“It is good of thee to come to us, O doctor lady,” said Nur Jahan. “The Queen has been wearying to hear thy voice. She said that thou hadst heard of our trouble and forsaken us; but I said that it was not so, for that where there was sorrow there wouldst thou be to comfort it.”
“Then the Queen is no more cheerful than she was?”
“How should she be, now that this new trial is come upon us? Her slaves and I have kept from her all that we could; but she guesses what we do not tell her. Only she has not wept, for she knows that would injure her eyes, and her heart longs to behold my son before she dies.”
“But have you pleaded with the King for your father’s life?”
“My mother has. She is his own cousin, and yet she went to him as a suppliant, and entreated mercy for her husband; but he refused to hear her, and the rabble of the city broke into her house and set it on fire. Then she took refuge here with her household, and we have waited in vain for news ever since.”
“But does your mother live here in the King’s house, and eat his bread, when he has treated her husband so badly?”
“What else could she do? Our lord the King is her uncle’s son. Where could she take refuge but in his house with his wife? He will suffer no harm to happen to her, for it is only against my father that he is wroth. But I will take thee to see my mother, O doctor lady, when thou hast first visited the Queen, for her heart is sad and it may cheer her to hear thy voice.”
They went on into the Queen’s room, and Georgia examined the bandages and found them intact. It was as yet too early to remove them in order to discover whether the operation had been successful, and she remarked to Nur Jahan that it would have been as well not to send for her until two or three days later, when she could have superintended their removal.
“But we have not sent for thee, O doctor lady,” said Nur Jahan in surprise.
“Not sent for me?” cried Georgia. “But I had a message from the Queen!”