"O, very well, sir, very well. I think we are all past danger."

Agnes answered the inquiry in a light, cheery tone, that in itself was
worth, as the saying goes, a cart-load of medicine.

"Upon my honor, ladies," continued the doctor, as he advanced to the
bed and took each of the invalids' wrists at once, in order to save
time, "our nurse here, Miss Arnold, is the most wonderful lady I have
ever seen. She has not failed to break the worst cases we have
had. Now your symptoms were of the most desperate character, and when
you were taken, I never expected to see either of you alive this
morning, and yet here you are recovering, and I verily believe beyond
further danger. Let me see your tongues. Well, well, well, this is
really astonishing. You are both doing splendidly. Just be a little
careful, and you are perfectly out of peril. Miss Arnold, you are
worth all our nurses; and really I'm afraid all us physicians also put
together."

"Ah, Doctor, you flatter me," laughed Agnes, much pleased at the same
time to hear the flattery, as well because it seemed to have a
brightening effect upon the patients as for any other reason.

"Indeed I do not flatter you at all, Miss Arnold. I really begin to
wish I was a woman myself, so that if I should get the fever I might
have you to nurse me well again."

"O never mind about the being a woman, Doctor," archly rejoined Agnes,
"if you should be so unfortunate as to get it, I'll come and nurse
you."