“It's all right, dad. I assure you it's all right. You know it is.”
“I know, I know, my boy,” he said, and fell asleep again.
As the midnight hour drew on, Barry's head, from sheer weariness, sunk upon his breast. In his sleep he became aware of some one near him. He sat up, dazed and stupid from his exhaustion and his grief, and found a nurse at his side.
“Take this,” she said softly. “You will need it.” She set a tray at his side.
“Oh, thank you, no!” he said. “I can't eat. I can't touch anything.”
“You need it,” said the nurse. “You must take it, for his sake, you know. He will need you.”
Her voice aroused him. He glanced at her face.
“Don't rise,” she said, putting her hand on his shoulder, and pointing to his father. “Drink this first.” She handed him an eggnog. “Now take your tea.” There was a quiet authority about her that compelled obedience. He ate in silence while she stood beside him. He was too weary and too sick at heart to talk, but he gradually became aware that the overpowering sense of loneliness that had been with him all day was gone.
When he had finished his slight meal, he whispered to her:
“I wish I could thank you, but I can't. I did need it. You have helped me greatly.”
“You are better now,” she said softly. “It's very, very hard for you, so far from home, and from all your friends.”
“There is no one else,” said Barry simply. “We have no one but just ourselves.”
At this point his father opened his eyes bright and very wide-awake.
The V. A. D. began to gather up the tea things. Barry put out his hand and touched her arm.
“Dad, this is your night nurse. She was very kind to me last night, and again to-night. This is Miss Vincent.”
The brightness of the V. A. D.'s smile outshone his own.
“I'm not a real nurse,” she said. “I'm only a V. A. D., you know. They use me to wash the floors and dishes, and for all sorts of odd jobs. To-night they are shorthanded, and have put me on this duty.”
While she was speaking, she continued to smile, a smile of radiant cheer and courage.
The wounded man listened gravely to her, his eyes searching her face, her eyes, her very soul, it seemed to her. In spite of her experience and her self-control, she felt her face flushing under his searching gaze.