“Is she with him now? Do you think I could see her for two minutes?” Philip asked.
“I can ask her, sir,” answered Mrs. Ransom with some hesitation; “but she is not over-willing to leave him even to get necessary rest.”
“It is very important,” urged Philip, whereupon Mrs. Ransom asked the young man into the dining-room and went noiselessly upstairs.
“What is it, Philip?” asked Mrs. Barrimore, turning tired eyes on her son.
“Mother,” began Philip tenderly, “I have thought of a new medicine for Colonel Lane.”
“Everything has been tried, Philip. He seems slightly better.”
“Not everything, mother,” rejoined Philip. “The medicine I am thinking of will cure him.”
She made a little gesture of impatience. But for Philip all this sorrow might have been spared, she was telling herself.
“Mother,” said Philip, taking her slim hand within both his, and looking affectionately at her, “the medicine I mean is yourself.”
She looked up with startled eyes. “Do you mean——” she began.