The doctor drew a heavy sigh, as he was enabled to get rid of what was nearest to his heart; and the dragoon coolly replaced his coat, saying with great deliberation as he retired "I know no troop that cut more judiciously; they generally shave from the crown to the jaw." The disappointed operator collected his instruments, and with a heavy heart proceeded to pay a visit to the room of Colonel Wellmere. CHAPTER XII. This fairy form contains a soul as mighty Duo. THE number and character of her guests had greatly added to the cares of Miss Jeanette Peyton. The morning found them all restored, in some measure, to their former ease of body, with the exception of the youthful Captain of dragoons, who had been so deeply regretted by Dunwoodie. The wound of this officer was severe, though the surgeon persevered in saying that it was without danger. His comrade, we have shown, had deserted his couch; and Henry Wharton awoke from a sleep that had been undisturbed by anything but a dream of suffering amputation under the hands of a surgical novice. As it proved, however, to be nothing but a dream, the youth found himself much refreshed by his slumbers; and Dr. Sitgreaves removed all further apprehensions by confidently pronouncing that he would be a well man within a fortnight. During all this time Colonel Wellmere did not make his appearance; he breakfasted in his own room, and, notwithstanding certain significant smiles of the man of science, declared himself too much injured to rise from his bed. Leaving him, therefore, endeavouring to conceal his chagrin in the solitude of his chamber, the surgeon proceeded to the more grateful task of sitting an hour by the bedside of George Singleton. A slight flush was on the face of the patient as the doctor entered the room; and the latter advanced promptly, and laid his fingers on the pulse of the youth, beckoning to him to be silent, while he muttered to himself "Growing symptoms of a febrile pulse - no, no, my dear George, you must remain quiet and dumb; though your eyes look better, and your skin has even a moisture." "Nay, my dear Sitgreaves," said the youth, taking his hand, "you see there is no fever about me: look, is there any of Jack Lawton's hoar-frost on my tongue?" "No, indeed," said the surgeon, clapping a spoon in the mouth of the other, forcing it open, and looking down his throat as if disposed to visit the interior in person; "the tongue is well, and the pulse begins to lower again. Ah! the bleeding did you good! Phlebotomy is a sovereign specific for southern constitutions. But that mad-cap Lawton obstinately refused to be blooded for a fall he had from his horse, last night. Why, George, your case is becoming singular," continued the doctor, instinctively throwing aside his wig; "your pulse even and soft, your skin moist, but your eye fiery, and cheek flushed. Oh! I must examine more closely into these symptoms." "Softly, my good friend, softly," said the youth, falling back on his pillow, and losing some of that colour which alarmed his companion; "I believe in extracting the ball you did for me all that is required. I am free from pain, and only weak, I do assure you." "Captain Singleton," said the surgeon, with heat, "it is presumptuous in you to pretend to tell your medical attendant when you are free from pain; if it be not to enable us to decide in such matters, of what avail the lights of science? For shame, George, for shame; even that perverse fellow, John Lawton, could not behave with more obstinacy." His patient smiled, as he gently repulsed his physician in an attempt to undo the bandages, and, with a returning glow to his cheeks, enquired — "Do, Archibald," a term of endearment that seldom failed to soften the operator's heart, "tell me what spirit from heaven has been gliding around my apartment, while I lay pretending to sleep?" "If any one interferes with my patients," cried the doctor, hastily, "I will teach them, spirit or no spirit, what it is to meddle with another man's concerns." "Tut my dear fellow, there was no interference made, nor any intended; see," exhibiting the bandages, "every thing is as you left it, but it glided about the room with the grace of a fairy, and the tenderness of an angel." The surgeon, having satisfied himself that every thing was as he had left it, very deliberately resumed his seat and replaced his wig, as he enquired, with a brevity that would have honoured Lieutenant Mason "Had it petticoats, George?" "I saw nothing but its heavenly eyes its bloom its majestic step its grace," replied the young man, with rather more ardour than his surgeon thought consistent with his debilitated condition, and he laid his hand on his mouth, to stop him, saying himself "It must have been Miss Jeanette Peyton accomplishments, with hem of step you speak of a lady of fine with something of the kind a very complacent eye; and as to the bloom, I dare say offices of charity can summon as fine a colour to