The adulteress

Dr. Cabel shook his head. "Mind you," he said, "you will see a great change in him. I hope you are prepared for that, dear lady. He is paralyzed down one side ... as often happens in seizures of this nature. His left hand is useless ... he cannot walk even a few steps ... his speech has been impaired ... and you will find certain changes in his appearance. I'm afraid you will be a little shocked at the sight of him. Don't let him see it. It would upset him. At times he is lucid ... at others naturally he wanders a bit. He needs very careful nursing. He is fortunate in having Mistress Stirling on the spot."

"I do my best," said Jessie casting down her eyes. "There's such a change... ." Her voice faltered. "He used to be so ..."

"He has a great determination to hold on to life," said the doctor quickly. "The fact that he has come through as he has shows this. We must be careful not to overexcite him. If you will excuse me a moment I will go to his room and if all is well I should like you to come up."

He rose and left us.

"He's a good man," said Jessie. "Mind you, he likes to give the orders. Sometimes he'll keep me out of the room. But there you are, he's the doctor. I suppose we have to do as he says."

I was silent. Dr. Cabel had made me feel that my uncle was in good hands.

He returned shaking his head.

"He's sleeping," he said. "He usually does at this hour. I'll go up again in ten minutes. I want him to wake naturally."

Dusk had crept into the room. We were silent for a few moments. Then the doctor said: "Do you intend to stay long, Mistress Ransome?"

"I am not sure. My husband is not really well and we have recently had a change of managers. Then there is my young daughter... ."

"Of course ... of course. I see you have your responsibilities. I would keep you informed of Lord Eversleigh's condition. He could go on like this for a very long time."

"And it seems as if I can be of little help here."

"Oh, I'm sure it do him good to see you," said Jessie smiling at me.

"If he knows you ... yes," said Dr. Cabel.

"You think he might not ... ?"

The doctor lifted his hands and swayed them from side to side again. "Well, we know how he is, don't we, Mistress Stirling? There are times I think when he doesn't know even you."

"It's true," said Jessie, "and I'm silly enough to let that hurt a bit. ... He was always ..."

Dr. Cabel put his head on one side and looked at me quizzically.

He was a man of many gestures; immersed as I was in the state of my uncle's health I could not help noticing this. But he did exude an air of comfort and efficiency.

After a while he said he would look in again. It was dark now and he took a candle to light himself up the stairs.

"He keeps us all in order," said Jessie when he'd gone. "Sometimes you'd think he owned the place. But I turn a blind eye for I reckon he's done a lot for Lordy."

Dr. Cabel came down and nodded to me.

"Come now," he said.

I followed him up the stairs, Jessie keeping up the rear.

Outside my uncle's door Dr. Cabel turned to me. "You can't stay long. I'll give you a sign when I think he has had enough. Then I shall want you to slip away."

Quietly he opened the door and we tiptoed in. Two candles were burning on the shelf over the carved fireplace.

The curtains were half drawn about the big four-poster bed, shutting out much of the little light there was.

Dr. Cabel gently drew back one of the curtains and beckoned to me. I approached the bed. He was lying there with his eyes closed. He wore a nightcap which was pulled forward over his forehead. I had been warned but I was deeply shocked. I thought of him as I had last seen him; I remembered particularly those lively dark eyes. Now they were shut and he seemed only half alive. The skin was the same parchment color as I remembered—dry and wrinkled.

His hand was lying on the counterpane and I recognized the heavy signet ring which he had always worn.

"Take his hand," whispered Dr. Cabel.

I did so. I felt the faintest pressure.

"Uncle," I whispered.

His lips moved and there was a whisper. I thought it was: "Carlotta."

"He's trying to speak to you," said Dr. Cabel.

"He thinks I'm my great-grandmother. He did sometimes."

"Tell him you've come to see him. Tell him you've been thinking of him."

"Uncle Carl," I said, "I have come to see you. I hope we shall be able to talk while I'm here."

I lifted the hand and kissed it. I noticed the smudge of brown near the thumb. He had once drawn my attention to it and called it one of the flowers of death. "Old people get them," he had said. "It means youth is over."

I felt overcome by emotion.

Dr. Cabel touched my arm lightly and nodded significantly.

He meant I must go.

I turned and was led out of the room.

Outside the door Dr. Cabel lifted the candle so that the light fell on my face.

"It was a shock," he whispered. "I told you to be prepared."

Jessie patted my arm.

"He might be a bit better tomorrow," she said. "What do you think, doctor?"