Part 13 (1/2)

Later, I stood down by the hatch waiting for the tray of fish, and as I stood there, the youngest Sister beside me, he came down, for he was up and dressed yesterday, and offered to carry the tray For he is reckless, too

She told hi, conde the cause of all the lateness to-night”

”Sister” and then I stopped short I hated her Were we late? I looked at the other trays We were not late; it was untrue She had said that because she had had to wrap her barb in soe to reprove me officially I resented that and her air of equality Since I aree to it, why dare she not use it?

As forShe would have no weapons against me If I am to remember she is my Sister I must hold my hand over myof her: she is in authority, not I

It is difficult for her because she is so young; but I have no rooet her position and, burning with resentirl”

To-day I walked down to the hospital thinking: ”I er It is I who, in the inverted position of things, should be the stronger He is being tortured, and he has no release He cannot even be alone abut that I should see hi in a book It passed through my head that the two Sisters had probably ”sat” on ether

I wondered without interest what the other had told her Putting on my cap, I walked into the ward

Surely his bed had had a pink eiderdown!

I walked up the ward and looked at it; but I kneithout need of a second glance what had happened

His bed was made in the fashi+on in which we make an empty bed, a bed that waits for a new patient His locker was empty and stood open, already scrubbed I smiled as I noticed they hadn't even left me that to do

No one volunteered a word of explanation, no one took the trouble to say he had gone

These wo in my head ”They've properly done me in! Properly done me in”

I went downstairs and fetched the trays, and all the time the smile was on my lips These women Somehow I had the better of the Sister It is better to be in the wrong than in the right

His friends looked at e for me

Later I learnt that he had been taken to another hospital at thile I ca the eldest Sister one”

And I said aloud, after a little reflection, ”Yesin the nick of ti I realized that I should never see hirown The hare we had started wouldn't bear the strain of any other life He o and see hiht with pity

The feeling between us would die anyhow; better throw in th with the Sister's and help her hurl it noards its death I looked at her bent head with a secret triurace?”