ways possible, however, for a woman to fulfil the
optimistic predictions of her careless male relatives, and in a few
hours Miss Noel was feeling really ill. "Who is your doctor, my dear?"
she asked of Bijou, who had herself arranged and carried up a little
tray of delicacies with which to tempt her. "How very sweet of you to
trouble! Why did you not let Parsons do that? Do you know I am
making myself quite wretched lest I should be sickening with
something,--something serious? I must have a doctor at once. Would you
kindly send for one, or, rather, tell Parsons where to go? I can't rest
until I get the opinion of a medical man."

"Now, don't you worry about _that_," said Bijou, bestowing an embrace
upon her and then perching herself on the foot of the bed. "You are not
going to be ill; and if you are, why, you are with friends who will take
the best sort of care of you, that's all. I'll nurse you; and popper
says I am just a natural-born nurse, if there ever was one. You can see
the doctor if you want to, but most likely you will be a great deal
better to-morrow."

"But, my dear, suppose I should be worse? It would be too dreadful! I
can't be ill in your house, you know," said Miss Noel disconsolately.

"Why, why not?" queried Bijou, in surprise.

"Why not? Can you ask why? Think of all the trouble I should be putting
you to, the house upset, and the servants giving warning very likely,
and all that. Oh, no! I hope and trust it is nothing; but if it should
be serious I could not dream of putting you out like that," replied Miss
Noel, with emphasis.

"Why, do you mean to say that anybody would care for _that_, or think of
the _trouble_, with a friend lying sick in their house? I never heard of
such a thing," exclaimed Bijou, expressing the liveliest emotions of
astonishment and contempt in face and voice. "Of course we don't want
you to get sick, for your own sake; but if you do we'll do everything in
this world to make you comfortable and cure you. And the house won't be
upset at all; and we don't care a snap what the servants think. You must
put that perfectly ridiculous idea right out of your head, and turn over
and try to go to sleep."

When the doctor came he looked grave even for a doctor, and felt it his
duty to tell Miss Noel that she might have yellow fever. It was always
to be had for the catching in Cuba, and her symptoms were suspicious,
though he could not, of course, be positive. Here was a sensation