A Bevy of Girls

by L. T. Meade

knew you would be."

  "And yet," continued the girl, "it means a great deal of self-sacrificeon my part."

  "I thought you were a teacher in a school."

  "In one sense you are right, in another wrong. I am a teacher, or I wasa teacher, in Mrs Silchester's school at Frankfort. Mrs Silchester isMiss St Just's aunt, and Angela St Just has been my dearest friend forsome years."

  "Indeed?"

  "Yes."

  "I saw you together just now."

  "I was happy at the school. I was paid nothing, for I have sufficientmoney of my own. I did what teaching I could, and received instructionin return. _No_ girl could have been happier. I had many friends aboutme; my life was full. To be with Mrs Silchester alone was a happinessunspeakable, and Angela was, and is to be again, a member of the school.Think what I have lost."

  "I am sorry for you, but the path of duty."

  "I will walk on it, Dr Anstruther; but the girls must help me."

  "Ah, that is quite right, if only you will superintend them and makethem do their duty. Oh, here we are slowing into Newcastle. You go on,of course, to the West Station. I get out here. You won't mention aword of what I have said."

  "Not even to my father?"

  "To no one at present. The fewer who know, the better for her. She isso weak, poor soul; so nervous, that even if she guessed at her truecondition, she would have a very serious attack. Good-night, for thepresent. Be assured of my sympathy. I am glad we have had this talk."

  CHAPTER TEN.

  AN ALARMING ATTACK.

  Marcia did not know why her heart felt like lead as she walked back theshort distance between the railway station and her father's house; whyall the joy seemed to have gone out of her, when there was no apparentreason. It was a glorious summer evening, the sky was studded withinnumerable stars, which would shine more brightly in an hour or so, assoon as the rays of the sun had quite departed from the western horizon.There was not a cloud anywhere. Nevertheless, a very dense cloudrested over the girl's heart.

  She went into the house, and the first thing she noticed was the factthat there were no lights burning anywhere. She glanced up at theinvalid's room; there was no light in the window, no brightness. Whatcould be wrong? Oh, nothing, of course. Nesta might not be a goodnurse, but she could not be so careless as that.

  She let herself in with her latch key, and was met by Susan in the hall.Susan had her hat on.

  "What is it, Susan?"

  "I beg your pardon, Miss? I have only just come in. It was my eveningout. I came back a whole hour before my time because I was anxiousabout Missis. I suppose cook has seen to her."

  "Cook? But where are the young ladies? Where is Miss Nesta?"

  "I don't know."

  "You don't know? And where are the other young ladies?"

  "I don't know either. Oh, yes, though, they had tea in the garden withthe Misses Carter and young Mr Carter, and then they went a bit of theway home with them. I ran down the garden and brought in the bestchina, they would have it from the drawing room, and then I slipped out,for I didn't want to lose any of my time. It was such a goodopportunity, you see, Miss, for master and Mr Horace were both diningout at the Club this evening, and I thought the young ladies couldmanage to light up for themselves."

  "They don't seem to have done so. How is my mother? How long has shebeen alone?"

  "I don't know, Miss. Shall I run up and see?"

  "No, light up as quickly as you can, please. Get cook to help you ifnecessary. Don't be out of the way. I will go to my mother."

  Marcia had called Mrs Aldworth mother on many occasions; but there wasa new tone in the way in which she said "my mother," which fell upon theservant's ears with a feeling of reproach.

  "I wonder now--" she thought. "I wouldn't have gone out, but she was insuch a beautiful sleep; I just crept in on tiptoe and there she wassmiling in her sleep and looking as happy as happy could be. So I saidto myself--`Miss Nesta'll be in in no time, and if not there are theother young ladies.' So I went to cook and said--`Cook, be sure you runup to Missis when she rings her bell.'"

  Susan had now returned to the kitchen.

  "You didn't hear Missis ring by any chance, did you, Fanny?" she said toher fellow servant.

  "No, I said I'd go up to her if she did ring."

