III

Dr. Lord was leaning over the bed. Nurse O’Brien hovered¹ behind him. He was trying, hisforehead puckered², to understand the slurred³ sounds coming from his patient’s mouth.

He said:

“Yes, yes. Now, don’t get excited. Take plenty of time. Just raise this right hand a little whenyou mean yes. There’s something you’re worried about?”

He received the affirmatory sign.

“Something urgent? Yes. Something you want done? Someone sent for? Miss Carlisle? AndMr. Welman? They’re on their way.”

Again Mrs. Welman tried incoherently to speak. Dr. Lord listened attentively⁴.

“You wanted them to come, but it’s not that? Someone else? A relation? No? Some businessmatter? I see. Something to do with money? Lawyer? That’s right, isn’t it? You want to see yourlawyer? Want to give him instructions about something?

“Now, now—that’s all right. Keep calm. Plenty of time. What’s that you’re saying—Elinor?”

He caught the garbled⁵ name. “She knows what lawyer? And she will arrange with him? Good.

She’ll be here in about half an hour. I’ll tell her what you want and I’ll come up with her and we’llget it all straight. Now, don’t worry any more. Leave it all to me. I’ll see that things are arrangedthe way you want them to be.”

He stood a moment watching her relax, then he moved quietly away and went out on thelanding. Nurse O’Brien followed him. Nurse Hopkins was just coming up the stairs. He nodded toher. She said breathlessly:

“Good evening, Doctor.”

“Good evening, Nurse.”

He went with the two of them into Nurse O’Brien’s room next door and gave them theirinstructions. Nurse Hopkins would remain on overnight and take charge with Nurse O’Brien.

“Tomorrow I’ll have to get hold of a second resident nurse. Awkward, this diphtheria epidemicover at Stamford. The nursing homes there are working shorthanded as it is.”

Then, having given his orders, which were listened to with reverent⁶ attention (which sometimestickled him), Dr. Lord went downstairs, ready to receive the niece and nephew who, his watch toldhim, were due to arrive at any minute now.

In the hall he encountered Mary Gerrard. Her face was pale and anxious. She asked:

“Is she better?”

Dr. Lord said:

“I can ensure her a peaceful night—that’s about all that can be done.”

Mary said brokenly:

“It seems so cruel—so unfair—”

He nodded sympathetically enough.

“Yes, it does seem like that sometimes. I believe—”

He broke off.

“That’s the car.”

He went out into the hall. Mary ran upstairs.

Elinor exclaimed as she came into the drawing room:

“Is she very bad?”

Roddy was looking pale and apprehensive⁷.

The doctor said gravely:

“I’m afraid it will be rather a shock to you. She’s badly paralysed. Her speech is almostunrecognizable. By the way, she’s definitely worried about something. It’s to do with sending forher lawyer. You know who he is, Miss Carlisle?”

Elinor said quickly:

“Mr. Seddon—of Bloomsbury Square. But he wouldn’t be there at this time of the evening, andI don’t know his home address.”

Dr. Lord said reassuringly⁹:

“Tomorrow will be in plenty of time. But I’m anxious to set Mrs. Welman’s mind at rest assoon as possible. If you will come up with me now, Miss Carlisle, I think together we shall be ableto reassure¹⁰ her.”

“Of course. I will come up at once.”

Roddy said hopefully:

“You don’t want me?”

He felt faintly ashamed of himself, but he had a nervous dread¹¹ of going up to the sickroom, ofseeing Aunt Laura lying there in-articulate and helpless.

Dr. Lord reassured¹² him promptly¹³.

“Not the least need, Mr. Welman. Better not to have too many people in the room.”

Roddy’s relief showed plainly.

Dr. Lord and Elinor went upstairs. Nurse O’Brien was with the patient.

Laura Welman, breathing deeply and stertorously¹⁴, lay as though in a stupor¹⁵. Elinor stoodlooking down on her, shocked by the drawn¹⁶, twisted face.

Suddenly Mrs. Welman’s right eyelid¹⁷ quivered and opened. A faint change came over her faceas she recognized Elinor.

She tried to speak.

“Elinor…” The word would have been meaningless to anyone who had not guessed at what shewanted to say.

Elinor said quickly:

“I’m here, Aunt Laura. You’re worried about something? You want me to send for Mr.

Seddon?”

Another of those hoarse¹⁸ raucous¹⁹ sounds. Elinor guessed at the meaning. She said:

“Mary Gerrard?”

Slowly the right hand moved shakily in assent²⁰.

A long burble of sound came from the sick woman’s lips. Dr. Lord and Elinor frownedhelplessly. Again and again it came. Then Elinor got a word.

