Donne----"
"Mr. Donne?" said Ruth.
"Mr. Donne, who lies ill at the Queen's--came last week, with the
intention of canvassing, but was too much alarmed by what he
heard of the fever to set to work; and, in spite of all his
precautions, he has taken it; and you should see the terror they
are in at the hotel; landlord, landlady, waiters, servants--all;
there's not a creature will go near him, if they can help it; and
there's only his groom--a lad he saved from drowning, I'm
told--to do anything for him. I must get him a proper nurse,
somehow or somewhere, for all my being a Cranworth man. Ah, Mr.
Benson! you don't know the temptations we medical men have.
Think, if I allowed your member to die now as he might very well,
if he had no nurse--how famously Mr. Cranworth would walk over
the course!--Where's Mrs. Denbigh gone to? I hope I've not
frightened her away by reminding her of Hector O'Brien, and that
awful night, when I do assure you she behaved like a heroine!"
As Mr. Benson was showing Mr. Davis out, Ruth opened the
study-door, and said, in a very calm, low voice--
"Mr. Benson! will you allow me to speak to Mr. Davis alone?"
Mr. Benson immediately consented, thinking that, in all
probability, she wished to ask some further questions about
Leonard; but as Mr. Davis came into the room, and shut the door,
he was struck by her pale, stern face of determination, and
awaited her speaking first.
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