Page:Des Grieux, The Prelude to Teleny.djvu/98

 The young people had not been left long alone, when the young girl was seized by a strong pain on the pit of her stomach, somewhere round the navel.

It was a most unfortunate coincidence that her aunt—who was half a doctor—was out.

"Oh, dear! oh, dear! what can I do?" quoth Gaston, "shall I ring for the servant?"

"No, no," moaned Camille, "the servants can't help me."

The young man recollected what his aunt had said the day before—i. e. that marriage would cure all Camille's ailments. He was willing and ready to help, but he did not know how he could offer his services.

"Can you think of nothing?" said Camille faintly.

"Cupping?" quoth he ruefully.

"No, no, besides you do not how to go about it."

"It is true," replied he in a crest-fallen way.

"Please hand me that bottle of spirits of balm, I shall try and rub myself with it."