II + 

тАЬThereтАЩs someone asking for you, Nurse Deyre.тАЭ + 

тАЬFor me?тАЭ Nell was surprised. + 

It must be Sebastian. Only he was likely to come down here and look her up. Did she want to see him or not? She hardly knew. + 

But to her great surprise, her visitor was George Chetwynd. He explained that he was passing through Wiltsbury, and had stopped to see if he could see her. He asked whether she couldnтАЩt come out to lunch with him. + 

тАЬI thought you were on afternoon duty,тАЭ he explained. + 

тАЬI was changed to the morning shift yesterday. IтАЩll ask Matron. WeтАЩre not very busy.тАЭ + 

Permission was accorded her, and half an hour later she was sitting opposite George Chetwynd at the County Hotel with a plate of roast beef in front of her and a waiter hovering over her with a vast dish of cabbage. + 

тАЬThe only vegetable the County Hotel knows,тАЭ observed Chetwynd. + 

He talked interestingly and made no reference to her loss. All he said was that her continuing to work here was the pluckiest thing he had ever heard of. + 

тАЬI canтАЩt tell you how I admire all you women. Carrying on, tackling one job after another. No fussтБатАФno heroicsтБатАФjust sticking to it as though it were the most natural thing in the world. I think Englishwomen are fine.тАЭ + 

тАЬOne must do something.тАЭ + 

тАЬI know. I can understand that feeling. AnythingтАЩs better than sitting with your hands in your lap, eh?тАЭ + 

тАЬThatтАЩs it.тАЭ + 

She was grateful. George always understood. He told her that he was off to Serbia in a day or two, organizing relief work there. + 

тАЬFrankly,тАЭ he said, тАЬIтАЩm ashamed of my country for not coming in. But they will. IтАЩm convinced of that. ItтАЩs only a matter of time. In the meantime we do what we can to alleviate the horrors of war.тАЭ + 

тАЬYou look very well.тАЭ + 

He looked younger than she remembered himтБатАФwell set up, bronzed, the grey in his hair a mere distinction rather than a sign of age. + 

тАЬIтАЩm feeling well. Nothing like having plenty to do. Relief workтАЩs pretty strenuous.тАЭ + 

тАЬWhen are you off?тАЭ + 

тАЬDay after tomorrow.тАЭ He paused, then said in a different voice. тАЬLook hereтБатАФyou didnтАЩt mind my looking you up like this? You donтАЩt feel IтАЩd no business to butt in?тАЭ + 

тАЬNoтБатАФno. It was very kind of you. Especially after IтБатАФIтБатАФтАЭ + 

тАЬYou know IтАЩve never borne any rancour over that. I admire you for following your heart. You loved him and you didnтАЩt love me. But thereтАЩs no reason we shouldnтАЩt be friends, is there?тАЭ + 

He looked so friendly, so very unsentimental, that Nell answered happily that there wasnтАЩt. + 

He said: тАЬThatтАЩs fine. And youтАЩll let me do anything for you that a friend can? Advise you in any bothers that arise, I mean?тАЭ + 

Nell said sheтАЩd be only too grateful. + 

They left it like that. He departed in his car shortly after lunch, wringing her hand and saying he hoped theyтАЩd meet again in about six monthsтАЩ time, and begging her again to consult him if she were in a difficulty any time. + 

Nell promised that she would. + 