Stories from the Diary of a Doctor.
By the Authors of "The Medicine Lady."
IX.—AN OAK COFFIN.
N a certain cold morning in early spring, I was visited by two ladies, mother and daughter. The mother was dressed as a widow. She was a tall, striking-looking woman, with full, wide-open dark eyes, and a mass of rich hair turned back from a white and noble brow. Her lips were firm, her features well formed. She seemed to have plenty of character, but the deep lines of sadness under her eyes and round her lips were very remarkable. The daughter was a girl of fourteen, slim to weediness. Her eyes were dark, like her mother's, and she had an abundance of tawny brown and very handsome hair. It hung down her back below her waist, and floated over her shoulders. She was dressed, like her mother, in heavy mourning, and round her young mouth and dark, deep eyes there lingered the same inexpressible sadness.
I motioned my visitors to chairs, and waited as usual to learn the reason of their favouring me with a call.
"My name is Heathcote," said the elder lady. "I have lately lost my husband. I have come to you on account of my daughter—she is not well."
I glanced again more attentively at the young girl. I saw that she looked overstrained and nervous. Her restlessness, too, was so apparent that she could scarcely sit still, and catching up a paper-knife which stood on the table near, she began twirling it rapidly between her finger and thumb.
"It does me good to fidget with something," she said, glancing apologetically at her mother.
"What are your daughter's symptoms?" I asked.
Mrs. Heathcote began to describe them in the vague way which characterizes a certain class of patient. I gathered at last from her words that Gabrielle would not eat—she slept badly—she was weak and depressed—she took no interest in anything.
"How old is Miss Gabrielle?" I asked.
"She will be fifteen her next birthday," replied her mother.
All the while Mrs. Heathcote was speaking, the young daughter kept her eyes fixed on the carpet—she still twirled the paper-knife, and once or twice she yawned profoundly.
I asked her to prepare for the usual medical examination. She complied without any alacrity, and with a look on her face which said plainly, "Young as I am, I know how useless all this fuss is—I only submit because I must."
I felt her pulse and sounded her heart and lungs. The action of the heart was a little weak, but the lungs were perfectly healthy. In short, beyond a general physical and mental debility, I could find nothing whatever the matter with the girl.
After a time, I rang the bell to desire my servant to take Miss Heathcote into another room, in order that I might speak to her mother alone.
The young lady went away very unwillingly. The sceptical expression on her face was more apparent than ever.
"You will be sure to tell me the exact truth?" said Mrs. Heathcote, as soon as we were alone.
"I have very little to tell," I replied. "I have examined your daughter carefully. She is suffering from no disease to which a name can be attached. She is below par, certainly; there is weakness and general depression, but a tonic ought to set all these matters right."
"I have tried tonics without avail," said Mrs. Heathcote.
"Has not your family physician seen Miss Heathcote?"
"Not lately." The widow's manner became decidedly hesitating. "The fact is, we have not consulted him since—since Mr. Heathcote's death," she said.
"When did that take place?"
"Six months ago."
Here she spoke with infinite sadness, and her face, already very pale, turned perceptibly paler.
"Is there nothing you can tell me to give me a clue to your daughter's condition? Is there anything, for instance, preying on her mind?"
"Nothing whatever."
"The expression of her face is very sad for so young a girl."
