IV
But as it happened, Nurse Frances went away much sooner than she might have done. It all happened very suddenly, as things in VernonтАЩs experience always did.
It started very simplyтБатАФsomething that Myra offered to do for Vernon and that he said he would rather have done by Nurse Frances.
He was on crutches now for a short and painful time every day, enjoying the novelty of it very much. He soon got tired, however, and was ready to go back to bed. Today his mother had suggested his doing so, saying she would help him. But Vernon had been helped by her before. Those big white hands of hers were strangely clumsy. They hurt where they meant to help. He shrank from her well-meant efforts. He said he would wait for Nurse Frances, who never hurt.
The words came out with the tactless honesty of children, and in a minute Myra Deyre was at white heat.
Nurse Frances came in two or three minutes later to be received with a flood of reproach.
Turning the boy against his own motherтБатАФcruelтБатАФwicked. They were all alikeтБатАФeveryone was against her. She had nothing in the world but Vernon and now he was being turned against her too.
So it went onтБатАФa ceaseless stream. Nurse Frances bore it patiently enough without surprise or rancour. Mrs.┬аDeyre, she knew, was that kind of woman. Scenes were a relief to her. And hard words, Nurse Frances reflected with grim humour, can only harm if the utterer is dear to you. She was sorry for Myra Deyre for she realized how much real unhappiness and misery lay behind these hysterical outbursts.
It was an unfortunate moment for Walter Deyre to choose to enter the nursery. For a moment or two he stood surprised, then he flushed angrily.
тАЬReally, Myra, IтАЩm ashamed of you. You donтАЩt know what youтАЩre saying.тАЭ
She turned on him furiously.
тАЬI know what IтАЩm saying well enough. And I know what youтАЩve been doing. Slinking in here every dayтБатАФIтАЩve seen you. Always making love to some woman or other. Nursemaids, hospital nursesтБатАФitтАЩs all one to you.тАЭ
тАЬMyraтБатАФbe quiet!тАЭ
He was really angry now. Myra Deyre felt a throb of fear. But she hurled her last piece of invective.
тАЬYouтАЩre all alike, you hospital nurses. Flirting with other womenтАЩs husbands. You ought to be ashamed of yourself. Before the innocent child tooтБатАФputting all sorts of things into his head. But youтАЩll go out of my house. Yes, youтАЩll go right outтБатАФand I shall tell Dr.┬аColes what I think of you.тАЭ
тАЬWould you mind continuing this edifying scene elsewhere?тАЭ Her husbandтАЩs voice was as she hated it mostтБатАФcold and sneering. тАЬHardly judicious in front of your innocent child, is it? I apologize, Nurse, for what my wife has been saying. Come, Myra.тАЭ
She wentтБатАФbeginning to cryтБатАФweakly frightened at what she had done. As usual, she had said more than she meant.
тАЬYouтАЩre cruel,тАЭ she sobbed. тАЬCruel. YouтАЩd like me to be dead. You hate me.тАЭ
She followed him out of the room. Nurse Frances put Vernon to bed. He wanted to ask questions but she talked of a dog, a big St.┬аBernard, that she had had when she was a little girl and he was so much interested that he forgot everything else.
Much later that evening, VernonтАЩs father came to the nursery. He looked white and ill. Nurse Frances rose and came to where he stood in the doorway.
тАЬI donтАЩt know what to say. How can I apologizeтБатАФthe things my wife saidтБатАФтАЭ
Nurse Frances replied in a quiet matter-of-fact voice:
тАЬOh! itтАЩs quite all right. I understand. I think, though, that I had better go as soon as it can be arranged. My being here makes Mrs.┬аDeyre unhappy, and then she works herself up.тАЭ
тАЬIf she knew how wide of the mark her wild accusations are. That she should insult youтБатАФтАЭ
Nurse Frances laughedтБатАФnot, perhaps, very convincingly.
тАЬI always think itтАЩs absurd when people complain about being insulted,тАЭ she said cheerfully. тАЬSuch a pompous word, isnтАЩt it? Please donтАЩt worry or think I mind. You know, Mr.┬аDeyre, your wife isтБатАФтАЭ
тАЬYes?тАЭ
Her voice changed. It was grave and sad.
тАЬA very unhappy and lonely woman.тАЭ
тАЬDo you think that is entirely my fault?тАЭ
There was a pause. She lifted her eyesтБатАФthose steady green eyes.
тАЬYes,тАЭ she said, тАЬI do.тАЭ
He drew a long breath.
тАЬNo one else but you would have said that to me. YouтБатАФI suppose itтАЩs courage in you that I admire so muchтБатАФyour absolute fearless honesty. IтАЩm sorry for Vernon that he should lose you before he need.тАЭ
She said gravely: тАЬDonтАЩt blame yourself for things you neednтАЩt. This has not been your fault.тАЭ
тАЬNurse Frances.тАЭ It was Vernon, eagerly from bed. тАЬI donтАЩt want you to go away. DonтАЩt go away, pleaseтБатАФnot tonight.тАЭ
тАЬOf course not,тАЭ said Nurse Frances. тАЬWeтАЩve got to talk to Dr.┬аColes about it.тАЭ
Nurse Frances left three days later. Vernon wept bitterly. He had lost the first real friend he had ever had.