Again it would have been very simple to have said: “Did she appear not to be?” but Helen left that question unuttered.
“Poor Aline,” she said, “I’m sorry her ball did not go off well.”
“Yes: it upset her. It must be horrid to stand at the top of your stairs and wait for people who don’t come. Is that enough about them, do you think?”
“Yes: just this one thing more,” she said. “I’m glad you went. Aline would like it. Now, Robin, will you take me for a walk? I’m still breathing ether, and I want to get rid of it.”
“Yes, but why are you so full of ether?”
“I attended an operation this morning. One of these poor boys had to have his leg off, and he had taken rather a fancy to me, and wanted me to be with him.”
“How horrible for you. Didn’t you hate it?”
“Loathed it, but I couldn’t help myself, could I?”
“You might have gone away, as soon as he was under the anæsthetic.”
“I meant to, but when it came to, I just couldn’t.”