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Authors: Sheila Ridley
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disease herself.”
“Have you done anything about it?”
“I’ve sent for her parents to take her home. On my last visit to the settlement I told Kani he mustn’t try to get her back and he agreed, but if she goes to him I don’t think he’ll have the strength of mind to send her away.” With a sigh of exasperation he raised his eyebrows and looked at Katherine. “Well, Nurse? You’re a sensible young woman. You see that this child can’t be allowed to waste her life like this?”
“I don’t think she would be wasting her life and I’m sure she doesn’t think so.” Katherine was surprised at the firmness with which she answered him; she could see that he was surprised too. Gazing down at her hands clasped in her lap she continued, “If Fina is willing to give up her own people and risk her health to be with him, then she must really love him. It would be cruel to separate them.”
“Well, I don’t know,” Mark shook his head. “It seems unreasonable to me.”
“Love never reasons,” murmured Katherine, almost to herself.
“What’s that?” Mark asked.
“Oh, it’s nothing,” she muttered, feeling her cheeks burning. “Just something I read somewhere. It seemed to fit the situation.”
“Let’s hear it, then.”
“Love never reasons,” she repeated flatly.
“Is that all?” he persisted.
Wishing desperately that she had not allowed herself to be drawn into this conversation, Katherine quoted, “Love never reasons but profusely gives, gives like a thoughtless prodigal its all, and trembles then, lest it has done too little!”
After a second’s silence, during which Katherine had to fight her impulse to run from the room, Mark said, “Well, well, I never suspected you had a poetic streak. Do you really believe in that sentimental stuff and nonsense?”
“Yes, I do. I mean, I don’t think it is sentimental stuff and nonsense,” she retorted sharply, stung by the amused contempt in his voice.
He shrugged his broad shoulders and stood up. “All right, Nurse. You win. Love shall prevail. We’ll let these two youngsters work out their own destinies. There, you’ve got me talking like a popular song now.” He grinned. “Come along. It’s time we were getting across to the house. We must make an early start tomorrow. Do you think we could squeeze a couple more beds into the wards? I know it would make your work more difficult; there’s hardly room to turn a trolley now, but the waiting list is growing every day and we can’t speed up the discharge any more.”
As they walked through the grass, talking of the hospital, Katherine’s thoughts were still on the young pair, Fina and Kani. On the face of it, theirs was a tragic case but still Katherine felt a little envious of Fina who, whatever her troubles, had the joy of loving and knowing her love was returned.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
After dinner Mark went to his room to write his monthly report for the Mission Society; Andrew and his sister began to play b e zique , and Katherine sat by the window with her embroidery. But the colors kept running into one another and her arms felt heavy so that it was an effort to hold the tablecloth.
The voices of the card players faded further into the distance ... sequence ... b e zique ... royal marriage.
Then somebody was lifting her head ... and smoothing back her hair with a cool, gentle hand. She would have to open her eyes but oh, she didn’t want to. “Andrew. My goodness, I must’ve fallen asleep. I’m so sorry.” She sat up and rubbed her eyes.
Andrew was kneeling beside her chair, his brown eyes full of concern. “You’re worn out, child,” he said tenderly. “You must be, to have slept in this hard chair. You’ve been resting your face against the back and it’s made a mark right across your cheek.” He traced the mark with his finger. “Here, let me put this cushion under your head.”
Katherine suddenly remembered Mary Kennedy. “Your sister—”
“Mary is
“Have you done anything about it?”
“I’ve sent for her parents to take her home. On my last visit to the settlement I told Kani he mustn’t try to get her back and he agreed, but if she goes to him I don’t think he’ll have the strength of mind to send her away.” With a sigh of exasperation he raised his eyebrows and looked at Katherine. “Well, Nurse? You’re a sensible young woman. You see that this child can’t be allowed to waste her life like this?”
“I don’t think she would be wasting her life and I’m sure she doesn’t think so.” Katherine was surprised at the firmness with which she answered him; she could see that he was surprised too. Gazing down at her hands clasped in her lap she continued, “If Fina is willing to give up her own people and risk her health to be with him, then she must really love him. It would be cruel to separate them.”
“Well, I don’t know,” Mark shook his head. “It seems unreasonable to me.”
“Love never reasons,” murmured Katherine, almost to herself.
“What’s that?” Mark asked.
“Oh, it’s nothing,” she muttered, feeling her cheeks burning. “Just something I read somewhere. It seemed to fit the situation.”
“Let’s hear it, then.”
“Love never reasons,” she repeated flatly.
“Is that all?” he persisted.
Wishing desperately that she had not allowed herself to be drawn into this conversation, Katherine quoted, “Love never reasons but profusely gives, gives like a thoughtless prodigal its all, and trembles then, lest it has done too little!”
After a second’s silence, during which Katherine had to fight her impulse to run from the room, Mark said, “Well, well, I never suspected you had a poetic streak. Do you really believe in that sentimental stuff and nonsense?”
“Yes, I do. I mean, I don’t think it is sentimental stuff and nonsense,” she retorted sharply, stung by the amused contempt in his voice.
He shrugged his broad shoulders and stood up. “All right, Nurse. You win. Love shall prevail. We’ll let these two youngsters work out their own destinies. There, you’ve got me talking like a popular song now.” He grinned. “Come along. It’s time we were getting across to the house. We must make an early start tomorrow. Do you think we could squeeze a couple more beds into the wards? I know it would make your work more difficult; there’s hardly room to turn a trolley now, but the waiting list is growing every day and we can’t speed up the discharge any more.”
As they walked through the grass, talking of the hospital, Katherine’s thoughts were still on the young pair, Fina and Kani. On the face of it, theirs was a tragic case but still Katherine felt a little envious of Fina who, whatever her troubles, had the joy of loving and knowing her love was returned.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
After dinner Mark went to his room to write his monthly report for the Mission Society; Andrew and his sister began to play b e zique , and Katherine sat by the window with her embroidery. But the colors kept running into one another and her arms felt heavy so that it was an effort to hold the tablecloth.
The voices of the card players faded further into the distance ... sequence ... b e zique ... royal marriage.
Then somebody was lifting her head ... and smoothing back her hair with a cool, gentle hand. She would have to open her eyes but oh, she didn’t want to. “Andrew. My goodness, I must’ve fallen asleep. I’m so sorry.” She sat up and rubbed her eyes.
Andrew was kneeling beside her chair, his brown eyes full of concern. “You’re worn out, child,” he said tenderly. “You must be, to have slept in this hard chair. You’ve been resting your face against the back and it’s made a mark right across your cheek.” He traced the mark with his finger. “Here, let me put this cushion under your head.”
Katherine suddenly remembered Mary Kennedy. “Your sister—”
“Mary is
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