at Baldwin ’ s.
Jill leaned back in her wicker armchair and half closed her eyes. She had enjoyed renewing her friendship with Harriet, but that was the only bright spot of the present situation. In fairness she had to admit that Philip Traven had been charming, too, and she had enjoyed her first free afternoon when they had walked together across the ploughed fields along the edge of the shelving cliffs. She had been diffident at first about renewing their friendship, Brenda Malling ’ s animosity was no longer easily ignored, but throwing discretion to the winds she had accepted what small diversion Sunsand had to offer. She ’ d had dinner once with Harriet; it had been a delight to return to the ch armin g intimacy of her friend ’ s house, but that pleasure could not often be repeated since taxis were u n certain and the journey well beyond the limits of the small town.
The t ap on the door awoke Jill from her reverie, and she rose quickly to welcome Harriet ’ s unexpected appearance. “ Do come in. I was just thinking about you. ”
“ Something nice I hope. ” Harriet sank into the only other chair the room boasted and, taking a cigarette case from pocket, handed it across to Jill. “ It ’ s your half-day, isn ’ t it? I thought I ’ d pop over and see what you were doing.”
J ill gave a short laugh. “ Not much one can do in this! ” She indicated the drenching rain through the window. “ I don ’ t feel inclined to venture out. ”
“ It will clear soon. ” Harriet announced with assurance. “ I ’ m glad I found you in, I ’ ve got a few minutes to spare. Duncan has gone across to have a word with Richard Fahr, and I hoped I ’ d catch you. Actually I looked in the ward, and Nurse Malling reminded me it was your half-day. ”
“ I am glad you came over, I feel thoroughly browned off .”
Harriet leaned forward in her chair. “ I imagined you might be, that ’ s why I particularly wanted to see you—to tell you I am sorry about this morning—that fuss about Mary’s notes. It was hard luck on you.”
“ Hard luck! ” Jill echoed derisively as she stubbed out her half-smoked cigarette. “ Of course it was—damned hard luck! It ’ s hard luck too that I spilled half the trolley over the floor on Wednesday, and that on every ward round with Dr. McRey I fumble like a quaking probationer! Her voice rose on a note of hysteria. “ I suppose it ’ s hard luck, too, that I can never answer a single question my Honorary puts to me never know when he has a clinic, never know of new admissions—unless of course I happen to take the message myself. I can ’ t give him any information he demands, not a single thing! Nurse Malling is making things as impossible for me as she can, she withholds every scrap of information which would help me, and I imagine she picks up syringes and forceps from the junk heap when she prepares my trolley. Then she purposely jerks my arm to make me appear clumsy, and now—now to add to everything else—she is deliberately hiding things in my own desk and making me out to be an imbecile or a liar.”
“Jill, for heaven’s sake ! ” Harriet protested. “ You are just worked up, you don ’ t realize what you are saying !” I know that Malling can me jealous—yes, and a formidable enemy if you like, but I’m sure she wouldn’t stoo p to do the things of which you are accusing her .”
Having given vent to her pent emotions ’ , Jill spoke more calmly. “I’m sorry, Harriet, perhaps I’m unjust. I don’t know how far that girl would go, but I do know she is making life intolerable. She jerked my arm that day, I know she did ... those mi s s ing notes this morning ... how can I know?” There was a note of distress in her voice. “I can’t believe that I could have been so forgetful. ”
“We are all liable to sli p sometimes, ” Harriet assured her consolingly. “ Don t take things so seriously, just keep your chin up, its not like you
Jill leaned back in her wicker armchair and half closed her eyes. She had enjoyed renewing her friendship with Harriet, but that was the only bright spot of the present situation. In fairness she had to admit that Philip Traven had been charming, too, and she had enjoyed her first free afternoon when they had walked together across the ploughed fields along the edge of the shelving cliffs. She had been diffident at first about renewing their friendship, Brenda Malling ’ s animosity was no longer easily ignored, but throwing discretion to the winds she had accepted what small diversion Sunsand had to offer. She ’ d had dinner once with Harriet; it had been a delight to return to the ch armin g intimacy of her friend ’ s house, but that pleasure could not often be repeated since taxis were u n certain and the journey well beyond the limits of the small town.
The t ap on the door awoke Jill from her reverie, and she rose quickly to welcome Harriet ’ s unexpected appearance. “ Do come in. I was just thinking about you. ”
“ Something nice I hope. ” Harriet sank into the only other chair the room boasted and, taking a cigarette case from pocket, handed it across to Jill. “ It ’ s your half-day, isn ’ t it? I thought I ’ d pop over and see what you were doing.”
J ill gave a short laugh. “ Not much one can do in this! ” She indicated the drenching rain through the window. “ I don ’ t feel inclined to venture out. ”
“ It will clear soon. ” Harriet announced with assurance. “ I ’ m glad I found you in, I ’ ve got a few minutes to spare. Duncan has gone across to have a word with Richard Fahr, and I hoped I ’ d catch you. Actually I looked in the ward, and Nurse Malling reminded me it was your half-day. ”
“ I am glad you came over, I feel thoroughly browned off .”
Harriet leaned forward in her chair. “ I imagined you might be, that ’ s why I particularly wanted to see you—to tell you I am sorry about this morning—that fuss about Mary’s notes. It was hard luck on you.”
“ Hard luck! ” Jill echoed derisively as she stubbed out her half-smoked cigarette. “ Of course it was—damned hard luck! It ’ s hard luck too that I spilled half the trolley over the floor on Wednesday, and that on every ward round with Dr. McRey I fumble like a quaking probationer! Her voice rose on a note of hysteria. “ I suppose it ’ s hard luck, too, that I can never answer a single question my Honorary puts to me never know when he has a clinic, never know of new admissions—unless of course I happen to take the message myself. I can ’ t give him any information he demands, not a single thing! Nurse Malling is making things as impossible for me as she can, she withholds every scrap of information which would help me, and I imagine she picks up syringes and forceps from the junk heap when she prepares my trolley. Then she purposely jerks my arm to make me appear clumsy, and now—now to add to everything else—she is deliberately hiding things in my own desk and making me out to be an imbecile or a liar.”
“Jill, for heaven’s sake ! ” Harriet protested. “ You are just worked up, you don ’ t realize what you are saying !” I know that Malling can me jealous—yes, and a formidable enemy if you like, but I’m sure she wouldn’t stoo p to do the things of which you are accusing her .”
Having given vent to her pent emotions ’ , Jill spoke more calmly. “I’m sorry, Harriet, perhaps I’m unjust. I don’t know how far that girl would go, but I do know she is making life intolerable. She jerked my arm that day, I know she did ... those mi s s ing notes this morning ... how can I know?” There was a note of distress in her voice. “I can’t believe that I could have been so forgetful. ”
“We are all liable to sli p sometimes, ” Harriet assured her consolingly. “ Don t take things so seriously, just keep your chin up, its not like you
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