The things in the dark room darkled with a curious dull flash along all their edges and settled in a stifling dusky gloom. Everything in the room dingy and dirty and decaying, but the long lean upright figure. In time he would die of something. Phthisis ... that curious terrible damp mouldering smell, damp warm faint human fungus ... in Aunt Henderson’s bedroom.... But she had got better.... But the curate ought to know. But perhaps he too, perhaps she had imagined that....
“It seems strange she has not told such an old friend.”
“I’m not an old friend. I’ve only known her about two months. I’m hardly a friend at all.”
Dr. Densley was roaming about the room. “You’ve been a friend in need to that poor girl” he murmured contemplating the window curtains. “I recognised that when I saw you in her room last week.” How superficial....
“Where did you meet her?” he said, a curious gentle high tone on the where and a low one on the meet as if he were questioning a very delicate patient.
“My sister picked her up at a convalescent home.”
He turned very sharply and came and sat down in a low chair opposite Miriam’s low chair.
“Tell me all about it my dear girl” he said sitting forward so that his clasped hands almost touched Miriam’s knees.
9
“And she told you I was her oldest friend,” he said, getting up and going back to the mantelpiece.