“Will you not be seated?” asked Levice, looking up at Kemp as the latter stood drawing off his gloves.
“Then let us go up immediately. I am not at leisure.”
“I know. Still I wish to ask you to treat whatever ailments you may find as lightly as possible in her presence; she has never known anxiety or worry of any kind. It will be necessary to tell only me, and every precaution will be taken.”
Here was a second one of this family of three wishing to take the brunt of the trouble on his shoulders, and the third had been bearing it secretly for some time. Probably a very united family, loving and unselfish doubtless, but the doctor had to stifle an amused smile in the face of the old gentleman’s dignified appeal.
“Still she is not a child, I suppose; she knows of the nature of my visit?” He moved toward the door.
“Ruth--my daughter, you know--was about to tell her as I left the room.”
Levice preceded him up the broad staircase. As they reached the landing, he turned to the doctor.
“Pardon my care, but I must make sure that Ruth has told her. Just step into the sitting-room a second,” and the precautious husband went forward to his wife’s bedroom, leaving the door open.
Standing there in the hallway, Kemp could plainly hear the following words:--
“And being interested in nervous diseases,” the peculiarly low voice was saying, “he told Father he would call and see you,--out of professional curiosity, you know; besides we should not like you to be often taken as you were last night, should we?”
“People with plenty of time on their hands,” soliloquized the doctor, looking at his watch in the hallway.
“What! Don’t you know that Dr. Kemp is one of the first physicians in the city? Every one knows he has no time for curiosity. Nervous diseases are his specialty; and do you think he would come without--”
“Being asked?” interrupted a pleasant voice; the doctor had remembered the flight of time, and walked in unannounced.
“Keep your seat,” he continued, as Mrs. Levice started up, the excited blood springing to her cheeks.
“You hardly need an introduction, Esther,” said Levice. “You remember Dr. Kemp from last night?”
“Yes. Don’t go, Ruth, please; Jules, hadn’t you something to do downstairs?”