her cheeks, as glows in the faces of her more youthful nieces."; "Nieces! has she nieces, then? the angel I saw may be a daughter, a sister, or a niece, but never an aunt." “Hush, George, hush, your talking has brought our pulse up again; you must observe quiet, and prepare for a meeting with your own sister, who will be here within an hour." "What, Isabella! and who sent for her?" "The Major." "Considerate Dunwoodie!" murmured the exhausted youth, sinking again on his pillow; where the commands of his attendant compelled him to remain silent. Even Captain Lawton had been received with many and courteous enquiries after the state of his health, from all the members of the family, when he made his morning entrance; but an invisible spirit presided over the comforts of the English Colonel. Sarah had shrunk with consciousness from entering the room, yet she knew the position of every glass, and had, with her own hands, supplied the contents of every bowl, that stood on his table. At the time of our tale, we were a divided people, and Sarah thought it was no more than her duty to cherish the institutions of that country to which she yet clung as the land of her forefathers; but there were other, and more cogent, reasons for the silent preference she was giving to the Englishman. His image had first filled the void in her youthful fancy, and it was an image that was distinguished by many of those attractions that can enchain a female heart. It is true, he wanted the personal excellence of Peyton Dunwoodie, but his pretensions were far from contemptible. Sarah had moved about the house during the morning, casting frequent and longing glances at the door of Wellmere's apartment, anxious to learn the condition of his wounds, and yet ashamed to enquire; conscious interest kept her tongue tied, until her sister, with the frankness of innocence, had put the desired question to Dr. Sitgreaves. "Colonel Wellmere," said the operator, gravely, "is in what I call a state of free-will, madam. He is ill, or he is well, as he please; his case, young lady, exceeds my art to heal; and I take it Sir Henry Clinton is the best adviser he can apply to: though Major Dunwoodie has made the communication with his leech rather difficult." Frances smiled, but averted her face, while Sarah moved with the grace of an offended Juno, from the apartment. Her own room, however, afforded her but little relief, and in passing through the long gallery that communicated with each of the chambers of the building, she noticed the door of Singleton's room to be open. The wounded youth seemed sleeping, and was alone. She had ventured lightly into the apartment, and busied herself for a few minutes in arranging the tables, and the nourishment provided for the patient, hardly conscious of what she was doing, and possibly dreaming that these little feminine offices were performed for another. Her natural bloom was heightened by the insinuation of the surgeon, nor was the lustre of her eye in any degree diminished. The sound of the approaching footstep of Sitgreaves hastened her retreat down a private stairway, to the side of her sister. The sisters then sought the fresh air on the piazza; and as they pursued their walk, arm in arm, the following dialogue had place: "There is something disagreeable about this surgeon of Dunwoodie," said Sarah, "that causes me to wish him away most heartily." Frances fixed her laughing eyes on her sister; but forbearing to speak, the other readily construed their expression, and hastily added, "but I forget he is one of your renowned corps of Virginians, and must be spoken of reverently." "As respectfully as you please, my dear sister; there is but little danger of exceeding the truth." "Not in your opinion," said the elder, with a little warmth; "but I think Mr. Dunwoodie has taken a liberty that exceeds the rights of consanguinity; he has made our father's house a hospital." "We ought to be grateful that none of the patients it contains are dearer to us." "True, true," interrupted Frances, blushing to the eyes; "bu he leaves his room, and thinks his wound lightly purchased by the pleasure of being with his friends. If," she added, with a tremulous lip, "this dreadful suspicion that is affixed to his visit were removed, I could consider his wound of little moment." “You now have the fruits of rebellion brought home to you; a brother wounded and a prisoner, and perhaps a victim; your father distressed, his privacy interrupted, and not improbably his estates torn from him, on account of his loyalty to his king." Frances continued her walk in silence. While facing the northern entrance to the vale, her eyes were uniformly fastened on the point where the road was suddenly lost by the intervention of a hill; and at each turn, as she lost sight of the spot, she lingered until an impatient movement of her sister quickened her pace to an even motion with that of her own. At length, a single horse-chaise |