“The nurse?”

“Sir?”

“Have you managed to get the nurse?”

“Yes, sir; she’s been here some time.”

At this moment Doctor Mayson opened the door of Rosamund’s room and came out upon the landing—­a tall, rosy and rather intellectual-looking man, with tranquil gray eyes, and hair thinning above the high knobby forehead.  Dion had never seen him before.  They shook hands.

“I shouldn’t go into your wife’s room,” said Doctor Mayson in a low bass voice.

“Why?  Doesn’t she wish it?”

“She wished you very much to be in the house.”

“Then why not send for me?”

“She was against it, I understand.  And she doesn’t wish any one to be with her just now except the nurse and myself.”

“When do you expect? . . .”

“Some time during the night.  It’s evidently going to be an easy confinement.  I’m just going down to send away my carriage.  It’s no use keeping the horse standing half the night in this frost.  I’m very fond of horses.”

“Fond of horses—­are you?” said Dion, rather vacantly.

“Yes.  Are you?”

The low bass voice almost snapped out the question.

“Oh, I dare say.  Why not?  They’re useful animals.  I’ll come down with you if I’m not to go into my wife’s room.”

He followed the doctor down the stairs he had just mounted.  When the carriage had been sent away, he asked Doctor Mayson to come into his den for a moment.  The pains of labor had come on unexpectedly, but were not exceptionally severe; everything pointed to an easy confinement.

“Your wife is one of the strongest and healthiest women I have ever attended,” Doctor Mayson added; “superb health.  It’s a pleasure to see any one like that.  I look after so many neurotic women in London.  They give themselves up for lost when they are confronted with a perfectly natural crisis.  Mrs. Leith is all courage and self-possession.”

“But then why shouldn’t I see her?”

“Well, she seems to have an extraordinary sense of duty towards the child that’s coming.  She thinks you might be less calm than she is.”

“But I’m perfectly calm.”

Doctor Mayson smiled.

“D’you know, it’s really ever so much better for us men to keep right out of the way in such moments as these.  It’s the kindest thing we can do.”

“Very well.  I’ll do it of course.”

“I never go near my own wife when she’s like this.”

Dion stared into the fire.

“Have you many children?”

“Eleven,” remarked the bass voice comfortably.  “But I married very young, before I left Guy’s.  Now I’ll go up again.  You needn’t be the least alarmed.”

“I’m not,” said Dion bruskly.

“Capital!”

And Doctor Mayson went off, not treading with any precaution.  It was quite obvious that his belief in his patient was genuine.