H庄园的午餐12

II

Immediately on receipt of the telegram Elinor had rung up Roddy, and now they were in the traintogether bound for Hunterbury.

Elinor had not seen much of Roddy in the week that had elapsed since their visit. On the twobrief occasions when they had met, there had been an odd kind of constraint¹ between them. Roddyhad sent her flowers—a great sheaf of long stemmed roses. It was unusual on his part. At a dinnerthey had had together he had seemed more attentive² than usual, consulting her preferences in foodand drink, being unusually assiduous in helping³ her on and off with her coat. A little, Elinorthought, as though he were playing a part in a play—the part of the devoted⁴ fiancé….

Then she had said to herself:

“Don’t be an idiot. Nothing’s wrong… You imagine things! It’s that beastly brooding,possessive mind of yours.”

Her manner to him had been perhaps a shade more detached, more aloof⁵ than usual.

Now, in this sudden emergency, the constraint passed, they talked together naturally enough.

Roddy said:

“Poor old dear, and she was so well when we saw her the other day.”

Elinor said:

“I do mind so terribly for her. I know how she hated being ill, anyway, and now I suppose she’llbe more helpless still, and she’ll simply loathe⁶ that! One does feel, Roddy, that people ought to beset⁷ free—if they themselves really want it.”

Roddy said:

“I agree. It’s the only civilized⁸ thing to do. You put animals out of their pain. I suppose youdon’t do it with human beings simply because, human nature being what it is, people would getshoved off for their money by their fond relations—perhaps when they weren’t really bad at all.”

Elinor said thoughtfully:

“It would be in the doctors’ hands, of course.”

“A doctor might be a crook⁹.”

“You could trust a man like Dr. Lord.”

Roddy said carelessly:

“Yes, he seems straightforward¹⁰ enough. Nice fellow.”

 

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