"Fetch me the spiced wine now, Hannah," said the nurse; and when it was
brought she administered it by teaspoonfuls. It seemed to do the patient
good, for when she had mechanically swallowed it, she sighed as with a
sense of relief, sank back upon her pillow and closed her eyes. Her face
had lost its look of agony; she seemed perfectly at ease. In a little
while she opened her eyes calmly and looked around. Hannah bent over
her, murmuring: "Nora, darling, how do you feel? Speak to me, my pet!"
"Stoop down to me, Hannah! low, lower still, I want to whisper to you."
Hannah put her ear to Nora's lips.
"Oh, Hannah, it was all true! he was married to another woman." And as
she gasped out these words with a great sob, her face became convulsed
again with agony, and she covered it with her hands.
"Do not take this so much to heart, sweet sister. Heaven knows that you
were innocent, and the earth shall know it, too; as for him, he was a
villain and a hypocrite not worth a tear," whispered Hannah.
"Oh, no, no, no! I am sure he was not to blame. I cannot tell you why,
because I know so little; but I feel that he was faultless," murmured
Nora, as the spasm passed off, leaving her in that elysium of physical
ease which succeeds great pain.
Hannah was intensely disgusted by Nora's misplaced confidence; but she
did not contradict her, for she wished to soothe, not to excite the
sufferer.
For a few minutes Nora lay with her eyes closed and her hands crossed
upon her bosom, while her watchers stood in silence beside her bed. Then
springing up with wildly flaring eyes she seized her sister, crying out: "Hannah! Oh, Hannah!"
"What is it, child?" exclaimed Hannah, in affright.
"I do believe I'm dying--and, oh! I hope I am."
"Oh, no, ye aint a-dying, nyther; there's more life than death in this
'ere; Lord forgive ye, girl, fer bringing such a grief upon your good
sister," said Mrs. Jones grimly.
"Oh, Mrs. Jones, what is the matter with her? Has she taken poison, do
you think? She has been in a great deal of trouble to-night!" cried
Hannah, in dismay.
"No, it's worse than pi'sen. Hannah, you send that ere gaping and
staring nigger right away directly; this aint no place, no longer, for
no men-folks to be in, even s'posin they is nothin' but nigger
cre-turs.".