Let us make the dismal story as brief as
possible. Nurse Barton, hearing of her "dear boy's" trouble,
presented herself uninvited that evening at ten o'clock, and insisted
that George should not sit up. She remained in the house,
notwithstanding Mrs. Broad's assurances that she really was not
wanted, and watched over Priscilla till the end came.
About a week afterwards, just when Priscilla seemed to be getting a
little better--she had been delirious, but her senses had returned--
and Mrs. Allen, who had been in the house all day, had departed, a
change for the worse took place, and the doctor was summoned.
George, sitting in the parlour alone, heard Nurse Barton come
downstairs.
"My dear boy," she said as she entered, "God in His mercy strengthen
you in this trial as He has laid upon you, but I thought I'd just
come and tell you myself. The doctor wor a-comm', but I said 'No; my
boy shall hear it from me.' I don't think as your wife will get
better; she don't seem to pull herself up a bit. She a'nt got no
strength no more than a fly. You'd better see her, I think."
"Who is there?"
"Her mother and the doctor."
"Can't you get rid of them?"
"All right, my dear.
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