he had heard his patient laugh with complete spontaneity.
“I’m dropping you at the villa for lunch,” he said, “and then you can go over to the hospital at two o’clock and put in a couple of hours’ work to salve your conscience, if you like. You’ll find a stack of filing to be stowed into that green metal cabinet next to the window in my room, and then you can take the draft of the report on my blotting-pad along to the general office and have it ty p ed. Anyone will tell you where our efficient secretary has her lair, ” he explained, “but don’t expect her to come to the consulting room even if you ring a bell till Doomsday!”
“You’re sure I won’t get in the way?” Anna asked, thinking of her encounter with S ara the evening before.
“Nobody will worry about you,” he assured her. “You will find you are in an isolated little world of your own in the east wing, since it is too cold for anything but the kitchens and the Superintendent’s consulting rooms!”
“I’m sorry you’re so ba d ly treated!” she smiled. “Can nothing be done about it?”
“Strictly between ourselves,” he grinned, “I should hate anything to be done about it! I like the idea of my splendid isolation and I rarely feel the cold.”
She said quickly “Neither do I. It’s warmer here, of course.”
“Warmer?” he prompted. “Warmer than your home, Anna?” She started, surprised that he should find something revealing in such an ordinary remark, and then she shook her head dismally.
“Oh, I wish I could give you some satisfaction, some kind of help when you are trying to do so much for me!” she cried.
“That will come.” He looked neither disappointed nor impatient. “We must wait for it. I thought we had got somewhere in the church just now, but apparently not.”
They had reached the hospital gates and he set her down on the drive, directing her to the side entrance before he left her. He was evidently not coming to the villa for lunch, and Anna hurried back to Ruth, wondering if there was anything she could do to help her. She felt so much indebtedness to both the Melfords that she imagined she would never be able to repay them, but Ruth would not even let her mention it.
“Noel is deeply interested in your case and that’s the main issue,” she said as they sat over their coffee. “Besides, you’re evidently going to repay him in kind!”
“Doing the office work, you mean?”
“He loathes paper work,” Ruth explained, “so you see if you can help him out there while he is treating you there’s no need to feel so very dependent on either of us. I’ve been doing it for him lately, but I must confess it has been rather an effort.”
“He has said that I might start right away,” Anna explained. “It will help keep my mind off—the other business.”
“Sister Enman will be on duty when you go over to the hospital,” she said instead. “If you feel strange at first, or there is anything you can’t find, ask someone to take you along to her room and I’m sure she will put you right.”
Anna thanked her for the suggestion, but she felt that she would not want to appeal to Sara Enman unless it was absolutely necessary. Sara had not shown any desire to be friendly even at the villa, so why should she suddenly change her attitude when they met in the hospital, which was her own particular sphere?
With a quickening pulse beat she covered the distance to the larger building, going in at the door marked “staff.”
A young probationer came into view, halting on the stairs above her as if her presence there had almost shocked her into a cry of surprise.
Could you tell me how I get to Doctor Melford’s consulting rooms?” she asked, and Jill gulped and seemed to waken out of an unhappy dream.
“Upstairs, and first to your right,” she directed. “That will bring you to the east wing.” Jill hesitated, her cheeks flushing with a sudden impulse to confession, but all she
“I’m dropping you at the villa for lunch,” he said, “and then you can go over to the hospital at two o’clock and put in a couple of hours’ work to salve your conscience, if you like. You’ll find a stack of filing to be stowed into that green metal cabinet next to the window in my room, and then you can take the draft of the report on my blotting-pad along to the general office and have it ty p ed. Anyone will tell you where our efficient secretary has her lair, ” he explained, “but don’t expect her to come to the consulting room even if you ring a bell till Doomsday!”
“You’re sure I won’t get in the way?” Anna asked, thinking of her encounter with S ara the evening before.
“Nobody will worry about you,” he assured her. “You will find you are in an isolated little world of your own in the east wing, since it is too cold for anything but the kitchens and the Superintendent’s consulting rooms!”
“I’m sorry you’re so ba d ly treated!” she smiled. “Can nothing be done about it?”
“Strictly between ourselves,” he grinned, “I should hate anything to be done about it! I like the idea of my splendid isolation and I rarely feel the cold.”
She said quickly “Neither do I. It’s warmer here, of course.”
“Warmer?” he prompted. “Warmer than your home, Anna?” She started, surprised that he should find something revealing in such an ordinary remark, and then she shook her head dismally.
“Oh, I wish I could give you some satisfaction, some kind of help when you are trying to do so much for me!” she cried.
“That will come.” He looked neither disappointed nor impatient. “We must wait for it. I thought we had got somewhere in the church just now, but apparently not.”
They had reached the hospital gates and he set her down on the drive, directing her to the side entrance before he left her. He was evidently not coming to the villa for lunch, and Anna hurried back to Ruth, wondering if there was anything she could do to help her. She felt so much indebtedness to both the Melfords that she imagined she would never be able to repay them, but Ruth would not even let her mention it.
“Noel is deeply interested in your case and that’s the main issue,” she said as they sat over their coffee. “Besides, you’re evidently going to repay him in kind!”
“Doing the office work, you mean?”
“He loathes paper work,” Ruth explained, “so you see if you can help him out there while he is treating you there’s no need to feel so very dependent on either of us. I’ve been doing it for him lately, but I must confess it has been rather an effort.”
“He has said that I might start right away,” Anna explained. “It will help keep my mind off—the other business.”
“Sister Enman will be on duty when you go over to the hospital,” she said instead. “If you feel strange at first, or there is anything you can’t find, ask someone to take you along to her room and I’m sure she will put you right.”
Anna thanked her for the suggestion, but she felt that she would not want to appeal to Sara Enman unless it was absolutely necessary. Sara had not shown any desire to be friendly even at the villa, so why should she suddenly change her attitude when they met in the hospital, which was her own particular sphere?
With a quickening pulse beat she covered the distance to the larger building, going in at the door marked “staff.”
A young probationer came into view, halting on the stairs above her as if her presence there had almost shocked her into a cry of surprise.
Could you tell me how I get to Doctor Melford’s consulting rooms?” she asked, and Jill gulped and seemed to waken out of an unhappy dream.
“Upstairs, and first to your right,” she directed. “That will bring you to the east wing.” Jill hesitated, her cheeks flushing with a sudden impulse to confession, but all she
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