Undoubtedly his influence
over her was such as it could scarcely have become under any other
circumstances. Her long obedience to his will in the matter of Guy
had brought her to a state of submission at which once she would
have scoffed. And when at last, the worst of the battle over, she
was overtaken by an overpowering weariness of mind and body, all
things combined to place her at a hopeless disadvantage.
One day, after three weeks of strenuous nursing, she quitted Guy's
room very suddenly to battle with a ghastly feeling of faintness
which threatened to overwhelm her. Kieff, who had been present
with Guy, followed her almost immediately to her own room, and
found her with a deathly face groping against the wall as one
stricken blind.
He took her firmly by the shoulders and forced her down over the
back of a chair, holding her so with somewhat callous strength of
purpose, till with a half-hysterical gasp she begged him to set her
free. The colour had returned to her face when she stood up, but
those few moments of weakness had bereft her of her self-control.
She could not restrain her tears.
Kieff showed no emotion of any sort. With professional calm, he
put her down upon the bed, and stood over her, feeling her pulse.
"You want sleep," he said.
She turned her face away from him, ashamed of the weakness she
could not hide.
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