“Her fever is abating,” he said, “and I can now say there may be some hope of her recovery. When I first felt her pulse this morning it was beating at the rate of 105; but the smallest rise in this and she could not have survived,” and saying this, Mr. Bruce proceeded to rebandage the swollen and inflamed face and limbs. Now that the fever was checked he feared blood-poison, and especial precaution against this had to be taken. As Mr. Bruce and the attendant unwound the old bandages, Enola opened her eyes and looked about her in a half-dreamy way, but there was no intelligence in that look; the eyes were dull and seemed to recognize none of the friends about her; her lips parted and she again breathed the word “Gip.” That was all. Everything else was forgotten, friends, past, all was wrapped in darkness now.
“The experiences of that night must have been terrible,” said Mr. Graham, as he looked upon Enola with tearful eyes.
“More terrible than we can even imagine,” said Mr. Bruce, “but the strong constitution may bring her back to health and happiness again; I feel more hopeful now.”
Nellie, who was standing by one of the large curtained arches at the far end of the room for a moment, breathing the fresh air from the garden, exclaimed hurriedly:
“Father, come quickly, it is Onrai dashing madly up the drive. Look, he is now at the terrace. Oh! his poor zebra has dropped dead, and he hurries up the steps. He looks wild, crazed by the experiences of the past few hours.”
“He will come directly to the apartment,” said Mr. Graham. “Mr. Bruce, warn him back.”
Mr. Bruce stepped into the wide corridor and motioned to Onrai to remain where he was. Coming back into the room, he said:
“Care must be taken when the King comes in, for he is not the Onrai we have known for the past few weeks. One short night and day has changed him wonderfully. He may, in his impetuosity, do something which will injure our fair patient.”
“How strange,” said Mrs. Graham, “that he should have changed so. Why, only yesterday, as we rode along, happy and without a care, I thought to myself that I had never seen a man so thoroughly free from all care and trouble as Onrai.”
“I think,” said Nellie, “that an explanation is easy enough to find.”