"Do so."
She would rather not have done so when addressed in that manner. The blood rushed to her cheeks, but she stifled her resentment and continued to search in every likely and unlikely place. It couldn't be lost, that was impossible. Yet in ten minutes she returned empty-handed.
"I'm so sorry, doctor. I've looked everywhere. It's simply disappeared."
"Disappeared!"
There was no describing the sudden look of rage with which he turned on her. His face grew a mottled red, his clenched fist made an abortive gesture as though he would have liked to strike her.
"Disappeared!" he reiterated. "Have you the face to stand there and confess to such a piece of flagrant carelessness?"
She bit her lip.
"I suppose it was careless of me, doctor, but I didn't think——"
"That's the whole trouble; you never think—except about frivolity, men, anything but your work! There is no excuse for your conduct—none."
The attack was so unwarranted that, although she felt her face burn with indignation, she was able to regard him with sudden calm detachment, noting curiously his twitching mouth, his laboured breathing. He seemed in a few minutes to have become quite a different person. She had never seen him violently angry before.