CHAPTER XXIV. THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH.

Thefuturesometimesseemstosobalowwarningoftheeventsitisbringingus,likesomegatheringthoughyetremotestorm,which,intonesofthewind,influshingsofthefirmament,incloudsstrangelytorn,announcesablaststrongtostrewtheseawithwrecksorcommissionedtobringinfogtheyellowtaintofpestilencecoveringwhiteWesternisleswiththepoisonedexhalationsoftheEast,dimmingthelatticesofEnglishhomeswiththebreathofIndianplague.Atothertimesthisfutureburstssuddenly,asifarockhadrent,andinitagravehadopened,whenceissuesthebodyofonethatslept.Ereyouareawareyoustandfacetofacewithashroudedandunthought-ofcalamity—anewLazarus. CarolineHelstonewenthomefromHollow'sCottageingoodhealth,assheimagined.Onwakingthenextmorningshefeltoppressedwithunwontedlanguor.Atbreakfast,ateachmealofthefollowingday,shemissedallsenseofappetite.Palatablefoodwasasashesandsawdusttoher. "AmIill?"sheasked,andlookedatherselfintheglass.Hereyeswerebright,theirpupilsdilated,hercheeksseemedrosier,andfullerthanusual."IlookwellwhycanInoteat?" Shefeltapulsebeatfastinhertemplesshefelt,too,herbraininstrangeactivity.Herspiritswereraisedhundredsofbusyandbrokenbutbrilliantthoughtsengagedhermind.Aglowrestedonthem,suchastingedhercomplexion. Nowfollowedahot,parched,thirsty,restlessnight.Towardsmorningoneterribledreamseizedherlikeatigerwhenshewoke,shefeltandknewshewasill. Howshehadcaughtthefever(feveritwas)shecouldnottell.Probablyinherlatewalkhome,somesweet,poisonedbreeze,redolentofhoney-dewandmiasma,hadpassedintoherlungsandveins,andfindingtherealreadyafeverofmentalexcitement,andalanguoroflongconflictandhabitualsadness,hadfannedthesparktoflame,andleftawell-litfirebehindit. Itseemed,however,butagentlefire.Aftertwohotdaysandworriednights,therewasnoviolenceinthesymptoms,andneitherheruncle,norFanny,northedoctor,norMissKeeldar,whenshecalled,hadanyfearforher.Afewdayswouldrestoreher,everyonebelieved. Thefewdayspassed,and—thoughitwasstillthoughtitcouldnotlongdelay—therevivalhadnotbegun.Mrs.Pryor,whohadvisitedherdaily—beingpresentinherchamberonemorningwhenshehadbeenillafortnight—watchedherverynarrowlyforsomeminutes.Shetookherhandandplacedherfingeronherwristthen,quietlyleavingthechamber,shewenttoMr.Helstone'sstudy.Withhimsheremainedclosetedalongtime—halfthemorning.Onreturningtohersickyoungfriend,shelaidasideshawlandbonnet.Shestoodawhileatthebedside,onehandplacedintheother,gentlyrockingherselftoandfro,inanattitudeandwithamovementhabitualtoher.Atlastshesaid,"IhavesentFannytoFieldheadtofetchafewthingsforme,suchasIshallwantduringashortstayhere.Itismywishtoremainwithyoutillyouarebetter.Yourunclekindlypermitsmyattendance.Willittoyourselfbeacceptable,Caroline?" "Iamsorryyoushouldtakesuchneedlesstrouble.Idonotfeelveryill,butIcannotrefuseresolutely.Itwillbesuchcomforttoknowyouareinthehouse,toseeyousometimesintheroombutdon'tconfineyourselfonmyaccount,dearMrs.Pryor.Fannynursesmeverywell." Mrs.Pryor,bendingoverthepalelittlesufferer,wasnowsmoothingthehairunderhercap,andgentlyraisingherpillow.Assheperformedtheseoffices,Caroline,smiling,liftedherfacetokissher. "Areyoufreefrompain?Areyoutolerablyatease?"wasinquiredinalow,earnestvoice,astheself-electednurseyieldedtothecaress. "IthinkIamalmosthappy." "Youwishtodrink?Yourlipsareparched." Sheheldaglassfilledwithsomecoolingbeveragetohermouth. "Haveyoueatenanythingto-day,Caroline?" "Icannoteat." "Butsoonyourappetitewillreturnitmustreturn—thatis,IprayGoditmay." Inlayingheragainonthecouch,sheencircledherinherarmsandwhilesodoing,byamovementwhichseemedscarcelyvoluntary,shedrewhertoherheart,andheldherclosegatheredaninstant. "Ishallhardlywishtogetwell,thatImaykeepyoualways,"saidCaroline. Mrs.Pryordidnotsmileatthisspeech.Overherfeaturesranatremor,whichforsomeminutesshewasabsorbedinrepressing. "YouaremoreusedtoFannythantome,"sheremarkederelong."Ishouldthinkmyattendancemustseemstrange,officious?" "Noquitenatural,andverysoothing.Youmusthavebeenaccustomedtowaitonsickpeople,ma'am.Youmoveabouttheroomsosoftly,andyouspeaksoquietly,andtouchmesogently." "Iamdexterousinnothing,mydear.Youwilloftenfindmeawkward,butnevernegligent." Negligent,indeed,shewasnot.FromthathourFannyandElizabecameciphersinthesick-room.Mrs.Pryormadeitherdomainsheperformedallitsdutiesshelivedinitdayandnight.Thepatientremonstrated—faintly,however,fromthefirst,andnotatallerelong.Lonelinessandgloomwerenowbanishedfromherbedsideprotectionandsolacesatthereinstead.Sheandhernursecoalescedinwondrousunion.Carolinewasusuallypainedtorequireorreceivemuchattendance.Mrs.Pryor,underordinarycircumstances,hadneitherthehabitnortheartofperforminglittleofficesofservicebutallnowpassedwithsuchease,sonaturally,thatthepatientwasaswillingtobecherishedasthenursewasbentoncherishingnosignofwearinessinthelattereverremindedtheformerthatsheoughttobeanxious.Therewas,infact,noveryharddutytoperformbutahirelingmighthavefoundithard. Withallthiscareitseemedstrangethesickgirldidnotgetwellyetsuchwasthecase.Shewastedlikeanysnow-wreathinthawshefadedlikeanyflowerindrought.MissKeeldar,onwhosethoughtsdangerordeathseldomintruded,hadatfirstentertainednofearsatallforherfriendbutseeingherchangeandsinkfromtimetotimewhenshepaidhervisits,alarmclutchedherheart.ShewenttoMr.Helstoneandexpressedherselfwithsomuchenergythatthatgentlemanwasatlastobliged,howeverunwillingly,toadmittheideathathisniecewasillofsomethingmorethanamigraineandwhenMrs.Pryorcameandquietlydemandedaphysician,hesaidshemightsendfortwoifsheliked.Onecame,butthatonewasanoracle.Hedeliveredadarksayingofwhichthefuturewastosolvethemystery,wrotesomeprescriptions,gavesomedirections—thewholewithanairofcrushingauthority—pocketedhisfee,andwent.Probablyheknewwellenoughhecoulddonogood,butdidn'tliketosayso. Still,norumourofseriousillnessgotwindintheneighbourhood.AtHollow'sCottageitwasthoughtthatCarolinehadonlyaseverecold,shehavingwrittenanotetoHortensetothateffectandmademoisellecontentedherselfwithsendingtwopotsofcurrantjam,arecipeforatisane,andanoteofadvice. Mrs.Yorkebeingtoldthataphysicianhadbeensummoned,sneeredatthehypochondriacfanciesoftherichandidle,who,shesaid,havingnothingbutthemselvestothinkabout,mustneedssendforadoctorifonlysomuchastheirlittlefingerached. The"richandidle,"representedinthepersonofCaroline,weremeantimefallingfastintoaconditionofprostration,whosequicklyconsummateddebilitypuzzledallwhowitnesseditexceptoneforthatonealonereflectedhowliableistheunderminedstructuretosinkinsuddenruin. Sickpeopleoftenhavefanciesinscrutabletoordinaryattendants,andCarolinehadonewhichevenhertendernursecouldnotatfirstexplain.Onacertaindayintheweek,atacertai