by L. T. Meade
CHAPTER XXV
THE PRAYER OF FAITH.
In her shabby serge dress, the marks of tears still round her eyes, hercheeks flushed, her short hair tossed, Marjorie Chetwynd ran downstairs,accompanied by Leslie. Mrs. Chetwynd was still lying in her room tryingto have a little rest; Lettie was writing letters to anxious friends.The girls had just opened the door when they saw Belle Acheson coming upthe steps.
"How is she now?" said Belle. "Why, dear me, Leslie, how very quicklyyou got here, and you look as if you were quite at home. How is Eileen,Marjorie? By the way, you look rather bad yourself."
"Please don't speak about me; it doesn't matter whether I am ill orwell," replied Marjorie. "Don't keep me now, Belle. Eileen is as ill asshe can be, and I am going to pray for her. Leslie says that is the onlything to do, and we are both going to church. Will you come with us?Surely the more who pray to God the better."
"I will certainly come," replied Belle quietly.
She turned at once, and the girls walked down the street side by side.There was a church at the farther end of the square, a church which wasopen all day to those who needed it.
The three girls entered. It was hot outside, but here it was still andcool. They walked up the aisle, and turned into one of the pews andknelt down. Marjorie knelt in the middle; her head was pressed upon herhands.
Leslie had always found prayer easy; in her short life she had prayed agood deal, finding prayer the greatest support in each hour of trial;but of late, since her own great trouble had come, she had almostforgotten to pray, and now it seemed difficult. It was not until sheceased to remember herself, and thought only of her friend, that herwords went up to God, at first in broken utterances, then more earnestlyand more full of faith. A low sob came from Marjorie's lips. This sobwas echoed by Leslie. Belle had taken up a prayer-book, had opened it,and was reading in a semi-whisper some of the prayers for the sick.After a very few moments Marjorie rose to her feet.
"I have prayed," she said; "I have told God exactly what I want. He willhear. He must. It would be wrong, cruel, monstrous for Eileen, beautifulEileen, to die. Come home now, Leslie," she continued.
The three left the church as silently as they had entered. It was notuntil they reached Marjorie's door that Belle spoke.
"Good-by, Marjorie," she said, holding out her hand; "good-by. I willcall again. But before I go, tell me--do tell me--if you seriously believein all this?"
"I----" said Marjorie--she hesitated; the look of peace which had dawnedupon her worn and anxious face left it. Before she could reply, Leslieanswered with flashing eyes:
"Marjorie believes, or she could not have prayed as she did; and ofcourse I believe," she continued. "I believe in a God, and that Heanswers prayer."
"I wonder if he will," said Belle, with a queer, new sort of expressionon her face. "It will be very strange. I shall be most curious to know.Good-by, Marjorie--good-by, Leslie."
She turned and walked down the street. When she had gone a couple ofhundred yards she turned back, and called out to the other girls, whowere still standing on the steps of the house:
"I will come to-morrow to find out. It will be very curious if it istrue. It will make an immense difference to me."
Then she walked on, swaying slightly from side to side.
Marjorie put her hand quickly to her forehead.
"I never felt less in sympathy with Belle than I do at this moment," shesaid. "Now, you, Leslie, really soothe me; it was nice to feel youkneeling by my side. It seemed to me that some of your faith came to me.I do not feel nearly so unhappy now; not so restless, nor so uncertain."
Leslie kissed her.
"I can understand that," she said; "you have put the matter into God'shands--you are resting on God; that is the reason why you do not feel somiserable."
The girls entered the little boudoir which Mrs. Chetwynd had socarefully prepared for her darlings. Lettie was seated by the window.
"Where have you both been?" she cried. "I have been looking for youeverywhere. Aunt Helen is in a painful state of excitement."
"What about?"
"Well, nurse did not much like Eileen's state, and Dr. Ericson came in ahurry, and he says he wishes another doctor to be called in, one of thevery great specialists. The doctor is coming almost immediately. AuntHelen says we are none of us to go upstairs. There is to be the mostabsolute quiet, and fresh straw has been ordered to be put down in thestreet. Leslie, are you really going to stay here?"
"She certainly is," said Marjorie. "I wouldn't part with her on anyaccount."
"I will write a line to mother if you will allow me," said Leslie. "Ofcourse, if I can be of the least use to Marjorie, I shall be glad tostay."
"Here is paper, if you want it," said Lettie. "I am very glad you arestaying, for my part."
Leslie wrote a short note. When it was finished, Lettie took it from theroom.
"I cannot sympathize with Lettie either," said Marjorie when Lettie hadgone. Then she sat down by the window, and did not speak any more.Sometimes she closed her eyes, and sometimes Leslie, who had taken up abook, and was trying to read, fancied she saw her lips moving. Was sheonce again praying to God? Was faith, the first real faith she had everknown, truly visiting her heart, and helping her through this dark hourof tribulation?
Mrs. Chetwynd did not come downstairs again; and presently the footmanappeared, and told the girls that dinner was ready.
"I cannot eat," said Marjorie. "Eat, when all that makes life valuablehangs in the balance?"
"But you must eat, dear," said Leslie; "you will feel much worse if youdo not. Come with me."
"Do, Marjorie, try not to be such a humbug," said Lettie in an almostcross voice. "You don't know how you add to the trouble of everybodywhen you go on in that silly way. First of all, Leslie, she absolutelyimmured herself in Eileen's room, refused to leave it day or night, anddistracted poor Aunt Helen and the nurse, and now that she has come outof the room, she is doing her utmost to make herself ill."
