“That’s all I am,” said Sue. “Father, why didn’t you educate me?”
“Educate a kitten!”
“How is Felix Harrison?” inquired Dr. Lake.
“Bad! Bad enough. That fellow has been walking around with a brain fever. He’ll pull through with care. Miss Jewett will stay until they can get a nurse; I would rather keep her, though. I warned him months ago. I told him that it would come to this. He has thrown away his life; he’ll never be good for any thing again. I am glad that he has a father to take care of him; lucky for him, and not so lucky for his father. I wouldn’t care to see my son such a wreck as he’ll be. Why a man born with brains will deliberately make a fool of himself, I can’t understand. Teaching and studying law and what not? He will have fits as long as he lives coming upon him any day any hour; he will be as much care as an infant. More, for an infant does grow up, and he will only become weaker and weaker mentally and physically. He has been under some great excitement, I suspect. They don’t know what it is. He came home late last night; his father heard a noise in his room and went in to find him as crazy as a loon. He said that he had heard him talking in his sleep all night long for two or three nights. I hope that he isn’t engaged. I know a case like his, and that poor fellow was engaged.”
“Of course that ended it,” said Sue. “A sick husband of all things. I would drown myself, if I had a sick husband.”
“Of course it ended it. It almost broke her heart, though; broke it for a year, and then a dashing cousin of his mended it.”
“Perhaps Felix hasn’t any cousin. Dr. Lake, will you have more coffee?” Sue spoke carelessly, not meeting his glance.
“Thank you, no.”
Dr. Greyson ran on talking and eating: “I told the old man the whole truth; he begged so hard to know the worst. He cried like a baby. He was proud of Felix. Felix was a fine fellow,—a noble fellow. But he’s dead now; dead, and buried.”
“Does Laura know?” inquired Sue, helping herself to sweet pickled peaches. Tessa was tasting the peaches, her throat so full of sobs that she swallowed the fruit with pain.