第14章

Alone with her patient, Mrs.Petty, an enthusiast for cleanliness and fresh air, went on her knees, and, having plucked out the charred ring of the little hole in the carpet, opened the window wider to rid the room of the smell of burning."If it wasn't for me," she thought, leaning out into the air, "I don't know what'd become of them.

A voice from a few feet away said:

"I hope he's none the worse.What does the doctor say?"Looking round in astonishment, Mrs.Petty saw a young lady leaning out of a window on her right.

"We can't tell at present," she said, with a certain reserve he is going on satisfactory.

"It's not hydrophobia, is it?" asked the young lady."You know he fell out of the window?

"What!" ejaculated Mrs.Petty.

"Where the lilac's broken.If I can give you a hand I shall be very glad.I'm a V.A.D.""Thank you, I'm sure," said Mrs.Petty stiffly, for the passion of jealousy, to which she was somewhat prone, was rising in her, "there is no call." And she thought, "V.A.indeed! I know them."Poor dear said the young lady."He did come a bump.It was awfully funny! Is he--er----?" And she touched her forehead, where tendrils of fair hair were blowing in the breeze.

Inexpressibly outraged by such a question concerning one for whom she had a proprietary reverence, Mrs.Petty answered acidly:

"Oh dear no! He is much wiser than some people!""It was only that he mentioned the last man and the last dollar, you know," said the young lady, as if to herself, "but, of course, that's no real sign." And she uttered a sudden silvery laugh.

Mrs.Petty became aware of something tickling her left ear, and turning round, found her master leaning out beside her, in his dressing-gown.

Leave me, Mrs.Petty," he said with such dignity that she instinctively recoiled."It may seem to you," continued Mr.Lavender, addressing the young lady, "indelicate on my part to resume my justification, but as a public man, I suffer, knowing that I have committed a breach of decorum.""Don't you think you ought to keep quiet in bed?" Mrs.Petty heard the young lady ask.

"My dear young lady, "Mr.Lavender replied, "the thought of bed is abhorrent to me at a time like this.What more ignoble fate than to die in, one's bed?

"I'm only asking you to live in it," said the young lady, while Mrs.

Petty grasped her master by the skirts of his gown.

"Down, Blink, down!" said Mr.Lavender, leaning still further out.

"For pity's sake, " wailed the young lady, don't fall out again, or Ishall burst."

"Ah, believe me," said Mr.Lavender in a receding voice, "I would not pain you further for the world----"Mrs.Petty, exerting all her strength, had hauled him in.

"Aren't you ashamed of yourself, sir," she said severely, "talking to a young lady like that in your dressing-gown?

"Mrs.Petty," said Mr Lavender mysteriously, "it might have been worse....I should like some tea with a little lemon in it.

Taking this for a sign of returning reason Mrs.Petty drew him gently towards the bed, and, having seen him get in, tucked him up and said:

"Now, sir, you never break your word, do you?""No public man----" began Mr.Lavender.

"Oh, bother! Now, promise me to stay quiet in bed while I get you that tea.""I certainly shall," replied our hero, "for I feel rather faint.""That's right," said Mrs.Petty."I trust you." And, bolting the window, she whisked out of the room and locked the door behind her.

Mr.Lavender lay with his eyes fixed on the, ceiling, clucking his parched tongue."God," he thought, "for one must use that word when the country is in danger--God be thanked for Beauty! But I must not allow it to unsteel my soul.Only when the cause of humanity has triumphed, and with the avenging sword and shell we have exterminated that criminal nation, only then shall I be entitled to let its gentle influence creep about my being." And drinking off the tumbler of tea which Mrs.Petty was holding to his lips, he sank almost immediately into a deep slumber.