. He caught Gentleman''s eye, and nodded. ''Very good,'' he said. ''Very good. Now, if you might just show us—?''
''Of course,'' said Gentleman quickly. ''Of course. This way'' He opened the door, and they turned their black backs to me and all moved off. I watched them do it, and was gripped suddenly by a feeling—I could not say if it was misery, or fear. I took a step and called out after them.
''She don''t like eggs, sir!'' I called. Dr Christie half turned. I had lifted my hand. Now I let it fall. ''She don''t like eggs,'' I said more feebly, ''in any kind of dish.''
It was all I could think of. He smiled, and bowed; but in a humouring kind of way. Dr Graves wrote—or pretended to write— in his book, Don''t care for eggs. Gentleman led them both across to Maud''s room. Then he came back to me.
''You''ll keep here, until they''ve seen her?'' he said.
I did not answer. He shut my door. But those walls were like paper: I heard them move about, caught the rumble of the doctor''s questions; then, after a minute or so, came the thin rising and falling of her tears.
They did not stay with her long. I suppose they had all they needed, from me and Mrs Cream. When they had gone I went to her, and Gentleman was standing behind her chair, holding her pale head between his hands. He had been leaning to gaze at her, perhaps to whisper and tease. When he saw me come he straightened and said,