第71章

MRS。KARNEGIEwasawomanoffeebleintelligenceandviolenttemper；prompttotakeoffense，andnot，forthemostpart，easytoappease。ButMrs。Karnegiebeing——asweallareinourvariousdegrees——acompoundofmanyoppositequalities，possessedacharacterwithmorethanonesidetoit，andhadherhumanmeritsaswellasherhumanfaults。Seedsofsoundgoodfeelingwerescatteredawayintheremotercornersofhernature，andonlywaitedforthefertilizingoccasionthatwastohelpthemtospringup。TheoccasionexertedthatbenigninfluencewhenthecabbroughtMr。Crum’sclientbacktothehotel。Thefaceoftheweary，heart-sickwoman，assheslowlycrossedthehall，rousedallthatwasheartiestandbestinMrs。Karnegie’snature，andsaidtoher，asifinwords，“Jealousofthisbrokencreature？

Oh，wifeandmotheristherenoappealtoyourcommonwomanhood_here？_“

“Iamafraidyouhaveovertiredyourself，ma’am。Letmesendyousomethingupstairs？“

“Sendmepen，ink，andpaper，“wastheanswer。“Imustwritealetter。Imustdoitatonce。“

Itwasuselesstoremonstratewithher。Shewasreadytoacceptanythingproposed，providedthewritingmaterialsweresuppliedfirst。Mrs。Karnegiesentthemup，andthencompoundedacertainmixtureofeggsandhotwine。forwhichTheSheep’sHeadwasfamous，withherownhands。Infiveminutesorsoitwasready——andMissKarnegiewasdispatchedbyhermother(whohadotherbusinessonhandatthetime)totakeitupstairs。

Afterthelapseofafewmomentsacryofalarmwasheardfromtheupperlanding。Mrs。Karnegierecognizedherdaughter’svoice，andhastenedtothebedroomfloor。

“Oh，mamma!Lookather!lookather!“

Theletterwasonthetablewiththefirstlineswritten。Thewomanwasonthesofawithherhandkerchieftwistedbetweenhersetteeth，andhertorturedfaceterribletolookat。Mrs。

Karnegieraisedheralittle，examinedherclosely——thensuddenlychangedcolor，andsentherdaughteroutoftheroomwithdirectionstodispatchamessengerinstantlyformedicalhelp。

Leftalonewiththesufferer，Mrs。Karnegiecarriedhertoherbed。Asshewaslaiddownherlefthandfellhelplessoverthesideofthebed。Mrs。Karnegiesuddenlycheckedthewordofsympathyasitrosetoherlips——suddenlyliftedthehand，andlooked，withamomentarysternnessofscrutiny，atthethirdfinger。Therewasaringonit。Mrs。Karnegie’sfacesoftenedontheinstant：thewordofpitythathadbeensuspendedthemomentbeforepassedherlipsfreelynow。“Poorsoul!“saidtherespectablelandlady，takingappearancesforgranted。“Where’syourhusband，dear？Tryandtellme。“

Thedoctormadehisappearance，andwentuptothepatient。

Timepassed，andMr。Karnegieandhisdaughter，carryingonthebusinessofthehotel，receivedamessagefromupstairswhichwasominousofsomethingoutofthecommon。Themessagegavethenameandaddressofanexperiencednurse——withthedoctor’scompliments，andwouldMr。Karnegiehavethekindnesstosendforherimmediately。

Thenursewasfoundandsentupstairs。

Timewenton，andthebusinessofthehotelwenton，anditwasgettingtobelateintheevening，whenMrs。Karnegieappearedatlastintheparlorbehindthebar。Thelandlady’sfacewasgrave，thelandlady’smannerwassubdued。“Very，veryill，“was