Little Vampire Women by Louisa May Alcott

Author:Louisa May Alcott
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2010-06-06T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

CONFIDENTIAL

When Beth woke from that long nightmare, the first object on which her eyes fell was her mother’s face. Too weak to wonder at anything, she only smiled and nestled close in the loving arms about her, feeling that the hungry longing was satisfied at last. Then she slept again, and the girls waited upon their mother, for she would not unclasp the thin hand which clung to hers even in sleep.

Hannah warmed cow’s blood for the traveler, who whispered her account of Father’s state, Mr. Brooke’s promise to stay and nurse him, the delays which the storm occasioned on the homeward journey, and the unspeakable anxiety that she might arrive too late to save her.

“How did you know the antidote would work?” Meg asked.

“I didn’t,” Marmee said, “but I prayed and hoped that it would, for it wrought miracles with your father. The two formulas were identical, except for the blood used, and that struck me as a difference of some importance. Something about your father’s blood made the antidote work for him, and although I know nothing about the science, it seemed reasonable to me that as the patriarch of the line, and Beth’s sire, that his blood might save her, too. And now Beth is resting quietly. I’ve always told you girls that your father is a special man and this surely proves it.”

The girls acquiesced with silent nods and looked again at their dear Beth, sleeping naturally once again in her casket. Oh, what a cherished and beautiful sight it was to see her pale and healthy again. With a blissful sense of burdens lifted off, Meg and Jo closed their weary eyes, and lay at rest, like storm-beaten boats safe at anchor in a quiet harbor. Mrs. March would not leave Beth’s side, but rested in the big chair, waking often to look at, touch, and brood over her child, like a miser over some recovered treasure.

Laurie meanwhile posted off to comfort Amy, and told his story so well that Aunt March actually “sniffed” herself, and never once said “I told you so.” Amy’s relief was palpable, as was her desire to rush off and see her mother, but she knew her duty was to stay with Aunt March until the villain who had poisoned Beth and her father was apprehended and she dully retrained herself. Laurie, who was dropping with sleep in spite of manful efforts to conceal the fact, rested on the sofa, while Amy wrote a note to her mother. She was a long time about it, and when she returned, he was stretched out with both arms under his head, sound asleep, while Aunt March sat doing nothing in an unusual fit of benignity.

After a while, they began to think he was not going to wake up till morning, and I’m not sure that he would, had he not been effectually roused by Amy’s cry of joy at the sight of her mother. There probably were a good many happy

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