II

Nurse O’Brien said:

“What is it, Nurse? Can’t you find something?”

Nurse Hopkins, her face rather red, was hunting through the little attaché case that she had laiddown in the hall the preceding evening.

She grunted¹:

“Most annoying. How I came to do such a thing I can’t imagine!”

“What is it?”

Nurse Hopkins replied not very intelligibly²:

“It’s Eliza Rykin—that sarcoma, you know. She’s got to have double injections—night andmorning—morphine. Gave her the last tablet in the old tube last night on my way here, and I couldswear I had the new tube in here, too.”

“Look again. Those tubes are so small.”

Nurse Hopkins gave a final stir to the contents of the attaché case.

“No, it’s not here! I must have left it in my cupboard after all! Really, I did think I could trustmy memory better than that. I could have sworn I took it out with me!”

“You didn’t leave the case anywhere, did you, on the way here?”

“Of course not!” said Nurse Hopkins sharply.

“Oh, well, dear,” said Nurse O’Brien, “it must be all right?”

“Oh, yes! The only place I’ve laid my case down was here in this hall, and nobody here wouldpinch anything! Just my memory, I suppose. But it vexes³ me, if you understand, Nurse. Besides, Ishall have to go right home first to the other end of the village and back again.”

Nurse O’Brien said:

“Hope you won’t have too tiring a day, dear, after last night. Poor old lady. I didn’t think shewould last long.”

“No, nor I. I daresay Doctor will be surprised!”

Nurse O’Brien said with a tinge⁴ of disapproval⁵:

“He’s always so hopeful about his cases.”

Nurse Hopkins, as she prepared to depart, said:

“Ah, he’s young! He hasn’t our experience.”

On which gloomy pronouncement she departed.

 

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