Page 574 - sons-and-lovers

with a cab. The examination did not take long. Annie,
Arthur, Paul, and Leonard were waiting in the parlour anx-
iously. The doctors came down. Paul glanced at them. He
had never had any hope, except when he had deceived him-
self.
‘It MAY be a tumour; we must wait and see,’ said Dr.
Jameson.
‘And if it is,’ said Annie, ‘can you sweal it away?’
‘Probably,’ said the doctor.
Paul put eight sovereigns and half a sovereign on the ta-
ble. The doctor counted them, took a florin out of his purse,
and put that down.
‘Thank you!’ he said. ‘I’m sorry Mrs. Morel is so ill. But
we must see what we can do.’
‘There can’t be an operation?’ said Paul.
The doctor shook his head.
‘No,’ he said; ‘and even if there could, her heart wouldn’t
stand it.’
‘Is her heart risky?’ asked Paul.
‘Yes; you must be careful with her.’
‘Very risky?’
‘No—er—no, no! Just take care.’
And the doctor was gone.
Then Paul carried his mother downstairs. She lay simply,
like a child. But when he was on the stairs, she put her arms
round his neck, clinging.
‘I’m so frightened of these beastly stairs,’ she said.
And he was frightened, too. He would let Leonard do it
another time. He felt he could not carry her.