady I shall send in.”
Nellie lifted great beseeching eyes, rimmed with the shadows of a sleepless night.
[“Oh, let me] stay! oh, I must stay,—it would kill me to have to go!” she said, with a great sob.