Page 114 - lady-chatterlys-lover

Hilda talked to Clifford, who still had yellow eyeballs
when they got back. He, too, in his way, was overwrought;
but he had to listen to all Hilda said, to all the doctor had
said, not what Michaelis had said, of course, and he sat
mum through the ultimatum.
’Here is the address of a good manservant, who was with
an invalid patient of the doctor’s till he died last month. He
is really a good man, and fairly sure to come.’
’But I’m NOT an invalid, and I will NOT have a manser-
vant,’ said Clifford, poor devil.
’And here are the addresses of two women; I saw one of
them, she would do very well; a woman of about fifty, quiet,
strong, kind, and in her way cultured...’
Clifford only sulked, and would not answer.
’Very well, Clifford. If we don’t settle something by to-
morrow, I shall telegraph to Father, and we shall take
Connie away.’
’Will Connie go?’ asked Clifford.
’She doesn’t want to, but she knows she must. Mother
died of cancer, brought on by fretting. We’re not running
any risks.’
So next day Clifford suggested Mrs Bolton, Tevershall
parish nurse. Apparently Mrs Betts had thought of her. Mrs
Bolton was just retiring from her parish duties to take up
private nursing jobs. Clifford had a queer dread of deliver-
ing himself into the hands of a stranger, but this Mrs Bolton
had once nursed him through scarlet fever, and he knew
her.
The two sisters at once called on Mrs Bolton, in a new-

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