“Can’t you do anything?” Louis murmured.

“If Dr. Yardley doesn’t come quick, I shall send for some other doctor,” she said, with decision.

He sighed.

“Better send for a lawyer at the same time,” he said.

“A lawyer?”

“Yes.  You know I’ve not made my will.”

“Oh, Louis!  Please don’t talk like that!  I can’t bear to hear you.”

“You’ll have to hear worse things than that,” he said pettishly, loosing her hand.  “I’ve got to have a solicitor here.  Later on you’ll probably be only too glad that I had enough common sense to send for a solicitor.  Somebody must have a little common sense.  I expect you’d better send for Lawton....  Oh!  It’s Friday afternoon—­he’ll have left early for his week-end golf, I bet.”  This last discovery seemed to exhaust his courage.

In another minute the doctor, cheerful and energetic, was actually in the room, and the gas brilliant.  He gazed at an exanimate Louis, made a few inquiries and a few observations of his own, gave some brief instructions, and departed.  The day was in truth one of his busy days.

He seemed surprised when Rachel softly called to him on the stairs.

“I suppose everything’s all right, doctor?”

“Yes,” said he casually.  “He’ll feel mighty queer for a few days.  That’s all.”

“Then there’s no danger?”

“Certainly not.”

“But he thinks he’s dying.”

Dr. Yardley smiled carelessly.

“And do you?...  He’s no more dying than I am.  That’s only the effect of the shock.  Didn’t I tell you this morning?  You probably won’t be able to stop him just yet from thinking he’s dying—­it is a horrid feeling—­but you needn’t think so yourself, Mrs. Fores.”  He smiled.

“Oh, doctor,” she burst out, “you don’t know how you’ve relieved me!”

“You’ll excuse me if I fly away,” said Dr. Yardley calmly.  “There’s a crowd of insurance patients waiting for me at the surgery.”

V

In the middle of the night Rachel was awakened by Louis’ appeal.  She was so profoundly asleep that for a few moments she could not recall what it was that had happened during the previous day to cause her anxiety.

After the visit of the doctor, Louis’ moral condition had apparently improved.  He had affected to be displeased by the doctor’s air of treating his case as though it was deprived of all importance.  He had said that the doctor had failed to grasp his case.  He had stated broadly that in these days of State health insurance all doctors were too busy and too wealthy to be of assistance to private patients capable of paying their bills in the old gentlemanly fashion.  But his remarks had not been without a touch of facetiousness in their wilful disgust.  And the mere tone of his voice proved that he felt better.  To justify his previous black pessimism he had of course been obliged to behave in a certain