My father is not sufficiently alarmed, I fear; and, therefore, if there is any serious apprehension, it must be broken to him gently.
I can do this.
I can nurse my mother.
Pray, speak, sir; to see your face, and not be able to read it, gives me a worse dread than I trust any words of yours will justify.'
'My dear young lady, your mother seems to have a most attentive and efficient servant, who is more like her friend—'
'I am her daughter, sir.'
'But when I tell you she expressly desired that you might not be told—'
'I am not good or patient enough to submit to the prohibition.
Besides, I am sure you are too wise—too experienced to have promised to keep the secret.'
'Well,' said he, half-smiling, though sadly enough, 'there you are right.
I did not promise.
In fact, I fear, the secret will be known soon enough without my revealing it.'
He paused.
Margaret went very white, and compressed her lips a little more.
Otherwise not a feature moved.
With the quick insight into character, without which no medical man can rise to the eminence of Dr. Donaldson, he saw that she would exact the full truth; that she would know if one iota was withheld; and that the withholding would be torture more acute than the knowledge of it.
He spoke two short sentences in a low voice, watching her all the time; for the pupils of her eyes dilated into a black horror and the whiteness of her complexion became livid.
He ceased speaking.
He waited for that look to go off,—for her gasping breath to come.
Then she said:—
'I thank you most truly, sir, for your confidence.
That dread has haunted me for many weeks.
It is a true, real agony.
My poor, poor mother!' her lips began to quiver, and he let her have the relief of tears, sure of her power of self-control to check them.
A few tears—those were all she shed, before she recollected the many questions she longed to ask.
'Will there be much suffering?'
He shook his head.
'That we cannot tell.
It depends on constitution; on a thousand things.
But the late discoveries of medical science have given us large power of alleviation.'
'My father!' said Margaret, trembling all over.
'I do not know Mr. Hale.
I mean, it is difficult to give advice.
But I should say, bear on, with the knowledge you have forced me to give you so abruptly, till the fact which I could not with-hold has become in some degree familiar to you, so that you may, without too great an effort, be able to give what comfort you can to your father. Before then,—my visits, which, of course, I shall repeat from time to time, although I fear I can do nothing but alleviate,—a thousand little circumstances will have occurred to awaken his alarm, to deepen it—so that he will be all the better prepared.—Nay, my dear young lady—nay, my dear—I saw Mr. Thornton, and I honour your father for the sacrifice he has made, however mistaken I may believe him to be.—Well, this once, if it will please you, my dear.
Only remember, when I come again, I come as a friend.
And you must learn to look upon me as such, because seeing each other—getting to know each other at such times as these, is worth years of morning calls.'
Margaret could not speak for crying: but she wrung his hand at parting.
'That's what I call a fine girl!' thought Dr. Donaldson, when he was seated in his carriage, and had time to examine his ringed hand, which had slightly suffered from her pressure. 'Who would have thought that little hand could have given such a squeeze?
But the bones were well put together, and that gives immense power. What a queen she is!
With her head thrown back at first, to force me into speaking the truth; and then bent so eagerly forward to listen.
Poor thing!
I must see she does not overstrain herself.
Though it's astonishing how much those thorough-bred creatures can do and suffer.
That girl's game to the back-bone.
Another, who had gone that deadly colour, could never have come round without either fainting or hysterics.
But she wouldn't do either—not she!
And the very force of her will brought her round.
Such a girl as that would win my heart, if I were thirty years younger.
It's too late now.
Ah! here we are at the Archers'.' So out he jumped, with thought, wisdom, experience, sympathy, and ready to attend to the calls made upon them by this family, just as if there were none other in the world.