Part 16 (1/2)

”Yes, I do. It was lucky for you that he was there when you were shot.”

”Yes, that was a piece of luck, wasn't it? He had a busy night of it.

I say, who has been asking for me?”

”Oh, everybody, of course. You will have plenty of visitors when you are well enough to receive them.”

”I'm well enough now. You're trying to keep me to yourself, Sarah.

There's a sort of fatal fascination about me that no good-looking woman can resist? I say, do the doctors make love to you in the hospital?”

”I think you are getting light-headed. You have talked quite enough for the present. Would you like some jelly?”

”I should like some strawberries and cream and a pint of champagne.

Look here, tell me about the doctors. Are there any good-looking fellows amongst them?”

The conversation was interrupted at this point by the arrival of Walter Clinton, whose knickerbockered homespuns only served to heighten the effect of his cool professional manner.

”Well, nurse, how's your patient?”

”Going on well, doctor; but you must please tell him that he must keep quiet for the present. He wants to see everybody in the house.”

Walter took his seat by the bed and felt his patient's pulse. ”You can see people to-morrow,” he said, as he pocketed his watch. ”You're doing all right. Better have one more day to yourself, though. You've had a narrow squeak.”

”I know. Mrs. Gamp says that if it hadn't been for you, I should have snuffed out. She revels in gore. I don't think she's the woman for her job.”

”Don't you believe what he says, doctor. He's full of his nonsense.”

”How's Humphrey?” asked Bobby.

”Oh, he's all right. He got off with a scalp wound. Poor old d.i.c.k had his s.h.i.+n laid bare. I've got him on my hands. But we're well out of it. That was a brute of a fellow. And there were two others; tough customers, all of them. If we hadn't come along they might have got the better of our fellows. They've quodded them. The Governor went over to Petty Sessions to-day. By the by, he'd like to see you when you're ready.”

”I'm ready now. Ask him to step up.”

”To-morrow--if you get a good night.”

”What are they all doing downstairs?”

”Slacking, and playing with my kiddies. They all sent messages to you.”

”They must have got a pretty good shock. You turned them out of the bus, didn't you? I don't remember much of what happened.”

”Yes, but I'd sent one of the grooms on to get some more carriages.

They didn't have to wait long. They're all right. Joan got a bit of a chill, and is seedy.”

”I suppose she was--upset about it all? Pretty funking to see a fellow brought along in the state I was in!”

”Oh, they all took it very well. Susan was the worst, but of course Humphrey looked worse than he really was--luckily.”

Bobby Trench, an incurable optimist, allowed himself the solace of imagining that Joan's indisposition had been brought on by her agitation on his account, which it well might have been without undue partiality on her part. For after waiting for minutes that had seemed like hours, while the fight was going on in the wood, and being forsaken by Walter, who had left them in answer to d.i.c.k's shouts for help, they had been turned out of the omnibus, so that the bleeding, senseless figure of Bobby Trench might be laid there for Walter to examine and bind up. Humphrey had also needed attention, and Susan had been frightened almost into hysterics by his appearance. They had walked for half a mile in satin shoes, mostly over gra.s.s wringing wet, until the carriages from Kencote had picked them up; and after the fatigue of the ball and in her state of low spirits, it was small wonder that Joan should have succ.u.mbed to her experiences.

But her indisposition had caused some lessening of the tension between herself and Nancy, who, possibly supported by the tender attentions of John Spence, had escaped all ill effect from the excitements of the night. Their differences were ignored. There had been no real reconciliation, but the events in which they had partic.i.p.ated had formed a skin over the wounds that each had dealt the other, and they could behave with some approach to former freedom.