“My!” she said, looking down at the fingers she held in her hand. “Your hands is awful thin. Are you sure goin' to git better?”
“Of course I am, and I am coming out to see you before I go.”
She sat down quickly, still holding his hand, as if he had struck her a heavy blow.
“Before you go? Where?” Her voice was hardly above a whisper; her face was white, her lips beyond her control.
“Out West to seek my fortune.” His voice was jaunty and he feigned not to see her distress. “I shall be walking in a couple of weeks or so, eh, nurse?”
“A couple of weeks?” replied the nurse, who had just entered. “Yes, if you are good.”
Mandy hastily rose.
“But if you are not,” continued the nurse severely, “it may be months. Stay, Miss Haley, I am going to bring Mr. Cameron his afternoon tea and you can have some with him. Indeed, you look quite done up. I am sure all that work you have been telling me about is too much for you.”
Her kindly tones broke the last shred of Mandy's self-control. She sank into her chair, covered her face with her great red hands and burst into tempestuous weeping. Cameron sat up quickly.
“What in the name of goodness is wrong, Mandy?”