CHAPTER XXII — COLONEL PRESTON'S RECOVERY

 Four weeks afterward¹, we will introduce the reader into the bedchamber of Colonel Preston. His sickness has been severe. At times recovery was doubtful, but Mrs. Burke has proved a careful and devoted³ nurse, intelligent and faithful enough to carry out the directions of the physician.

 

"How do you feel this morning, Colonel Preston?" asked the doctor, who had just entered the chamber².

 

"Better, doctor. I feel quite an appetite."

 

"You are looking better—decidedly better. The disease has spent its force, and retreated from the field."

 

"It is to you that the credit belongs, Dr. Townley."

 

"Only in part. The greater share belongs to your faithful nurse, Mrs. Burke."

 

"I shall not soon forget my obligations to her," said the sick man, significantly.

 

"Now, Colonel Preston," said Mrs. Burke, "you are making too much of what little I have done."

 

"That is impossible, Mrs. Burke. It is to your good nursing and the doctor's skill that I owe my life, and I hardly know to which the most."

 

"To the doctor, sir. I only followed out his directions."

 

"At the expense of your own health. You show the effects of your long-continued care."

 

"It won't take long to pick up," said Mrs. Burke, cheerfully.

 

"Is the danger of contagion⁴ over, doctor?" asked the patient.

 

"Quite so."

 

"Then, would it not be well to write to Mrs. Preston? Not that I mean to give up my good nurse just yet; that is, if she is willing to stay."

 

"I will stay as long as you need me, sir."

 

"That is well; but Mrs. Preston may wish to return, now that there's no further danger."

 

"I will write to her at once."

 

"Thank you."

 

The following letter was dispatched to Mrs. Preston:

 

    "MRS. PRESTON:—

    "Dear Madam: It gives me great pleasure to inform you that

    your husband is so far recovered that there is no danger now

    of infection. You can return with safety, and he will,

    doubtless, be glad to see you. He has been very ill,

    indeed—in danger of his life; but, thanks to the devotion of

    Mrs. Burke, who has proved an admirable nurse, he is now on

    the high road to recovery. Yours respectfully,

                                       "John Townley."

"I think that will bring her," said the doctor.

 

But he reckoned without his host.

 

The next day he received the following letter, on scented⁵ paper:

 

    "MY DEAR DOCTOR TOWNLEY: You cannot think how rejoiced I am

    to receive the tidings of my husband's convalescence⁶. I have

    been so tortured with anxiety during the last four weeks! You

    cannot think how wretchedly anxious I have been. I could not

    have endured to stay away from his bedside but that my duty

    imperatively⁷ required it. I have lost flesh, and my anxiety

    has worn upon me. Now, how gladly will I resume my place at

    the bedside of my husband, restored by your skill. I am glad

    the nurse has proved faithful. It was a good chance for her,

    for she shall be liberally paid, and no doubt the money will

    be welcome. But don't you think it might be more prudent⁸ for

    me to defer⁹ my return until next week? It will be safer, I

    think, and I owe it to my boy to be very careful. You know,

    the contagion may still exist. It is hard for me to remain

    longer away, when I would fain fly to the bedside of Mr.

    Preston, but I feel that it is best. Say to him, with my

    love, that he may expect me next week. Accept my thanks for

    your attention to him. I shall never forget it; and believe

    me to be, my dear doctor, your obliged

                                       "Lucinda Preston."

Dr. Townley threw down this letter with deep disgust.

 

"Was ever any woman more disgustingly selfish?" he exclaimed. "Her husband might have died, so far as she was concerned."

 

Of course, he had to show this letter to Colonel Preston.

 

The latter read it, with grave face, and the doctor thought he heard a sigh.

 

"My wife is very prudent," he said, with a touch of bitterness in his voice.

 

"She will be here next week," said the doctor, having nothing else to answer.

 

"I think she will run no risk then," said the sick man, cynically¹⁰.

 

But Mrs. Preston did not return in a week. It was a full week and a half before she arrived at her own house.

 

The doctor was just coming out of the front door.

 

"How is my husband?" she asked.

 

"Not far from well. He is still weak, of course."

 

"And are you sure," she said, anxiously, "that there is no danger of infection?"

 

"Not the slightest, madam," said Dr. Townley, coldly.

 

"I am so glad I can see him once more. You cannot imagine," she exclaimed, clasping her hands, "how much I have suffered in my suspense¹¹!"

 

The doctor remained cool and unmoved. He didn't feel that he could respond fittingly, being absolutely incredulous.

 

Mrs. Preston saw it, and was nettled¹². She knew that she was a hypocrite, but did not like to have the doctor, by his silence, imply his own conviction of it.

 

"Mine has been a hard position," she continued.

 

"Your husband has not had an easy time," said the doctor, significantly.

 

"But he has had good care—Mrs. Burke was a good nurse?"

 

"Admirable."

 

"She must be paid well."

 

"I offered her ten dollars a week."

 

"Humph!" said Mrs. Preston, doubtfully, in whose eyes five dollars would have been liberal compensation. "It has been a good chance for her."

