er
cushions, and sat by her, holding her hand, but not speaking till the
next interruption, by one of the numerous convalescent meals, brought in
by Grace, who looked doubtful whether she would be allowed to come in,
and then was edified by the little arrangements he made, quietly taking
all into his own hands, and wonderfully lessening a sort of fidget that
Mrs. Curtis's anxiety had attached to all that was done for Rachel.
It was not for nothing that he had spent a year upon the sofa in the
irritably sensitive state of nerves that Bessie had described; and when
he could speak to Grace alone, he gave her a lecture on those little
refinements of unobtrusive care, that more demonstrative ailments had
not availed to inculcate, and which Mrs. Curtis's present restless
anxiety rendered almost impossible. To hinder her from constantly
aggravating the fever on the nerves by her fidgeting solicitude was
beyond all power save his own, and that when he was actually in the
house.

Morning after morning he rode to the Homestead to hear that Rachel had
had a very bad night, and was very low, then was admitted to find Mrs.
Curtis's fluttering, flurried attentions exasperating every wearied
fibre with the very effort to force down fretfulness and impatience,
till, when she was left to him, a long space of the lull impressed on
her by his presence was needful before he could attempt any of the quiet
talk, or brief readings of poetry, by which he tried further to soothe
and rest her spirits. He would leave her so calm and full of repose as
to make him augur well for the next day; but the moment his back
was turned, something would always happen that set all the pulses in
agitation again, and consigned her to a fresh night of feverish phantoms
of the past. He even grew distracted enough to scold Grace fraternally
as the only person he could scold.

"You seem to nurse her on the principle of old Morris, the biggest
officer among us, who kindly insisted on sitting up with me, and began
by taking his seat upon my hand as it was lying spread out upon a
pillow."

"Indeed, Alick," said Grace, with tears in her eyes, "I hardly know what
to do. When you are not in the house the mother is almost as much in
a nervous fever as Rachel, and it is hardly in her power to keep from
fretting her. It is all well when you are here."

"Then, Grace, there is only one thing to be done. The sooner I take
Rachel away the better for both her and the mother