The Argosy — page 251: what you’re looking at

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

230 Letters from Majorca. This enervating heat is very trying, and to Nurse it is a new experi- ence. Night after night of course she has to keep vigil, and for my own part, I marvel whence comes her strength and energy. She is small and delicate-looking, yet after nights of watching seems as fresh and lively and ready for work as ever. She is now single-handed, and Dr. Fitzgilbert tells me he believes she will inevitably break down without further help. Of that I think there can be no doubt. Human nature cannot go on for ever, like—once more and for the last time—Tennyson’s brook. Further help is not to be had in Palma de Mallorca. The reason that Nurse Long is now single-handed, is in this wise :—-When the Sister Superior heard of the arrival of the English nurse, she sent a very polite message to the effect that Sister Cecilia’s services having, in her opinion, now become superfluous, she had better retire from the scene. “T think so too,” said Dr. Fitzgilbert. ‘She is really no longer of any use. She is too inexperienced to relieve Nurse Long at night, and at all other times we can do without her. It would, indeed, be rather embarrassing if she remained, for she would be rather in the way.” ‘ But Sister Cecilia is A.’s favourite,” our host remarked. ‘“ He will miss her, and will throw himself into a terrible state of agitation ; work himself up into a higher state of temperature than ever. That would be the last straw.” ‘Tt cannot be helped,” replied the doctor. ‘‘ Sister Cecilia is very amiable, but she is useless ; and even if we wanted her ever'so, you see the Sister Superior objects to her remaining.” ‘She probably thinks of J/es convenances. With a houseful of bachelors ——” ‘Oh, really!” interrupted the doctor, with virtuous indignation, ‘Tam sure that everyone here is like the Chevalier Bayard, sans peur et sans reproche.” ‘‘T should make a poor figure as a chevalier,” timidly murmured Nurse Long. She was assisting at the consultation, for the subject really concerned her more than anyone else. ‘‘ But with regard to Sister Cecilia’s resignation” (you might have thought it treated of a change of ministry), “I believe that if you were to reason with Mr. A. ——” ‘ How reason with a man who has lost his reason?” I ventured to say. ‘ But, in the present instance, I think you are creating a difficulty: turning a molehill into a mountain. A.’s preference for Sister Cecilia is one of delirium. He will no more remark her absence than he is really conscious of his preference. All you have to do is to say nothing to him about it.” So Sister Cecilia departed, and Nurse Long entered upon her solitary reign. We were very sorry to lose the Sister. She was very sorry to go. She was very soft and sweet and pleasant. When she ECORMICLIOO_ KS. (Ee)