"No, I wanted to ask all sorts of questions in the theatre. It was asplendid operation, the first of many I hope. Just think, Shirley will growup and be able to dance and run..."

"Her leg will be almost three inches shorter."

"It's surely possible to get a special shoe. And she'll be alive.."

"You don't think that will prevent her from marrying?"

"Why ever should it? If someone falls in love with her--and she's going togrow into a very pretty girl, you know--do you suppose he'll care about that?If he loves her? Look at the thousands of plain girls who get married..."She stopped and the colour rushed-into her face.

But she didn't look away.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," his voice was very kind but not in the least pitying.

"And I don't believe that there is a living soul who is completely plain. A girl with a plain face may have beautiful legs or a lovely body or

magnificent eyes, sometimes all three. Most fortunately, as you observed, Shirley is a pretty child and will grow into a pretty woman, probably clever enough to know how to conceal her damaged leg to her best advantage."

"You've given her that chance."

"Yes, but I couldn't have done that without help from other people, you for one." He smiled suddenly and her heart rocked.

"Shall we have another pot of tea?"

With the coming of the fresh pot came fresh conversation. She wasn't quite sure how it had all started, but she found herself telling him about her stepmother and Aunt Millicent and Maggie, only at the last minute did she remember not to let him know where Aunt Millicent lived. She had no idea why she wanted to keep that a secret but it seemed important that she should. And presently their talk swung back to St. Bride's which reminded Rose to say, "Sadie hopes she'll see you again before you go away. She's one of the nicest people I know--we've been friends from the first day we started training."

"A charming girl," was all he was going to say.

"I shall be in London for a few more days, just to see Shirley turn the corner and at the same time look up a few old friends."

"I expect you have a great many?" Rose put down her cup.

"Would you mind if we went back now? I'm on duty at half past seven tomorrow morning."

He lifted a finger for the bill.

"Until when?"

"Oh, just for a couple of days I'll be on all day except when I go to a meal. It's much better if there are just two of us on a special case like Shirley."

They went out into the summer evening and he hailed a taxi.

"I hope you will be free to spend some time with Christina and Duert."

"Oh, I expect so. It will be nice to see little Duert and the baby."

She sat rather primly beside him and he glanced sideways at her. She was tired now and a little pale, her mane of hair looked too heavy for her neck. Her hands, too, lay neatly clasped in her cotton lap. She turned her head suddenly, her lovely eyes thoughtful.

"Will you tell me why you asked me to come out with you? I'm not your sort of a companion, am I? And I don't suppose you have ever been inside such a lowly restaurant before or eaten high tea?"

He answered her slowly, "I'm not sure myself, Rose. Shall we put it down to a sudden urge to do something different? I've enjoyed our evening."

She mused sadly that probably he thought of her and a place like that small restaurant in the same breath; she was quite sure that the beautiful girl she had seen him with would never have gone there. For that matter, he would never have suggested it in the first place. When the taxi stopped she thanked him again, but he got out with her.

"I'm going to see Shirley," he told her and waved away her repeated thanks.

"A pleasure, Rose." He looked down at her.

"You're tired, aren't you?"

She said that yes, she was; she was unhappy too, but that was her secret.

She saw him often enough during the next few days; he came several times a day to take a look at Shirley, sometimes with Mr. Cresswell, sometimes by himself, and he had nothing to say to her other than matters concerned with the toddler. And on the third day he paused long enough to say: "She'll do. Thank you. Rose."

Mr. Cresswell came alone or with his registrar after that and Rose tried very hard to believe that she didn't mind not seeing Mr. Werdmer ter Sane again. After all, she told herself sensibly, no good would come of meeting him. He had been kind, taking her out to a meal, but then he would be kind to a stray dog or an old lady who had fallen down in the street.

She was aware that a good doctor or surgeon had a degree of compa.s.sion tucked away out of sight which perhaps the ordinary man in the street didn't possess. She had no wish to be pitied, she told herself firmly, and redoubled her efforts to get small Shirley on to the road to recovery again.

