Warned by the trembling of her hand, Mr. Frankland laid his fingers lightly on her temples and on her heart.
"Good Heavens, Rosamond! what has happened? I left you quiet and comfortable, and now—"
"I've been frightened, dear—dreadfully frightened, by the new nurse. Don't be hard on her, poor creature; she is not in her right senses—I am certain she is not. Only get her away quietly—only send her back at once to where she came from. I shall die of the fright, if she stops here. She has been behaving so strangely—she has spoken such words to me—Lenny! Lenny! don't let go of my hand. She came stealing up to me so horribly, just where you are now; she knelt down at my ear, and whispered—oh, such words!"
"Hush, hush, love!" said Mr. Frankland, getting seriously alarmed by the violence of Rosamond's agitation. "Never mind repeating the words now; wait till you are calmer—I beg and entreat of you, wait till you are calmer. I will do every thing you wish, if you will only lie down and be quiet, and try to compose yourself before you say another word. It is quite enough for me to know that this woman has frightened you, and that you wish her to be sent away with as little harshness as possible. We will put off all further explanations till to-morrow morning. I deeply regret now that I did not persist in carrying out my own idea of sending for a proper nurse from London. Where is the landlady?"
The landlady placed herself by Mr. Frankland's side.
"Is it late?" asked Leonard.
"Oh no, Sir; not ten o'clock yet."
"Order a fly to be brought to the door, then, as soon as possible, if you please. Where is the nurse?"
"Standing behind you, Sir, near the wall," said the maid.
As Mr. Frankland turned in that direction, Rosamond whispered to him: "Don't be hard on her, Lenny."