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did not trouble to inquire what Phil was doing, he seemed
glad to have him there. He asked how long he could stay,
and when Philip told him he must leave on Tuesday morn-
ing, expressed a wish that the visit might have been longer.
He told him minutely all his symptoms and repeated what
the doctor had said of him. He broke off to ring his bell, and
when Mrs. Foster came in, said:
‘Oh, I wasn’t sure if you were there. I only rang to see if
you were.’
When she had gone he explained to Philip that it made
him uneasy if he was not certain that Mrs. Foster was within
earshot; she knew exactly what to do with him if anything
happened. Philip, seeing that she was tired and that her eyes
were heavy from want of sleep, suggested that he was work-
ing her too hard.
‘Oh, nonsense,’ said the Vicar, ‘she’s as strong as a horse.’
And when next she came in to give him his medicine he
said to her:
‘Master Philip says you’ve got too much to do, Mrs. Fos-
ter. You like looking after me, don’t you?’
‘Oh, I don’t mind, sir. I want to do everything I can.’
Presently the medicine took effect and Mr. Carey fell
asleep. Philip went into the kitchen and asked Mrs. Foster
whether she could stand the work. He saw that for some
months she had had little peace.
‘Well, sir, what can I do?’ she answered. ‘The poor old
gentleman’s so dependent on me, and, although he is trou-
blesome sometimes, you can’t help liking him, can you? I’ve
been here so many years now, I don’t know what I shall do

Of Human Bondage