Mrs Craddock by W. Somerset Maugham & Robert Calder

Author:W. Somerset Maugham & Robert Calder [Maugham, W. Somerset]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781101664193
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2008-02-04T16:00:00+00:00

17

Edward Craddock was a strong man and unimaginative. Driving through the night to Tercanbury he did not give way to distressing thoughts, but easily kept his anxiety within proper bounds, and gave his whole attention to conducting the horse. He kept his eyes on the road in front of him. The horse stepped out with swift, regular stride, rapidly passing the milestones. Edward rang Dr Spencer up and gave him the note he carried. The doctor presently came down, an undersized man with a squeaky voice and a gesticulative manner. He looked upon Edward with suspicion.

“I suppose you’re the husband?” he said, as they clattered down the street. “Would you like me to drive? I daresay you’re rather upset.”

“No, and don’t want to be,” answered Edward with a laugh. He looked down a little upon people who lived in towns, and never trusted a man who was less than six feet high and burly in proportion.

“I’m rather nervous of anxious husbands who drive me at breakneck pace in the middle of the night,” said the doctor. “The ditches have an almost irresistible attraction for them.”

“Well, I’m not nervous, doctor, so it doesn’t matter twopence if you are.”

When they reached the open country, Edward set the horse going at its fastest; he was amused at the doctor’s desire to drive. Absurd little man!

“Are you holding on tight?” he asked, with good-natured scorn.

“I can see you can drive,” said the doctor.

“It is not the first time I’ve had reins in my hands,” replied Edward modestly. “Here we are.”

He showed the specialist to the bedroom and asked whether Dr Ramsay required him further.

“No, I don’t want you just now; but you’d better stay up to be ready, if anything happens. I’m afraid Bertha is very bad indeed. You must be prepared for everything.”

Edward retired to the next room and sat down. He was genuinely disturbed, but even now he could not realize that Bertha was dying; his mind was sluggish and he was unable to imagine the future. A more emotional man would have been white with fear, his heart beating painfully, and his nerves quivering with a hundred anticipated terrors. He would have been quite useless, while Edward was fit for any emergency; he could have been trusted to drive another ten miles in search of some appliance, and with perfect steadiness to help in any necessary operation.

“You know,” he said to Dr Ramsay, “I don’t want to get in your way; but if I should be any use in the room you can trust me not to get flurried.”

“I don’t think there’s anything you can do; the nurse is very trustworthy and capable.”

“Women,” said Edward, “get so excited; they always make fools of themselves if they possibly can.”

But the night air had made Craddock sleepy, and after half an hour in the chair, trying to read a book, he dozed off. Presently, however, he awoke, and the first light of day filled the room with a grey coldness. He looked at his watch.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.