Читать книгу On the Brink of a Chasm: A record of plot and passion онлайн

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As to the mother of the dead boy, the terrible shock had brought on a sharp attack of nervous fever. A nurse had to be called in to look after her. As a matter of course, Nurse Ives had been asked to undertake the case, but, much to Barbara’s surprise, she absolutely refused to nurse Mrs. Pelham.

“I cannot do it,” she said. “I will stay in the house until another nurse arrives, but I do not wish to have anything to do with the case.”

Tarbot was much annoyed at this decision, but he could not shake Nurse Ives’s resolve.

Forty-eight hours after the death of the child his coffin arrived. The undertaker’s men brought it into the room. Nurse Ives was the only one present. The men lifted the little body from the bed and laid it in the coffin. They then turned to view their work.

“He makes a pretty corpse, don’t he?” said one to the other.

In truth he did. His face was like a flower, for the color had not quite left his cheeks.

“You’d a’most fancy he was alive still,” said one of the men. “See that touch of pink?” He touched the cheek reverently. Nurse Ives went up and stood at the head of the bed. She gave the man an angry glance and he apologized for what he had done.