Katherine hurried back, and found Miss Trant lying back in her chair greatly exhausted. With instinctive tact Katherine assumed an air of authority, and insisted on her patient eating some biscuits soaked in wine.
Presently Miss Trant sat up, and, as if with an effort raised her eyes to Katherine's. "I am not worth so much trouble," she said. "You deserve that I should obey you. It is all I can do to show gratitude. If, then, you will be content with very slow work, I will thankfully do what you wish; but I must have time."
"So you shall," cried Katherine, delightedly. "You shall have plenty of time to make me a dress; that will be more amusing than plain work. I will bring you the material to-morrow, and if you fit me well, you know, it may lead to a great business;" and she smiled pleasantly.
"What is your name?" asked the patient, feebly. Katherine told her. "You are so good, you make me resigned to live."
"Do you care to read?"
"I used to love it; but I have no books, nor could I attend to the sense of a page if I had."
"If you sit here without book or work, I do not wonder at your being half dead."
"Not nearly half dead yet; dying by inches is a terribly long process. I am dreadfully strong."
"I will not listen to you if you talk like that. Well, I will bring you some books—indeed, I will send you some at once if you will promise to read and divert your thoughts. To-morrow afternoon I will come, you shall take my measure (I like to be made to look nice), and you shall begin again."
"Begin again! Me! That would be a miracle."