When she returned to the bedchamber, bearing a small tray, Turvey had raised his master a little against his pillows combed out his tumbled gold curls, and straightened the bedcoverings. Beyond thanking him for the various services he performed, the Earl said nothing, nor did Turvey encourage him to speak. He was deft in his ministrations, but quite impersonal, his impassive countenance not betraying his opinion of a household in which such shocking accidents could occur. Upon Miss Morville’s entrance, he moved away from the bedside, and began to pick up some scraps of lint which had been allowed to fall on the floor. He then bowed, and said that he should be in the dressing-room when Miss Morville had need of him, and withdrew, closing the door behind him.
The Earl watched Miss Morville set down her tray on a table drawn up beside his bed, and said: “I remember now. Who — Did Chard see — ?”
“No,” she replied, seating herself, and picking up the bowl from the tray. “The horses, you know, were bolting, and by the time Chard had checked them you had lost consciousness, and he knew that it was more important to bring you home than to try to discover who had wounded you. Will you see if you can swallow some broth now? Oh, no! don’t disturb yourself! I am going to feed you.”
The Earl, who had tried to raise himself, said ruefully: “I seem to be as weak as a cat!”
“You lost a great deal of blood,” she said matter-of-factly. “If I were you, I would not try to talk.”
“Yes, but I must know — ” He broke off, for she had presented a spoon to his lips. He swallowed the broth in it, and said: “This is absurd! I am sure, if you could thrust another pillow behind me, I could feed myself!”
“I expect you could,” she agreed, presenting another spoonful. “You may do so, if you wish it very much.”
“I ought to do so,” he said, smiling, and submitting. “You should be in bed: I am persuaded it must be very late.”
“I shall go to bed when you have had your broth. Do not tease yourself! I settled it with Turvey that I should remain with you for the first part of the night.”
“Indeed, I am very much obliged to you — and very much ashamed to have put you to such trouble!”