Chapters 41-44 Summary

On one of his last days in Darrowby before leaving for duty in the Royal Air Force Herriot remembers in Chapter 41 an act of kindness bestowed upon him by Siegfried. Herriot and Helen as of yet have no home of their own and are still living in the Skeldale House. Helen is pregnant with their first child. In an offhanded way Siegfried mentions that he owes Herriot fifty pounds. It takes Herriot a long time to realize Siegfried never actually owed Herriot this money; it was his way of giving a gift. Herriot uses this chapter as an opportunity to thank his former boss.

In Chapters 42 and 43 Herriot remembers hurrying through an afternoon of calls to make a supper engagement to which Helen insisted they not be late. However, everything that could go wrong does go wrong for Herriot that evening...