Richard Forrest, Bachelor — page 199: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

190 ARTHUR'S FOLLY. now and then an incoherent word or a disjointed sentence. At the foot of the couch sat Henri, the valet, earnestly watching his master’s face and looking as helpless as a child. He was devoted to him, but was utterly useless in this case. ‘“You may go, Henri; I will stay with Mr. Eldridge. If I want you I will ring,’’ said Miss Cameron, kindly. ‘*‘Re- main within call.’’ Evidently much relieved, the man resigned his post to her and left the room. Miss Cameron then lighted the lamp, turning the shade so that the rays fell away from the patient, drew the cur- tains, and placed the medicine and glass conveniently on a table. : This done, she proceeded to bathe his heated forehead with cologne. Yielding, at last, to the magnetism of the soft, cool fin- gers and the refreshing waftings from the palm-leaf fan which she gently wielded, the uneasy head gradually set- tled, the breathing became more regular, and the heavy lids closed. Making sure that her patient really slept, she arose, and after calling Henri back to watch while she was gone, she went to her own room, where she changed her gown for a looser one, drank her tea, and prepared for an all-night’s vigil. The ‘Big Ben”’ in the hall was just striking eight as she recrossed her threshold. How still it seemed! No sound came from the servants, who were shut off from the rest of the house, and the silence was death-like. Her own footfall startled her, and coming suddenly upon her image reflected ina long mir- Gomilchbooks com