 

"It is far from adequate," said the doctor, disgusted. "Money cannot pay for such service as hers, not to speak of the risk she ran, for cases have been known of persons being twice attacked by the disease."

 

"You don't think my husband will have a relapse?" asked Mrs. Preston, with fresh alarm.

 

"Not if he has the same care for a short time longer."

 

"He shall have it. She must stay. Of course her duties are lighter¹³ now, and six dollars a week for the remainder of the time will be enough—don't you think so?"

 

"No, I don't," said the doctor, bluntly; "and, moreover, I am quite sure your husband will not consent to reducing the wages of one whose faithful care has saved his life."

 

"Oh, well, you know best," said Mrs. Preston, slowly. "I am quite willing that she should be well paid."

 

Mrs. Preston went upstairs, and entered her husband's chamber.

 

"Oh, my dear husband!" she exclaimed, theatrically¹⁴, hurrying across the room, with affected¹⁵ emotion. "I am so glad to find you so much better!"

 

"I am glad to see you back, Lucinda," said Colonel Preston; but he spoke¹⁶ coldly, and without the slightest affectation of sentimental¹⁷ joy. "I have passed through a good deal since you left me."

 

"And so have I!" exclaimed his wife. "Oh, how my heart has been rent with anxiety, as I thought of you lying sick, while duty kept me from your side."

 

"Is Godfrey well?" asked her husband, taking no notice of her last speech.

 

"Yes, poor boy! He sends his love, and is so anxious to see you."

 

"Let him come next Friday afternoon," said the sick man, who doubted this statement, yet wanted to believe it true.

 

"He shall. I will write to him at once."

 

So Mrs. Preston resumed her place in the house; but from that time there was a something she could not understand in her husband's manner. He was graver than formerly¹⁸, and sometimes she saw him watching her intently, and, after a little, turn away, with a sigh.

 

He had found her out in all her intense selfishness and want of feeling, and he could never again regard her as formerly, even though she tried hard at times, by a show of affection, to cover up her heartless neglect.

1 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

2 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

3 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

4 contagion   

n.(通过接触的疾病)传染；蔓延

参考例句：

• A contagion of fear swept through the crowd.一种恐惧感在人群中迅速蔓延开。
• The product contagion effect has numerous implications for marketing managers and retailers.产品传染效应对市场营销管理者和零售商都有很多的启示。

5 scented   

adj.有香味的；洒香水的；有气味的v.嗅到(scent的过去分词)

参考例句：

• I let my lungs fill with the scented air. 我呼吸着芬芳的空气。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The police dog scented about till he found the trail. 警犬嗅来嗅去，终于找到了踪迹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 convalescence   

n.病后康复期

参考例句：

• She bore up well during her convalescence.她在病后恢复期间始终有信心。
• After convalescence he had a relapse.他于痊愈之后，病又发作了一次。

7 imperatively   

adv.命令式地

参考例句：

• Drying wet rice rapidly and soaking or rewetting dry rice kernels imperatively results in severe fissuring. 潮湿米粒快速干燥或干燥籽粒浸水、回潮均会产生严重的裂纹。 来自互联网
• Drying wet rice kernels rapidly, Soaking or Rewetting dry rice Kernels imperatively results in severe fissuring. 潮湿米粒的快速干燥，干燥籽粒的浸水或回潮均会带来严重的裂纹。 来自互联网

8 prudent   

adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的

参考例句：

• A prudent traveller never disparages his own country.聪明的旅行者从不贬低自己的国家。
• You must school yourself to be modest and prudent.你要学会谦虚谨慎。

9 defer   

vt.推迟，拖延；vi.(to)遵从，听从，服从

参考例句：

• We wish to defer our decision until next week.我们希望推迟到下星期再作出决定。
• We will defer to whatever the committee decides.我们遵从委员会作出的任何决定。

10 cynically   

adv.爱嘲笑地，冷笑地

参考例句：

• "Holding down the receiver,'said Daisy cynically. “挂上话筒在讲。”黛西冷嘲热讽地说。 来自英汉文学 - 盖茨比
• The Democrats sensibly (if cynically) set about closing the God gap. 民主党在明智（有些讽刺）的减少宗教引起的问题。 来自互联网

11 suspense   

n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑

参考例句：

• The suspense was unbearable.这样提心吊胆的状况实在叫人受不了。
• The director used ingenious devices to keep the audience in suspense.导演用巧妙手法引起观众的悬念。

12 nettled   

v.拿荨麻打，拿荨麻刺（nettle的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• My remarks clearly nettled her. 我的话显然惹恼了她。
• He had been growing nettled before, but now he pulled himself together. 他刚才有些来火，但现在又恢复了常态。 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛

13 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

14 theatrically   

adv.戏剧化地

参考例句：

• He looked theatrically at his watch. 他夸张地看看表。 来自柯林斯例句

15 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

16 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

17 sentimental   

adj.多愁善感的，感伤的

参考例句：

• She's a sentimental woman who believes marriage comes by destiny.她是多愁善感的人，她相信姻缘命中注定。
• We were deeply touched by the sentimental movie.我们深深被那感伤的电影所感动。

18 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。