The "touch of pneumonia," prophesied by Dr. Mangan, had proved to be a
sufficiently emphatic one. Larry's recovery was slow, and during his
languid convalescence, he found himself becoming sincerely attached to
the Big Doctor and Mrs. Mangan, and their high place in his affections
was shared by the nurse provided by Miss Coppinger. The bond of a
common faith was one that, at this stage of his development, had but
little appeal to Larry, but he was, at all events, spared any
possibility of suffering from the feelings of sub-friction, if not of
antagonism, that inevitably stirred in his aunt's breast, if she found
herself brought into relation closer than that of employer and
employed with those of the older creed.

His sense of beauty, now beginning to acquire consciousness, and
sorely afflicted by the decorative scheme that had been adopted in
Barty's bedroom, found solace in the faces of these two women. Even
the lazy consideration of the contrast between their types, was a
comfort to Larry, and distracted his mind from the wall-paper (which
suggested the contents of Dr. Mangan's surgery, rhubarb, and
mustard-leaves predominating), and from Barty's taste in art, which in
its sacred and profane aspects was alike deplorable.

Nurse Brennan, slight and fair, with the clearest of blue eyes, and a
Dresden china complexion--Larry was already artist enough to study and
adore the shadow of her white coif, with its subtle, reflected lights,
on her pink, rose-leaf cheek--and Mrs. Mangan, just a little
over-blown, but heavily, darkly handsome, with deep-lidded shadowy
eyes, and--as Master Coppinger pleased himself by discovering--a
slight suggestion of a luxurious Chesterfield sofa, upholstered in
rich cream velvet. When he was getting better, and the rigours of the