Agnes Tremorne Volume 1 (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. The morning after Marmaduke's departure the invalid in the Via Felice had had a relapse, and again symptoms of brain fever supervened. Millicent sent for a doctor, who attended him with great skill; and after some days he began to show evident signs of amendment. Miss Carmichael had called once or twice, but her dear Millicent pleaded fatigue, and would not be persuaded to accompany her in her walks and drives. Laura did not know that the fatigue was the consequence of her friend's unremitting attentions to her protdgd. She concluded Mrs. Went- worth had some reasons for this retirement, and was content to bide her time. Meanwhile Millicent was indefatigable in herexertions. To nurse a fellow-creature is an occupation which for most women has a great charm. Mrs. Wentworth had a great many faults, but she was not unlike her sex in this. She nursed the stranger with unremitting kindness, and the most disinterested compassion. Disinterested is scarcely the word, she did hope to win his love and gratitude; but there she stopped, and for once in her life the scheming heart went no further. Rosy clouds veiled the future. She nursed him day and night. Had the man been anything but the simple upright creature he was, he would have probably presumed on the situation. Whenever he woke, soft blue eyes were fixed on him, watching his every breath; his medicines were all given to him by white hands, which tenderly chafed his, smoothed his pillows, and softly lingering, bathed his feverish forehead with refreshing essences! To a vain man, there would have been exquisite enjoyment in all this. The position of the petted patient of such a tender and adoring nurse would have beenfraught with gratification, which he would have indulged in freely, and accepted without reserv...