"For his own sake we must do without a doctor if we can," I told her.
"I thought he was going to die a little time ago, but he appears to be easier now. I did not know what to do for the best," she replied as she bent over him and smoothed his pillows and kissed him.
"After Borsen’s letter I meant to get him to leave the city. Every hour after to-morrow will be one of danger for him."
Unfortunately he heard this, and between his gasps and groans of pain he abused me for a traitor and ordered me out of the room. I did not pay any heed at first, but it soon became evident that my presence excited him so much that Althea begged me to go.
His illness was checkmate so far as getting him out of the house for the present was concerned; and as that was all important, I deemed it best to take the additional risk of having a doctor to get him well enough to travel.
While I was still considering this, Althea came down, and I told her.
"Not yet," she said decidedly. "I think he is better again. He raved almost deliriously after you had left the room; that you and all of us in fact were bent upon betraying the cause, and that if any attempt were made to get him out of the city he would---- Oh, he talked most wildly. What can we do, Mr. Bastable? I am so grieved that I have brought all this on you."
"I told you before that we would not go out to look for trouble. After all, it may end in nothing serious. We have all to-morrow; and it will be quite time enough if he goes then."
"You try to make so light of it, but----" She broke off and threw up her hands.
"We shall have plenty of time to worry when the need comes, if it is to come," I answered with a smile. "You will be ill yourself if you are not more careful."
"The excitement has worn him out so that he is sleeping a little now," she said. "I dare not leave him for long; but I felt I must come down to you for a minute."
"It may be the beginning of an improvement. Of course there is one way in which we might venture to move him."
"A sleeping draught, and take him away as an invalid."
But she shook her head vigorously at the suggestion.
"I dare not. His heart is so weak, he might die under it."
"That closes that door then"; and I endeavoured to make her feel that I refused to take things too seriously.