He could not deny Mr. Voss.
He found the poor distressed mother in a condition of utter
prostration. For a little while after coming out of the swoon into
which her first wild fears had thrown her, she had been able to
maintain a tolerably calm exterior. But the very effort to do this
was a draught on her strength, and in a few hours, under the
continued suspense of waiting and hearing nothing from her boy, the
overstrained nerves broke down again, and she sunk into a condition
of half-conscious suffering that was painful to see.
For such conditions medicine can do but little. All that Doctor
Hillhouse ventured to prescribe was a quieting draught. It was after
eleven o'clock when he got back to his office, where he found Mr.
Ridley waiting for him with a note from Doctor Ainsworth.
"Come for just a single moment," the note said. "There are marked
changes in her condition."
"I cannot! It is impossible!" exclaimed Doctor Hillhouse, with an
excitement of manner he could not repress. Doctor Ainsworth can do
all that it is in the power of medical skill to accomplish. It will
not help her for me to go again now, and another life is in my
hands. I am sorry, Mr. Ridley, but I cannot see your wife again
until this afternoon.
"Oh, doctor, doctor, don't say that!" cried the poor, distressed
husband, clasping his hands and looking at Doctor Hillhouse with a
pale, imploring face. "Just for single moment, doctor.
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