“Provision? You want to make provision for her in your will? You want her to have somemoney? I see, dear Aunt Laura. That will be quite simple. Mr. Seddon will come down tomorrowand everything shall be arranged exactly as you wish.”

The sufferer seemed relieved. The look of distress²¹ faded from that appealing eye. Elinor tookher hand in hers and felt a feeble pressure from the fingers.

Mrs. Welman said with a great effort:

“You—all—you…”

Elinor said: “Yes, yes, leave it all to me. I will see that everything you want is done!”

She felt the pressure of the fingers again. Then it relaxed. The eyelids²² drooped²³ and closed.

Dr. Lord laid a hand on Elinor’s arm and drew her gently away out of the room. Nurse O’Brienresumed her seat near the bed.

Outside on the landing Mary Gerrard was talking to Nurse Hopkins. She started forward.

“Oh, Dr. Lord, can I go in to her, please?”

He nodded.

“Keep quite quiet, though, and don’t disturb her.”

Mary went into the sickroom.

Dr. Lord said:

“Your train was late. You—” He stopped.

Elinor had turned her head to look after Mary. Suddenly she became aware of his abruptsilence. She turned her head and looked at him inquiringly. He was staring at her, a startled look inhis face. The colour rose in Elinor’s cheeks.

She said hurriedly:

“I beg your pardon. What did you say?”

Peter Lord said slowly:

“What was I saying? I don’t remember. Miss Carlisle, you were splendid in there!” He spokewarmly. “Quick to understand, reassuring⁸, everything you should have been.”

The very faintest of sniffs²⁴ came from Nurse Hopkins.

Elinor said:

“Poor darling. It upset me terribly seeing her like that.”

“Of course. But you didn’t show it. You must have great self-control.”

Elinor said, her lips set very straight:

“I’ve learnt not—to show my feelings.”

The doctor said slowly:

“All the same the mask’s bound to slip once in a while.”

Nurse Hopkins had bustled²⁵ into the bathroom. Elinor said, raising her delicate eyebrows²⁶ andlooking full at him:

“The mask?”

Dr. Lord said:

“The human face is, after all, nothing more nor less than a mask.”

“And underneath²⁷?”

“Underneath is the primitive²⁸ human man or woman.”

She turned away quickly and led the way downstairs.

Peter Lord followed, puzzled and unwontedly serious.

Roddy came out into the hall to meet them.

“Well?” he asked anxiously.

Elinor said:

“Poor darling. It’s very sad to see her… I shouldn’t go, Roddy—till—till—she asks for you.”

Roddy asked:

“Did she want anything—special?”

Peter Lord said to Elinor:

“I must be off now. There’s nothing more I can do for the moment. I’ll look in early tomorrow.

Good-bye, Miss Carlisle. Don’t—don’t worry too much.”

He held her hand in his for a moment or two. He had a strangely reassuring and comfortingclasp. He looked at her, Elinor thought, rather oddly as though—as though he was sorry for her.

As the door shut behind the doctor, Roddy repeated his question.

Elinor said:

“Aunt Laura is worried about—about certain business matters. I managed to pacify²⁹ her and toldher Mr. Seddon would certainly come down tomorrow. We must telephone him first thing.”

Roddy asked:

“Does she want to make a new will?”

Elinor answered:

“She didn’t say so.”

“What did she—?”

He stopped in the middle of the question.

Mary Gerrard was running down the stairs. She crossed the hall and disappeared through thedoor to the kitchen quarters.

Elinor said in a harsh voice:

“Yes? What is it you wanted to ask?”

Roddy said vaguely³⁰:

“I—what? I’ve forgotten what it was.”

He was staring at the door through which Mary Gerrard had gone.

Elinor’s hands closed. She could feel her long, pointed³¹ nails biting into the flesh of her palms.

She thought:

“I can’t bear it—I can’t bear it…it’s not imagination…it’s true… Roddy—Roddy I can’t loseyou….”

And she thought:

“What did that man—the doctor—what did he see in my face upstairs? He saw something…Oh, God, how awful life is—to feel as I feel now. Say something, fool. Pull yourself together!”

Aloud she said, in her calm voice:

“About meals, Roddy. I’m not very hungry. I’ll sit with Aunt Laura and the nurses can bothcome down.”

Roddy said in alarm:

“And have dinner with me?”

Elinor said coldly:

“They won’t bite you!”

“But what about you? You must have something. Why don’t we dine first, and let them comedown afterwards?”

Elinor said:

“No, the other way’s better.” She added wildly, “They’re so touchy³², you know.”

She thought:

“I can’t sit through a meal with him—alone—talking—behaving as usual….”

She said impatiently:

“Oh, do let me arrange things my own way!”

 

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