Part 62 (2/2)

”Is it all over?” she gasped. ”I'm useless--I'm worse than useless! What are you doing here?”

She stared at Mrs. Delville, and Mrs. Bent, realizing for the first time who was the G.o.ddess from the Machine, stared also.

Then Mrs. Delville made explanation, putting on a dirty long glove and smoothing a crumpled and ill-fitting ball-dress.

”I was at the dance, an' the Doctor was tellin' me about your baby bein'

so ill. So I came away early, an' your door was open, an' I-I lost my boy this way six months ago, an' I've been tryin' to forget it ever since, an' I-I-I-am very sorry for intrudin' an' anythin' that has happened.”

Mrs. Bent was putting out the Doctor's eye with a lamp as he stooped over Dora.

”Take it away,” said the Doctor. ”I think the child will do, thanks to you, Mrs. Delville. I should have come too late, but, I a.s.sure you”--he was addressing himself to Mrs. Delville--”I had not the faintest reason to expect this. The membrane must have grown like a mushroom. Will one of you help me, please?”

He had reason for the last sentence. Mrs. Hauksbee had thrown herself into Mrs. Delville's arms, where she was weeping bitterly, and Mrs. Bent was unpicturesquely mixed up with both, while from the tangle came the sound of many sobs and much promiscuous kissing.

”Good gracious! I've spoilt all your beautiful roses!” said Mrs.

Hauksbee, lifting her head from the lump of crushed gum and calico atrocities on Mrs. Delville's shoulder and hurrying to the Doctor.

Mrs. Delville picked up her shawl, and slouched out of the room, mopping her eyes with the glove that she had not put on.

”I always said she was more than a woman,” sobbed Mrs. Hauksbee, hysterically, ”and that proves it!”

Six weeks later, Mrs. Bent and Dora had returned to the hotel. Mrs.

Hauksbee had come out of the Valley of Humiliation, had ceased to reproach herself for her collapse in an hour of need, and was even beginning to direct the affairs of the world as before.

”So n.o.body died, and everything went off as it should, and I kissed The Dowd, Polly. I feel so old. Does it show in my face?”

”Kisses don't as a rule, do they? Of course you know what the result of The Dowd's providential arrival has been.”

”They ought to build her a statue--only no sculptor dare copy those skirts.”

”Ah!” said Mrs. Mallowe, quietly. ”She has found another reward. The Dancing Master has been smirking through Simla giving every one to understand that she came because of her undying love for him--for him--to save his child, and all Simla naturally believes this.”

”But Mrs. Bent”--

”Mrs. Bent believes it more than any one else. She won't speak to The Dowd now. Isn't The Dancing Master an angel?”

Mrs. Hauksbee lifted up her voice and raged till bedtime. The doors of the two rooms stood open.

”Polly,” said a voice from the darkness, ”what did that American-heiress-globe-trotter-girl say last season when she was tipped out of her 'rickshaw turning a corner? Some absurd adjective that made the man who picked her up explode.”

”'Paltry,'” said Mrs. Mallowe. ”Through her nose--like this--'Ha-ow pahltry!'”

”Exactly,” said the voice. ”Ha-ow pahltry it all is!”

”Which?”

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