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Page 31
"But, _ma ch�re_, you have no patience with Aunt Patty. I am afraid
you will be too abrupt with her".
"Don't fear, mamma, I promise you I will not outrage Aunt Patty.
Please go".
"Ah! well! I will go", said Mrs. Dubois.
Mrs. McNab soon made her appearance in the dining-room, and, with some
degree of trepidation, inquired who wanted her there.
"Micah was here an hour ago", replied Ad�le, "and said Mrs. Campbell
sent him here to ask you to come and help her. Four of her children
are sick with the measles and she is nearly down herself, in
consequence of fatigue and watching. I did not speak to you then, as I
supposed you were sleeping. I told Micah I had no doubt you would
come, as there are enough here to take care of the sick gentleman, and
Mrs. Campbell needs you so much".
"Weel, Miss Ady", said Mrs. McNab, twitching violently a stray lock of
her flaming hair and tucking it beneath her cap, "I dinna ken how you
could tak' upon yourself to send such a ward as that, when Mr. Brown
is just on the creesis of his fever and not one of ye as knows how-to
tak' care o' him more than a nussin' babe".
"Ah! indeed! Aunt Patty", said Ad�le, pretending to be offended, "do
you say that my mother knows nothing about sickness, when you are
aware she has carried my father through two dangerous fevers and me
through all the diseases of babyhood and childhood?"
"That mon 'ull never get weel if I leave him noo, when I've the run of
the muddesons and directions. A strange hand 'ull put everything wrang
and he'll dee, that's a'".
"And if he does die", said Ad�le, "you will not be responsible. You
have done what you could for him and now you are called away. I am
sure you will not permit Mrs. Campbell to suffer, when she gave you a
comfortable home in her house all last winter".
"Weel, Mrs. Cawmmells' a gude woman enough and I'm sorry the bairns
are sick. But what's the measles to a fever like this, and the mon
nigh dead noo?" Aunt Patty's face flushed scarlet.
"Aunt Patty", said Ad�le, very slowly and decidedly, "Mr. Brown is my
father's guest. We are accountable for his treatment, and not you. My
mother and I are going to take charge of him now. I sent word to Mrs.
Campbell that there was nothing to prevent you from coming to assist
her. You have had your share of the fatigue and watching with our
invalid. Now we are going to relieve you". There was something in
Ad�le's determined air, that convinced Mrs. McNab the time for her to
yield had at length come, and that it was of no use for her to contest
the field longer. Feeling sure of this, there were various reasons,
occurring to her on the instant, that restrained her from a further
expression of her vexation. After a few moments of sullen silence, she
rose and said--
"Weel! I'll go and put my things tegither, that's in Mr. Brown's room,
and tell Mrs. Doobyce aboot the muddesons and so on".
"That is not necessary", said Ad�le; "The Dr. has given me directions
about the medicines. Here is breakfast all ready for you, Aunt Patty.
Sit down and eat it, while it is hot. I will go to the gentleman's
room and gather up what you have left there. Come, sit down now".
Ad�le placed a pot of hot coffee and a plate of warm rolls upon the
table.
Mrs. McNab stood for a moment, much perplexed between her impulse to
go back to Mr. Brown's room and unburden her mind to Mrs. Dubois, and
the desire to partake immediately of the tempting array upon the
breakfast-table. Finally, her material wants gained the ascendency and
she sat down very composedly to a discussion of the refreshments,
while Ad�le, anticipating that result, hastened up stairs to collect
the remaining insignia of that worthy woman's departing greatness.
Mrs. Dubois, on going to Mr. Brown's room, had found the atmosphere
close and suffocating, and that gentleman, tossing restlessly on the
bed from side to side, talking to himself in a wild delirium. She left
the door ajar and began bathing his fevered head in cool water. This
seemed to soothe him greatly and he sank back almost immediately into
a deathlike slumber, in which he lay when Ad�le entered the chamber.
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