“I care nothing about the child’s life,” Inman said in a tone that was strange to Keturah; “but I hope you’ll not let the mother slip through your fingers. You don’t often hear a man talk of disappointments at a time like this I daresay, but it’ll be a big disappointment to me if she dies. If there’s anything else to be done; any other man you think could help——” “It will be settled one way or the other, my lad, before any other man could get here,” interposed the doctor. “She’s putting up a better fight now than I gave her credit for, and I wouldn’t say that she hasn’t a chance. No! no! not for me,” he added as Inman produced a bottle and a couple of tumblers. “A drop before I go to bed, maybe; but never whilst there’s work to be done.” “Then I ought to sign off the stuff for a month or two,” said Inman with a hard laugh, “for I’ve work to do that I’d be sorry to spoil.” The doctor looked up at him curiously and his eyes rested on Inman’s swollen and discoloured face. “You’ve been in the wars yourself, I see,” he remarked. “That’s a nasty bruise you’ve got!” “Yes,” said Inman, “it is”; and vouchsafed no other reply. When he left his shake-down in the parlour the next morning he found the doctor drinking a cup of tea in the kitchen. The old man’s eyes were tired and he looked weary; but his voice was cheery as he said: “I must get away for a few hours. There are others who must be seen; but though your wife isn’t out of the wood yet, we have not worked all night for nothing. I’ll be round again at noon.” “I’m much obliged to you,” said Inman calmly. “I wouldn’t have her die for the world. I want her to get well and strong—aye, by Jove, and to have her feelings. She hasn’t been out of my thoughts all night.” The doctor stared at him. “Very natural, of course,” he said. He was thinking to himself that he would never have expected this reserved, obstinate-looking young fellow to be so deeply affected by the anxiety that throws some men off their balance at these times. Baldwin was unbearable that morning and for once Inman was not conciliatory. Both men felt that they were objects of interest to the others and both knew that their affairs would have been discussed in the public-house the night before; but whereas Baldwin was too muddled by drink and worry to pay any attention to the idle talk of his neighbours Inman was chafing under a sense of deep humiliation; and his ill-temper which he had carefully cloaked from the men, found an outlet when he was summoned to the office just before noon. No sooner was the door closed than Baldwin let loose a flood of coarse language on which the information he intended to impart was carried in disjointed fragments that told Inman nothing.