第120章

The next thing I remember with any distinctness is Dorinda's knocking at my bedroom door.I remember reaching that bedroom, of course, and of meeting Lute in the kitchen and telling him that Iwas not to be disturbed, that I should not come down to supper and that I wanted to be let alone--to be let ALONE--until I saw fit to show myself.But these memories are all foggy and mixed with dreams and nightmares.As I say, the next thing that I remember distinctly after staggering from the Colton library is Dorinda's knocking at the door of my bedroom.

"Ros! Roscoe!" she was calling."Can you get up now? There is somebody downstairs waitin' to see you."I turned over in bed and began to collect my senses.

"What time is it, Dorinda?" I asked, drowsily.

"About ten, or a little after."

Ten! Then I had not slept so long, after all.It was nearly four when I went to bed and...But what made the room so light?

There was no lamp.And the windows...I sat up.

"You don't mean to tell me it is ten o'clock IN THE FORENOON!" Icried.

"Um-hm.I hated to disturb you.You've been sleepin' like the everlastin' hills and I knew you must be completely wore out.But I felt pretty sartin you'd want to see the--who 'tis that here's to see you, so I decided to wake you up.""It is high time you did, I should think! I'll be down in a minute.Who is it that wishes to see me, Dorinda?"But Dorinda had gone.I dressed hurriedly and descended the stairs to the dining-room.There, seated in a chair by the door, his eyes closed, his chin resting upon his chest, and his aristocratic nose proclaiming the fact that he slumbered, was Johnson, the Colton butler.I was not greatly surprised.I had rather suspected that my caller might be he, or some other messenger from the big house.

He started at the sound of my entrance and awoke.

"I--I beg your pardon, sir," he stammered."I--I beg your pardon, sir, I'm sure.I've been--I 'aven't closed my eyes for the past two nights, sir, and I am tired out.Mr.Colton wishes to see you at once, sir.He wishes you to come over immediately."I was surprised now."MR.Colton wishes it," I repeated."You mean Miss Colton, don't you, Johnson.""No, sir.It is Mr.Colton this time, sir.Miss Colton is out in the motor, sir.""But Mr.Colton is too ill to see me, or anyone else.""No, sir, he isn't.He's very much better.He's quite himself, sir, really.And he is very anxious to see you.On a matter of business, he says."I hesitated.I had expected this, though not so soon.He wanted to ask questions concerning my crazy dip into his financial affairs, doubtless.Well, I should have to see him some time or other, and it might as well be now.

I called to Dorinda, who was in the kitchen, and bade her tell Mother, if she inquired for me, that I had gone out, but would be back soon.Then Johnson and I walked briskly along the bluff path.

We entered the big house.

"Mr.Colton is in his room, sir," explained the butler."You are to see him there.This way, sir."But before we reached the foot of the stairs Doctor Quimby came out of the library.He and I shook hands.The doctor was a happy man.

"Well!" he exclaimed, "what's the matter with the one-horse, country-jay doctor now, hey! If there is any one of the Boston specialists at a hundred a visit who can yank a man out of a serious sickness and put him on his feet quicker than I can, why trot him along, that's all! I want to see him! I've been throwing bouquets at myself for the last ten hours.Ho! ho! Say, Ros, you'll think my head is swelled pretty bad, won't you! Ho! ho!"I asked how the patient was getting on.

"Fine! Tip-top! The only trouble is that he ought to keep perfectly quiet and not do a thing or think of a thing, except getting his strength back, for the next week.But he hadn't been conscious more than a couple of hours before he was asking questions about business and so on.He and his daughter had a long confab this morning and after that he was neither to bind or tie.

He must see you, that's all there was to it.Say, Ros, what did you and Phin Cahoon and the Colton girl do yesterday?""Oh, we put through one of Mr.Colton's little trades for him, that's all.""That's all, hey! Well, whatever 'twas, he and I owe you a vote of thanks.He began to get better the minute he heard it.He's feeling so chipper that, if it wasn't that I swore he shouldn't, he'd have got out of bed by this time.You must go up and see him, I suppose, but don't stay too long.He's a wonder for strength and recuperative powers, but don't tire him too much.If that wife of his was in Europe or somewhere, I'd feel easier.She's the most tiring thing in the house."Johnson led the way upstairs.At the chamber door he knocked and announced my presence.

"Bring him in! What is he waiting for?" demanded a voice which, considering how recently its owner had been at death's door, was surprisingly strong.I entered the room.

He was in bed, propped up with pillows.Beside him sat Mrs.

Colton.Of the two she looked the more disturbed.Her eyes were wet and she was dabbing at them with a lace handkerchief.Her morning gown was a wondrous creation."Big Jim," with his iron-gray hair awry and his eyes snapping, looked remarkably wide awake and alive.

"How are you, Paine?" he said."Glad to see you.Sorry to bring you over here, but I had to see you and that doctor says I must stay in this room for a while yet.He may be right.My understanding is pretty shaky, I'll admit.You've met Mrs.Colton, haven't you?"I bowed and expressed my pleasure at meeting the lady.Her bow was rather curt, but she regarded me with an astonishing amount of agitated interest.Also she showed symptoms of more tears.