Again he listened while you might count two, and dipped the handkerchief, so folded, into the water, and quietly squeezed it; and stood white and glittering by Sturk's bed-side.
People moved very noiselessly about that house, and scarcely a minute had passed when the door opened softly, and the fair Magnolia Macnamara popped in her glowing face and brilliant glance, and whispered.
'Are you there, Mrs.Sturk, dear ?' At the far side of the bed, Dangerfield, with his flashing spectacles and snowy aspect, and a sort of pant, rose up straight, and looked into her eyes, like a white bird of prey disturbed over its carrion.
She uttered a little scream--quite pale on a sudden--for she did not recognise the sinister phantom who glimmered at her over the prostrate Sturk.
But Dangerfield laughed his quiet hollow 'ha! ha! ha!' and said promptly, 'A strange old nurse I make, Miss Macnamara.

But what can I do?
Mrs.
Sturk has left me in charge, and faith I believe our patient's looking mighty badly.' He had observed Miss Mag glancing from him to the dumb figure in the bed with a puzzled kind of horror.
The fact is, Sturk's face had a leaden tint; he looked, evidently enough, even in that dim candle-light, a great deal worse than the curious Miss Mag was accustomed to see him.
'He's very low, to-night, and seems oppressed, and his pulse is failing; in fact, my dear young lady, he's plainly worse to-night than I like to tell poor Mrs.Sturk, you understand.' 'And his face looks so shiny and damp-like,' said Miss Mag, with a horrible sort of scrutiny.
'Exactly so, Miss, 'tis _weakness_,' observed Dangerfield.
'And you were wiping it with your pocket-handkerchief when I looked in,' continued Miss Mag.
'Was I--ha, ha--'tis wonderful how quick we learn a new business.

I vow I begin to think I should make a very respectable nursetender.' 'And what the dickens brings _him_ up here ?' asked Miss Mag of herself; so soon as the first shock was over, the oddity of the situation struck her as she looked with perplexed and unpleasant sort of enquiry at Mr.
Dangerfield.
Just then up came the meek little Mrs.Sturk, and the gentleman greeted her with a 'Well, Madam, I have not left his bedside since you went down; and I think he looks a little better--just a little--eh ?' 'I trust and pray, Sir, that when the doctor--' began Mrs.Sturk, and stopped short, for Mr.Dangerfield frowned quickly, and pointed towards Miss Mag, who was now, after her wont, looking round the room for matter of interest.
'And is Pell comin' out to-night ?' asked Miss Mag quickly.
'No, truly.

Madam,' answered the gentleman: 'Dr.Pell's not comin'-- is he, Mrs.Sturk ?' 'Dr.Pell!--oh, la--no, Sir.

No, my dear.' And, after a pause, 'Oh, ho.
I wish it was over,' she groaned, with her hand pressed to her side, looking with a kind of agony on Sturk.
'_What over_ ?' asked Miss Mag.
Just then a double-knock came to the hall-door, and Mr.Dangerfield signed sternly to Mrs.Sturk, who first stood up, with her eyes and mouth wide open, and then sat down, like a woman going to faint.
But the maid came up and told Miss Mag that her mother and Lieutenant O'Flaherty were waiting on the steps for her; and so, though loath to go unsatisfied, away she went, with a courtesy to Mr.Dangerfield and a kiss to Mrs.Sturk, who revived on hearing it was only her fat kindly neighbour from over the way, instead of Black Doctor Dillon, with his murderous case of instruments.
The gentleman in the silver spectacles accompanied her to the lobby, and offered his hand; but she dispensed with his attendance, and jumped down the stairs with one hand to the wall and the other on the banisters, nearly a flight at a time; and the cackle of voices rose from the hall door, which quickly shut, and the fair vision had vanished.
Dangerfield's silver spectacles gleamed phosphorically after her from under his lurid forehead.