He closed his eyes while the doctor counted his pulse. During the ensuing silence it struck Esther that both women were more worried than was necessary. The Frenchwoman in particular watched with an air of tense apprehension.
The doctor shut up his watch with a snap.
"Now the tongue," he said non-committally.
He examined the tongue, then the eyeballs, after which he held out his hand without looking round and took the thermometer Esther had ready for him. The silence continued while the old man sat sucking the little glass tube.
"Well," said the doctor at last, holding the instrument to the light, "he certainly has got a slight temperature."
Miss Clifford let her breath escape explosively.
"Thank Heaven for that!" she ejaculated in a tone of relief.
All eyes turned towards her in surprise.
"I suppose you're glad I'm ill, are you, Dido?" queried her brother dryly.
"Nonsense, don't be absurd! I'm only glad you'll have to admit you're ill and be put to bed properly where we can look after you. You should have been there days ago."