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her eyes against a renewed impact of pain.
Without speaking he pulled back the bed cover, switched
on the bedside lamp and put out the main brilliant light;
slipping an arm about her he helped her to lie down.
"Don't try to move," he said quietly. "I'll get some
tablets."
He was back within three minutes and had raised her
to swallow aspirin and water. He stayed there on the side
of the, bed with his arm about her and her hair against his
cheek while the back of his other hand felt her forehead.
"It's probably a feverish cold. For a minute I forgot this
was England and had a nasty feeling you'd picked up some-
thing worse. We'll give the aspirin time to lessen the head
pains and after that you must get into bed."
"I can't lie here like this," she said weakly. "I'll spoil
my frock."
"Hell, what does a frock matter!"
He got up and loosened her belt, went out again and
came back with a blanket, probably from his own bed. Pat
did not open her eyes as the blanket was tucked about be£s
but she said,
"They'll be waiting for you to play bridge."
"No, I told them I was going for a walk in the garden.
Don't talk. Pat. Give the aspirin a chance."
Fleetingly, she was aware of his touch, light and cool
upon her cheeks. She knew, because of the darkness whidt
dosed over her lids, that he had moved the lamp to the
other side of the room, and oddly, she waited and waited
for the click which would mean that he had gone out. Be-
fore the click eventually came she had been asleep for some
time.
It seemed many hours afterwards that Marion and Edna
were there, helping her off with her dothes and into her
pyjamas. Her throat was hot and dosed and there was
even some pain in her ears. Marion gave her more tablets,
two large ones whidi would not go down. Then Simon
appeared from the shadows, his shoulder came behind hers
and his hand went round and gripped her upper arm.
"Come on, Pat, you've got to swallow them," he said
in those even, expressionless tones. "They won't stick this
time."
And, miraculously, they didn't.
There was no question of her getting up the following
morning. The doctor diagnosed severe tonsillitis caused
by a prevalent germ and prescribed, among other things;,
complete rest in bed.
Pat had forgotten Hugh, had even forgotten that it was
Sunday when her father would be expecting her to tea, till
Edna brought the information that Mr. Gordon had been
told she was unwell and was invited for lunch, when h@
would be coming up to see her.
Afterwards, Pat remembered little of that day or the
next. She roused whenever Edna entered the room because
the girl could not help talking, but the others her father,
Simon and Marion were singularly quiet.
On Tuesday she sat up and had chicken soup for lunch.
The sore adie in her throat had gone but she was apathetic
and lifeless, and Edna's gossip grated.
"Such a shame you should be ill this week, Miss Gordon
There's been such doings! There were the sports yesterday
and a fine firework show last night. Today they're having
122
that play in the school grounds and a perfect day. for it,
too. The family" meaning, of course, the Leighs "have
had a special invitation to take a party. Seeing that the
school closes for the holidays on Thursday we're having
a big dinner here tonight the Headmaster, your father
and Mr. Rathern and several others. Parkes says there'll be
fourteen for dinner. Tomorrow . .."
"I'm afraid I can't bother about tomorrow till it comes;,
Edna."
"I'm sorry. I do run on, don't I? I expect it feels awful
to be out of everything, but Mrs. Cunliffe says that's not a
scrap important so long as you're improving. Mrs. Leigh
has been worried, too, and Mr. Simon shouted at me good
and proper for dropping the fire-irons when I cleaned the
grates this morning. He must know well enough that you
can't hear the downstairs noises up here. He gets real edgy
sometimes."
To divert the flow, Pat made an enquiry. "Are you going
to the play this afternoon, Edna?"
"It isn't my tarn off, but Mrs. Leigh said that as I've
been doing a lot of running up and down the stairs she'd
like me to have a treat. Real thoughtful, she is. She gave
me a ticket. I don't somehow think the play will be much
in my line, though."
"The Critic? It's famous, you know."
Edna was willing to be convinced. "I might like it. Par-
ker says it's old-fashioned and comical. It's sure to be jolly
with boys taking all the parts. If I do go, Parker himself
will have to bring your tea. Mrs. Parker's rheumatism is
', bad again."
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