  "Then it's all right," said Susan.

  "Why, what's the matter? How white you are."

  "I--I don't quite know. But Miss Marcia came back and seemed in no endof a taking, at the house not being lit up."

  "Let Miss Marcia mind her own business," said Fanny, in a temper.

  "Don't you say anything against her, Fanny. Oh, my word, there's thebell, now. I hope to goodness there's nothing wrong."

  Susan rushed upstairs; her knees, as she expressed it, trembling underher. She burst open the door.

  "Send Fanny for the doctor at once. Get me some hot water and somebrandy. Be quick; don't wait a moment. Above all things, send Fannyfor the doctor. Tell her to take a cab and drive to Dr Anstruther'shouse. Be as quick as ever you can."

  Marcia had turned on the gas in her mother's room and lit it, and nowshe was bending over that mother and holding her hand. The poor womanwas alive, but icy cold and apparently quite unconscious. The girl feltherself trembling violently.

  "They have neglected her; I can see that by the look of the room," shethought. "The window still open, the blinds still up, the position ofthis sofa--all show that she was neglected. And I, too, left her. Whydid I go? Oh, poor mother; poor mother."

  Tears streamed from Marcia's eyes; they fell upon the cold hand. Marciaput her fingers on the pulse; it was still beating, but very feebly.

  Susan hurried up with a great jug of hot water, and the brandy bottle.

  "Mix some brandy quickly for me, Susan; make it strong. Now, then, giveit to me."

  With some difficulty Marcia managed to put a few drops between the bluelips, and the next minute the invalid opened her eyes. She fixed themon Marcia, smiled, shuddered, and closed them again, collapsing oncemore into unconsciousness.

  It was in this condition that Dr Anstruther found her when he enteredthe house a quarter of an hour later.

  "I feared it," he paid, just glancing at Marcia.

  "No, it is not death," he added, seeing the look of appeal andself-reproach in the girl's eyes; "but it might have been. Had you beena few minutes later we could have done nothing. Now, then, we will gether into bed."

  He managed very skilfully, with Marcia's help and with that of therepentant and miserable Susan, to convey the poor invalid to a bed,which had already been warmed for her. She then sat by her,administering brandy and water at short intervals, and holding her wristbetween his fingers and thumb.

  "That's better," he said, after a time. "Now, then, Miss Marcia, willyou go downstairs and prepare a nice cup of bread and milk and bring itup to me? she must manage to eat it. She has been absolutely starved;she has had nothing at all since her early dinner."

  Marcia flew out of the room.

  "Susan," she said, "Susan, what is the meaning of this?"

  "Don't ask me, Miss; 'tain't my fault. When young ladies themselves areborn without natural affection, what can a poor servant gel do? Do youthink I'd leave _my_ mother? No, that I wouldn't. Poor lady, and shethat devoted to them. To be sure she have her little fads and fancies,and her little crotchets, as what invalid but wouldn't have? But, oh,Miss, to think of their unkindness."

  "Don't think of it now; they will be sorry enough by-and-by," saidMarcia. "Help me to get some bread and milk ready."

  She brought it up a few minutes later, steaming hot and temptinglooking. The invalid was conscious again now, and her cheeks wereflushed with the amount of brandy she had taken. She began to talk in aweak, excited manner.

  "I had such a long sleep and got so dreadfully cold," she said. "Ithought I was climbing up and up a hill, and I could never get to thetop. It was a horrid dream
. Marcia, dear, is that you? How nice youlook in your grey dress, so quiet looking."

  "Hush, Mrs Aldworth," said the doctor, in a cheerful voice, "you mustnot talk too much just now. You must lie quiet."

  "Oh, doctor, I've been lying quiet so long, so many hours. Oh, yes, Iremember--it was Molly. She had on a blue dress, a blue muslin andforget-me-not bows, and she looked so sweet, and she said the Carterswere here--the Carters and--and--she was very anxious to go down tothem. It was natural, wasn't it, doctor?"

  "Yes, yes. Aren't you going to