They reached home three hours before they were expected, and she went
up at once to her room and her bed, leaving Jock to make the
explanations, and receive all Bobus's indignation at having allowed
her to knock herself up by such a foolish expedition.
Chill, fatigue, and, far more, grief after her long course of worry
really did bring on a feverish attack, so unprecedented in her that
it upset the whole family, and if Mr. Ogilvie had not been almost
equally wretched himself, he would have been amused to see these
three great sons wandering forlorn about the house like stray chicks
who had lost their parent hen, and imagining her ten times worse than
she really was.
Babie was really useful as a nurse, and had very little time to
comfort them. And indeed they treated her as childish and trifling
for assuring them that neither patient, maid, nor doctor thought the
ailment at all serious. Bobus found some relief in laying the blame
on Jock, but when Armine heard the illness ascribed to a long course
of anxiety and harass, he was conscience-stricken, as he thought how
often his perverse form of resignation had baffled her pleadings and
added to her vexations. Words, impatiently heard at the moment,
returned upon him, and compunction took its outward effect in
crossness.
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