It was little short of a miracle that the child should make such a splendid recovery for the operation had been a severe one. Of course there would be frequent check-ups to make sure that there were no secondaries, and it would be some weeks before she would take her first few steps, but the leg--its sound parts neatly put together again, the cancer cut away--encased in plaster, was healing just as it should.

It was almost a week before Rose heard from Christina. They were in London, staying at the Connaught Hotel and would Rose have dinner with them one evening soon? She would phone, said Christina's note and Rose could tell her on which evening she would be free.

Sister c.u.mmins allowed her a half-day and the promise of a long week-end at the end of the following week; she added graciously that since Rose had been so cooperative about her off-duty during the last few days she might choose which evening she would like. So she phoned Christina and agreed to have dinner with them in two days' time, which gave her the time to wash her hair and do her nails and make sure that the crepe dress she so seldom had the opportunity to wear was quite pristine.

She would be fetched, Christina had said, and it was nice to find Duert ter Brandt waiting for her in his own car when she got to the hospital entrance. He greeted her with his usual calm, gave her news of his small son, enlarged on the beauty of his little daughter and observed that both he and Christina were delighted to have the chance to see her again. And by then they were at the hotel.

"We're on the first floor," explained the doctor.

"We need to spread ourselves as the children are with us."

Rose wasn't quite prepared for the delightful sitting-room into which she was ushered. She glanced round her at its comfort; her experience of hotels was slight but it seemed to her to be the height of luxury.

There were doors on either side, one of which was opened as they went in and Christina came hurrying in, and behind her, not hurrying at all, Mr. Werdmer ter Sane. The last person she had expected to see.

Christina greeted her warmly and hugged her.

"How lovely to see you.

Rose," she exclaimed, 'and what a pretty dress." She nodded carelessly in Mr. Werdmer ter. Sane's direction, "Sybren's here too--just to cast art eye on little Duert, you know."

Rose said "Hullo," in a calm little voice while her heart thudded against her ribs. Surely he could have done that while they were in Holland? After all he only lived half an hour's drive away. Why come to London?

Christina answered her unspoken thought.

"It gives him a chance to enjoy the bright lights. Come and see the children..." She whisked Rose away to admire them in their respective cots.

"I do love Nanny," confided Christina, 'but it's rather fun to have them all to ourselves and Duert is so good with them. Of course we couldn't do that in The Hague, Duert's days are so busy and it's quite a large house to manage. " She smiled at Rose.

"Will you come and spend a week with us soon? Sybren says he had to come over here again in two weeks' time and he'll give you a lift. Do say you'll come?"

Rose was bending over the baby's cot.

"I'd love to come; I'll have to see if I can get a week off. But there's no need for Mr. Werdmer ter Sane to give me a lift; I can get a plane so easily."

Christina gave her a quick glance.

"Yes, of course, but let us know when you can come, won't you? We shall't be going back home for ten days--you can fix something up before then?"

"Oh, yes. Will you be here--in London?"

"We're going to spend a day or two with friends of Duert's but not until next week." She tucked her small son in cosily.

"Doesn't he look sweet? I'll never thank you enough. Rose."

Rose said gruffly: "My goodness, I didn't do much, it was Mr. Werdmer der Sane..."

"Isn't his name a mouthful, why don't you call him Sybren?"

"Well...I don't know him very well and anyway I don't think he'd like it."

To which Christina said nothing but led the way back to the sitting room where they were given drinks and were absorbed immediately into undemanding conversation.

Presently the floor waiter brought dinner and they sat around the table with its snowy cloth and gleaming gla.s.s and cutlery and ate a delicious meal in a leisurely fashion. Rose, very conscious of Sybren sitting opposite her, was quite unaware of what she ate.

It was a warm evening; they had their coffee on the balcony outside the sitting-room, and London, veiled in the summer twilight, looked lovely and mysterious too. Well, amended Rose to herself, that particular bit of London; she doubted if the streets round St. Bride's could look lovely even if one employed the liveliest of imaginations.

