Pemberton came up for a few minutes to my
chamber. He found me reasonably calm and composed, and expressed his
gratification at my condition.
"Now, do be very careful of yourself, my dear Miriam, or you may have
one of your sleepy attacks, and they are exhausting to Nature, trying to
both body and soul. We must guard against any thing of this sort at this
time. You know how apt they are to supervene on excitement of any kind
with you." He said this in his own kind, encouraging manner.
"Then they are strictly nervous?" I inquired.
"I don't know; can't say, indeed.--Here, Mrs. Austin, give Miriam one of
these powders," and he drew them from his pocket-book, "every six hours
until I come again, and keep her as quiet as possible. Some light
nourishment she must take, but let there be no preaching and praying
about her this evening, and advise Mr. Bainrothe to go quietly home for
the present. She must not be excited, only soothed. Let Mabel come, of
course."
He came again on the next day and the next, and so on until he was
satisfied that all was going on very well, he said, but he would not
suffer my father's will to be opened for a week, knowing that my
presence would be necessary at the reading, and he permitted no
disturbance of any kind to approach me during that interval of
probation.
"Do you think you could get through with a few business details
to-morrow?" he asked me on the last day of his visit.
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