"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.
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