Which reminded her that it was time she left. She caught Christina's eye.

"If you don't mind, I must go--I'm on duty early in the morning..." She added: "It's been a lovely evening, thank you..."

"We've enjoyed having you. Rose." It was Dr. ter Brandt who spoke.

"Before you go will you promise to phone us here and tell us when you can come and see us?"

"Yes, of course. I'll see about it tomorrow, and thank you for asking me." They were all on their feet and Sybren said, "I'll run you back."

"No--no, there's no need, I can get a taxi." Rose's pleasant voice was so sharp that they all looked at her. It was Sybren who said easily, "I've not had a chance to ask you about Shirley--I thought you might bring me up to date on the way back to St. Bride's."

Rose blushed and felt foolish.

"Of course-- I'm sorry. But I didn't want to break up your party--you must want to talk."

Christina said gently, Sybren's spending the night here; we've all the time in the world to talk. It's been a lovely evening and don't forget to let us know when you can get that week off. " She put an arm round Rose and kissed her lightly and her husband did the same while Sybren looked on with an expressionless face. Perhaps he'll kiss me when we say goodbye, thought Rose, and went a very bright pink at the idea, unaware that her face was an open book to be read by anyone who cared to look. And Sybren was seeing.

There wasn't a great deal of traffic and at first the streets were pleasant; well lit, the great houses on either side standing in silent dignity, but as they neared St. Bride's the houses became smalt and cramped, and so did the streets, with discarded Coca Cola tins and greasy newspapers from chip suppers blowing to and fro.

"Another world, isn't it?" observed Mr. Werdmer ter Sane.

Rose said that yes it was, and in more ways than one, she added silently. She had enjoyed every minute of her evening, but it had been like peering through an open door at delights which could never be hers. As he drew up in the court 5 yard she put her hand on the door, suddenly anxious to be gone, but he leaned across her and covered her hand in his.

"No, wait. Rose, what's the matter?"

She was surprised so that she could only mutter, "Matter?" in a stupid fashion. "That's what I said. You are unhappy, hiding it nicely but underneath that serene face you are on the boil, why?"She answered him in a hurry."Oh, there is nothing. I'm tired;Shirley's been a full-time job. You wanted to know about her; she is doing marvellously; her mother and father. "

He interrupted her.

"Yes, I know. I've had a talk with them. She'll do very well, I think

although we can't know for certain just yet."

She turned to look at him then.

"But you wanted to know about her--you know already--there was no need..."

"None at all," he told her coolly, 'but you would have dug in your toes about

coming back with me, wouldn't you? ""Yes." It sounded bald, but she couldn't think of anything further to say.He took his hand away abruptly. She heard him sigh as he got out and went round the bonnet to open her door. Anxious to make amends she said timidly,"It was nice meeting you again...""Nice, nice? There was nothing nice about it." He sounded mocking and his laugh held no amus.e.m.e.nt.

"It's a great pity..." He didn't go on and when she looked up at him he saidquietly, "Good night. Rose."An unhappy ending to a happy evening and the quicker she took herself in hand the better. A fruitless task which cost her almost all of a night's sleep.She would have given a great deal not to have gone on duty in the morning;Mr. Werdmer ter Sane would most certainly come to inspect Shirley's leg.Which he did, while she was at her dinner. She wasn't sure whether to beglad or sorry about it when she got back to Shirley, but the wish to see him again was stronger than her relief; he would visit again, she felt sure.

While she was busy with the toddler Sister c.u.mmins came into the room.

"Well, everything is fine," she said in a satisfied voice.

"Mr. Werdmer ter Sane is more than pleased--thinks everything is as near perfect as it can be. Mr. Cresswell came with him, of course, he'll be in tomorrow morning again. Mr. Werdmer ter Sane is going back to Holland this evening so I don't suppose we'll see him again. A pity. Now he wants the treatment changed--it's written up..." She glanced at Rose.

"It's a good thing it's your weekend--you look washed out. Rose. Did the office allow you that week you wanted off?"