'I do not suppose you want to change me for anybody else,' she said. 'But I do not want you to think I _am_ anybody else.'

There came just then rapid hoof-beats round the house, and in a minute more Dingee presented himself in the red room, bearing a request that Mr. Rollo would come to the side door for a moment, to see Dr. Arthur Maryland.

CHAPTER XVI.

DR. ARTHUR'S NEWS.

The doctor was on horseback, but standing a little way off from the steps.

'Stay where you are?' he said, speaking low however. 'Dane, there is ship fever among those Swedes that have just come to the Hollow.'

'The Schiffers?'

'Yes. I was not certain till to-night, but I have been all day taking precautions and making arrangements, and could not get away a minute sooner. I was afraid you might miss a message; and I would not write notes there to be opened here. Now I cannot stop to talk, but if you will send me general orders every morning for men and business in the Hollow, I will see them carried out. Good- night.?My respects to her Grace.'

'Stop?Arthur!' said the other as he was moving off?'I shall be there presently.'

'On no account!' said Dr. Arthur wheeling round. 'I am too glad that you were here to-day. Always depute that part of your work which somebody else can do.'

'I will be there, Arthur, in an hour or two. Go on?you had better not wait for me.'

Dr. Arthur sat still a minute, looking down between his horse's ears.

'Well,' he said,?'perhaps it is none of my business, ? but do you know what a sensitive plant you have to deal with in there? She must not have another shock like that mysterious one of a month ago. Good-night!?'

With a somewhat slow step, Rollo left the hall door and went back to the red room. But his face shewed no change to disturb Wych Hazel. He came back first to the fire, and somewhat thoughtfully, quite silently, put it in order. By that time he was ready. He faced Wych Hazel, and spoke in his ordinary tone.

'I am glad we have had this day, Wych?and I am glad we have had our talk this evening: for I find we cannot have another in some time.'

'You are going away?' she said, rising and coming towards him.

'One of your business trips? Then this will be my time for a few days in town, to "do about dress" a little. Do you suppose?

honestly?that anybody wants my new gloves?' The question came with a laugh and a flash which yet did not hide it. But silently Dane folded his two arms about her and pressed kiss after kiss upon brow and lips. That shewed feeling more than he meant to shew it. Yet when he spoke his tone was clear and sweet, no shadow at all in it.

'I am not going away.'

She drew off as far as she could, to look at him, with sudden instinctive fear. Only her eyes put questions now.

'Yes,' he said,?'there is sickness in the Hollow. And it is contagious sickness.'

'O, is there?'?with a grave look which yet told more of relief that concern. 'And you are going to help Dr. Arthur take care of them!'

He answered absently, looking at her, as a man might who expected to lose such an indulgence for some time to come. Her face was very thoughtful for a minute; then she looked up with almost a smile.

'Yes,' she repeated,?'of course you must. Well, I am ready.'

'Are you?' said he. 'For what?'

'You think I do not know enough,' said Hazel with some eagerness; 'and I do not know much; but I can follow directions. And Byo declares she was never so taken care of in her life as once by me.'

Instead of answering, at first, Dane clasped her closer in his arms and kissed her, as if in antic.i.p.ation of the hunger for the sight of her which would shortly set in.

'I should like to have you take care of me,' he said at length. 'If I needed a little care, that is.'

'Well,' said Wych Hazel, 'you may put it so, if you like. You will need a great deal before you have been in that Hollow two days.'

'Need it. Do you think you can give it?' said he wistfully.

'Without a doubt.'

'But you are not my wife, Wych?you cannot be there with me now. And if you were my wife, you could not. Do you think I would let you?'

She shrank back a little, hanging her head. This view of the case had certainly not come up.

'I thought?I suppose?anybody may come and go to see sick people,' she said under her breath. 'I thought, anybody might stay with them. And I think so now. I never heard of etiquette over small-pox.'

'You could not "come and go" to these people. I shall establish a strict quarantine, and probably be in it myself. You must not come even near the Hollow.'

'But I need not have anything to do with you,' pleaded Hazel. 'I am going to serve under Dr. Arthur.'

'That is just my place.'

'You may keep it,' said Hazel. 'A woman's place is not solid and stationary like a man's. n.o.body will know where I am, but some poor sick child that everyone else is too busy for.'

Perhaps Dane smothered a sigh; but he only said, clear and clean- cut the words were now,?

'I cannot have you there, Hazel. You must keep your place and do your work here. The Hollow is my business.'

'And you mean to leave me outside of your business?' she questioned, with eyes incredulous even yet.

'Outside of this business. And you are not to come even near the Hollow. I know you do not like to give promises, and so I do not ask for one. This is not a request. You understand?'

'Olaf!'?It was the sweetest of pleading tones. But no more words followed,?neither word nor look.

'Ah you have adopted me at last, have you!' said he. 'I have been waiting for this. And the sweetness of it will be in my ears all these days before me. The _next time_ you speak that word in such music, Hazel, I will give you what you ask.'

'Not now?' she said softly. 'I may not go even to Gyda's?'

'Gyda will be with me.'

The words, the utterance, were cheery, clear and sweet; at the same time strong and absolute. And Rollo wore a look which I think a woman does not dislike to see on a face she loves, even though its decisions be against her; there was sweetness enough in it, also unmanageableness! No shadow, it must be noted. If he was going into danger, and knew it, the fact did not shadow him.

Hazel stood still, struggling with herself; fighting the disappointment and the restraint; most of all, the sorrow which came in the train of the other two. For with the pa.s.sing away of her own thought of going, the thought that he must go came out clear and strong. Into that infected place, to be shut up in quarantine with no one knew what! Hazel pa.s.sed her hands across her forehead as if she were pushing the shadows right and left, bidding them wait.

'I wanted to ask,' she said,?and then the voice changed, and suddenly the soft touch of her fingers came to his face, stroking back some lock of hair to its accustomed place. But the look was as intent and unconscious as if she never expected to see him again in all her life. And he stood still, like a man under a spell, which he would not break by the least movement.

'Those people,' she began again hurriedly, bringing herself back to business and a business tone, 'will want a great deal. And there is not much in the Hollow, nor on the hill. If you will let me, I can have supplies sent from here every day. Mrs. Byw.a.n.k will know what. And my messenger need not go near that part of the Hollow; the things can be left at any point you say.' She looked up eagerly?then down again; not much fonder than he was of asking what she could not have.