"Don't say any more!" cried Marjorie. "I will come downstairs." Her facewas white as death.
The three girls entered the dining room. Leslie's persuasions, joined,perhaps, to some of Lettie's tarter remarks, induced Marjorie to take alittle food; but the oppression and solemnity of the scene seemed tohave got into the air.
Presently the sound of wheels, muffled as they drove over the straw, wasdistinctly heard, and then two doctors' broughams drew up at the door.Dr. Ericson got out of his and an elderly, benevolent-looking man out ofthe other. They both entered the house.
"What shall I do?" cried Marjorie. "I cannot stand this."
"Oh, I feel somehow it will be all right; and remember we have prayedabout it," said Leslie.
She went up to Marjorie.
"Come back to the boudoir," she said. "You are nearer to her there."
"Well, I shall stay here," said Lettie. "I don't know what there isabout you, Leslie, and about Marjorie; but the pair of you make me feelquite nervous. We are doing all we can--that is, Aunt Helen is; andreally I do think that one ought to try to retain a little strength ofmind. If the very worst of all had happened, you could not be going onmore terribly than you are at present, Marjorie."
"I cannot help feeling, if that is what you mean," said Marjorie. Shewent upstairs, and Leslie followed her. The noise of people walkingoverhead was heard.
"They are in her room now," said Marjorie. She clutched hold of Lesliestill tighter.
"Oh, Leslie, what should I do if you were not with me? You know she ismy twin; no one was ever quite so near to me. We think the same, we doeverything the same. All our pursuits, all our desires, are the same. Icannot live without her. If she dies I shall die."
"But she shall not die, dear!"
"Oh, I know, but she is in such terrible danger now. You said, Leslie,that if it were good for her, God would spare her."
"And He will, Marjorie; cannot you try to understand? If it is best forher to go to God, He will not leave
her in the world just because youselfishly wish it. But it may be best for her to stay here; she may havemuch to do yet in her life on earth."
"If she is spared I shall become religious at once," said Marjorie.
Leslie could not help smiling.
"Were you not religious before?" she asked.
"Oh, after a fashion, but never the real thing. Eileen and I bothprofessed a little, and Eileen, the darling, was, I believe, in earnest;but I don't think I ever was. I wanted, of course, to lead a usefullife, and I thought myself very much better than mother or Mrs. Acheson.I believe now that I was selfish about mother; perhaps we both were,even darling Eileen; but, you know, she always did what I did. I was thefirst to suggest a thing, and then Eileen followed suit. If we wereselfish she was not to blame. Leslie, Leslie, the doctors are comingdownstairs. I wonder if they will tell us anything? I know mother won'tfor a long, long time."
"I'll go and ask, then," said Leslie, jumping up. She went to the door,opened it, and stepped on to the landing.
The two doctors came downstairs.
"And what young lady is this?" said Dr. Howard, pausing for a moment andlooking at her. He was a tall and very benevolent-looking man, withwhite hair and dark eyes.
"I want to know," said Leslie--she paused. Marjorie had not dared to comeout of the boudoir. "I want to know the truth--if there is--any hope?"
"Are you the sister of the young lady?" asked the medical man.
"No, only a great friend; but her sister, her twin sister, is in theother room, and she wants to know, and cannot find out."
"I understand; too upset to ask, poor girl," said the doctor. "Ericson,if you will permit me, I'll go in and see that young lady."
"Oh, how kind of you!" said Leslie. She opened the door, and bothdoctors went in.
Marjorie had flung herself down in a chair, and covered her face withher hands.
"Now, my dear girl, what is this?" said Dr. Howard. "We shall be havingtwo patients instead of one if this sort of thing goes on. Give me yourhand. I assure you, Ericson, this young lady's pulse is bounding at sucha rate that we shall have her in a fever if we don't look out. This willnever do. As to your sister, Miss Chetwynd----"
"Oh, what about her?" cried Marjorie. She flung down her hands, andlooked up at the doctor with eyes full of agony.
"Good gracious! what a likeness between the two," said Dr. Howard."Well, my dear, I will tell you the simple truth. I know you will be abrave girl. Your sister is in danger--a bad case of typhoid fever alwaysmeans that, you understand; but I have hope, and so has my friendEricson, that we shall pull her through. There is no cause for immediateanxiety; but much depends on the next twenty-four hours. Ericson isgoing to stay up to-night with your sister; and as for you, MissMarjorie, you must go to bed and have a rest."
"I am sorry to tell you, Dr. Howard," said Dr. Ericson, "that MissMarjorie has been behaving in a very natural but also a veryreprehensible manner. She has insisted on living in her sister's room,has done herself no good, and----"
"Oh, well, as you say, that is natural," said Dr. Howard, who could readcharacter like a book. "Poor child, she feels this terribly. Give her asleeping draught, Ericson, won't you? And now, my dear, go to bed assoon as possible, and leave your sister's case in our hands, and," headded, dropping his voice to a whisper, "in the hands of a betterPhysician."
He left the room. When he had done so, Marjorie burst into tears.
"Oh, now I can breathe, now I can sleep," she said. "The hard andterrible strain has left my heart. Yes, Leslie, I shall sleep to-night;I am dead tired."