“It’s the distinguishing mark of connoisseurs in all the capitals of Europe,” said Richard.  “But darling, don’t light a fire for me.  I’ll go off as soon as you’ve had supper, so that you can turn in.”

“But as soon as supper’s eaten I have to away out.  Ah, will you come with me?  I like walking through the streets with you.  It’s somehow like a procession.  You’re awful like a king, Richard.  Not the present Royal Family.”

“But why must you go out?”

“To see how mother is.  Do you not know?  When the ambulance men come they give you a number.  Mother’s is ninety-three.  Then every morning and every evening they put a board in the window up at the Public Health Office in the High Street, with headings on it:  ’Very dangerously ill, friends requested to come at once.’  ‘Very ill, but no immediate danger,’ ‘Getting on well,’ and the numbers grouped against them.  She’ll be amongst the ‘Getting on wells.’  The doctor said there was no cause for worry at all.  He is a splendid doctor.”

“But, my God, can’t you telephone?”

“No, of course not.  They can’t do that in these institutions.  They’d have to keep someone to do nothing but answer the telephone all day.  But it doesn’t really matter.  Hardly anybody dies of fevers, do they?  I never heard of anybody dying of diphtheria, did you?  They used to in the old days, but it’s all different now.  This serum’s such a wonderful thing.  But they did hurt so when they injected it.  She cried, although she is awful brave as a usual thing.  Oh, let’s get on with this supper!” She passed into the kitchen and began preparations for a meal, banging down the saucepans, while he brought in his gifts and laid them on the table.  “I’m taking it for granted that you like your cocoa done with milk.  What’s all this?  Oh, did you bring those flowers for her?  Oh, that was kind of you!  Pink flowers, too, and she loves pink.  It’s her great grief that all her life she wanted a pink dress, and what with one thing and another, first having a younger sister so sallow that a pink dress in the neighbourhood spoilt all her chances, and afterwards father just wincing if there seemed any chance of her having anything she liked, she never got one.  Illustrated papers, too!  She likes a read, though nothing intellectual.  Richard, I do believe you’re thoughtful.  That’ll be a great help in our married life.”  She turned over the glossy pages, clicking her tongue with disapproval.  “Anti-Suffragists to a woman, I expect,” adding honestly, “but pairfect teeth.”

Her little face, seen now in repose, unlit by the light that glowed in her eyes when she looked at him, was piteous with fatigue.  “Ellen, can’t I go and look at this board?”

“No.  I want to go myself.”

“Then come and do it now, and then we’ll go on and have supper at some place in Princes Street.”

“No.  I want to leave it as late as possible.  Then it’ll seem like saying good-night to Mother.”