Perhaps he was someone important in his own country--and hadn't Sir Walter said something about a clinic and a brother?

She let out a great sigh of frustrated curiosity and Tommy, who hadbeen watching her face, asked: "Ere, Sister, wot's got inter your? Yourlook real narked." The? Go on with you. Tommy. Who's coming to seeyou this afternoon?" The mum. When am I goin' 'ome, then, Sister?" "Not just yet--I can't bear to part with you." She laughed at himthen, patted his thin shoulder, told him to be a good boy, and went onher way.

He shouldn't have been in the ward at all, but Children's was full, as usual, and there was no point in trying to move him there even if there was a bed free, the business of moving him and his paraphernalia would have been just too much.

Besides, the men liked him, he had a sharp c.o.c.kney wit and he was always cheerful.

The day wore on.

The boys who had been admitted during the night were picking up slowly; the patient of that morning had come back from ITU only half an hour since, still poorly, and his mother, fortified with cups of tea in Alethea's office, had been able to sit with him for a few minutes.

The boy had made a brave show for that short time before, his anxious parent gone, Alethea gave him an injection to send him back into the sleep he needed so badly.

The ward was settling down into its early evening routine and she was due off duty when Nick came again.

He had been down already to check Sir Walter's patients, but beyond giving him any information he had asked for, they had nothing to say to each other, but this time, after a quick look at his charges, he didn't leave the ward but followed her into the office where she was writing the bare bones of the report, so that Sue, due on in ten minutes or so, would have a little more time to get finished before the night staff appeared.

She sat down at her desk and picked up her pen and gave him an enquiring look.

He hadn't bothered to shut the door and he was in a bad temper.

"Look here," he began,

"T still want to know how you came to pick up that fellow.

' She eyed him calmly although her heart was thumping enough to choke her, and despised herself for longing for him to smile just once and say that everything was all right again, that he hadn't meant a word he had said.

"T didn't.

He saw you leave and I suppose he guessed that I might not have had

enough to pay the bill--and I hadn't--you might have thought of that.

I don't know what I should have done if he hadn't helped me.

' She paused.

"Nick--do we have to quarrel.

' She hadn't meant her voice to sound so anxious; she caught at the

tatters of her pride and was glad of it when he snapped: "Quarrel?

I'm not quarrelling, I've other things to do than waste time on a prissy girl like you.

' "T cannot agree wholly with you," remarked Mr van Diederijk from the

open door.

"Indeed, if there were the time, I would suggest most strongly that you should eat your words, but it is true that you are wasting your time,

Mr--er-Penrose; they are looking for you in the Accident Room, I

believe.

' He glanced at Nick's bleep which he had switched off and now switched on again with a muttered grumble, not looking at anyone.

And when he turned to go out of the door, Mr van Diederijk made no effort to move.

"A quick apology to Sister?

' he suggested with a smile which Alethea, watching fascinated, could only describe as sunny, and Nick, furious, turned again and mumbled something at her before brushing past the other man.

When he had gone there was silence for a few moments; Alethea was fighting to regain her calm and her companion seemed happy enough just to stand there, looking at the various notices pinned on the walls.

Presently Mr van Diederijk asked gently: "Off duty.

Sister?

' She wanted to pick up her pen, but her hand was shaking.

All the same she achieved a very creditable: "In about ten minutes or

so, sir.

' "Then may I beg you to take pity on me and come out to dinner?

' He sighed loudly.

"London can be a lonely place for a foreigner.

' She was in no state to care what she did or where she went; she

supposed that she might just as well go out with him as spend the evening in her room, which was what she had intended to do.

All the same, she was too nice a girl to make use of him.

"You might enjoy yourself better on your own, I'm not very good company,"

she pointed out.

He shrugged huge shoulders.

"We don't need to talk unless we want to.

' He smiled suddenly.

"Anyway, it might be better than spending an evening in your room,

without your supper.

' Her fine eyes flew to his face.

"How did you know.

' and when she saw that he wasn't going to answer her question: "Well,

thank you, yes, I'd like to come.

' "Good.

Half past seven at the entrance, then?

' He turned as Sue came in, wished her good evening, pa.s.sed the remark

that he mustn't interfere with the giving of the report, asked if he might take a quick look at the boy who had been operated upon that morning, and went quietly away.

"He's nice," breathed Sue.

"T could go for him in a big way.

He'll be married, of course, the nice ones always are.

' "T don't know," said Alethea, not particularly caring.

"Everything's fairly quiet; you'll need to keep an eye on that boy and

the two who came in last night, I gave them some dope at five o'clock,