"May the Lord bless you, my sweet child," said the doctor, lifting one hand painfully and laying it in benediction on her fair and graceful head.
Then she arose and left the room, saying to Mrs. Rocke as she went:
"Oh, Mrs. Rocke, only last evening we were so happy--'But if we have received good things at the hand of God, why should we not receive evil?'"
"Yes, my child; but remember nothing is really evil that comes from His good hand," said Mrs. Rocke, as she attended Clara to the door.
His daughter had no sooner gone out of hearing than the doctor gave way to his irrepressible groans.
At a sign from Traverse Mrs. Rocke went and took up her position in the adjoining room.
Then Traverse subdued the light in the sick chamber, arranged the pillows of the couch, administered a sedative and took up his post beside the bed, where he continued to watch and nurse the patient with unwearied devotion.
At the dawn of day, when Clara rapped at the door, he was in no condition to be seen by his daughter.
Clara was put off with some plausible excuse.
After breakfast his friends the physicians called and spent several hours in his room. Clara was told that she must not come in while they were there. And so, by one means and another, the poor girl was spared from witnessing those dreadful agonies which, had she seen them, must have so bitterly increased her distress.
In the afternoon, during a temporary mitigation of pain, Clara was admitted to see her father. But in the evening, as his sufferings augmented, she was again, upon the same excuse that had been used the preceding evening, dismissed to her chamber.
Then passed another night of suffering, during which Traverse never left him for an instant.
Toward morning the fever and pain abated, and he fell into a sweet sleep. About sunrise he awoke quite free from suffering. Alas! it was the ease that he had predicted--the ease preceding dissolution.
"It is gone forever now, Traverse, my boy; thank God my last hours will be sufficiently free from pain to enable me to set my house in order. Before calling Clara in I would talk to you alone. You will remain here until all is over?"
"Oh, yes, sir, yes; I would do anything on earth--anything for you! I would lay down my life this hour if I could do so to save you from this bed of death."