Then Reuben explained to her that, though the magistrates and aldermen were forced to draw up a strict code for the ordering of houses where infection was, these same personages themselves, together with doctors, examiners, and searchers of houses, had perforce to go from place to place; yet by using all needful and wise precautions, both for themselves and others, they had reasonable hope of doing nothing to spread the contagion.  Reuben, as a searcher under his father, had again and again been in infected houses, and brought face to face with persons dying of the malady; yet so far he had escaped, and by adopting the wise precautions ordered at the outset by their father, no case of illness had appeared so far amongst them.  If every person who could be of use excluded himself from all chance of contagion, there would be none to order the affairs of the unhappy city, or to carry relief to the sufferers.  There must be perforce some amongst them who were ready to run the risk in order to assist the sufferers, and they of the household of James Harmer were all of one mind in this.

“We do naught that is rash.  We have herbs and drugs and all those things which the doctors think to be of use; and thou shalt have a supply of all such anon—­if indeed thy mother be not already amply provided.  But I cannot bear for thee to be straitly shut up; I must be able to see how it goes with thee.  And should it be that thou wert thyself a victim, thou shalt not lack the best nursing that all London can give.”

She looked up at him with fearless eyes.

“Do men ever recover when once attacked by the plague?”

“Yes, many do—­though nothing like the number who die.  Amongst our nurses and bearers of the dead are numbers who have had the distemper and have survived it.  They go by the name of the ’safe people.’  Yet some have been known to take it again, though I think these cases are rare.”

“If Frederick takes it, will he be like to live?” asked Gertrude; and Reuben was silent.

Both knew that the unhappy young man had long been given to drunkenness and debauchery, and that his constitution was undermined by his excesses.  The girl pressed her hands together and was silent; but after a few moments’ pause she looked up at Reuben, and said, “You have given me courage by this visit.  Come again soon.  I must to my mother now.  I must ask her what I can do to help her and my unhappy brother.”

“Take this paper and this packet before you go,” said Reuben.  “The one contains directions for the better lodging and tending of the sick.  The other contains prepared herbs which are useful as preventives—­tormentil, valerian, zedoary, angelica, and so forth; but I take it that pure vinegar is as good an antidote to infection as anything one can find.  Keep some always about you.  Let your kerchief be always steeped in it.  Then be of a cheerful courage, and take food regularly, and in sufficient quantities.  All these things help to keep the body in health; and though the most healthy may fall victims, yet methinks that it is those who are underfed or weakened by disease or dissipation upon whom the malady fastens with most virulent strength.  I will come anon and learn what is betiding.  Farewell for the nonce, sweet mistress, and may God be with you.”