She smiled again.
"Certainly not. I'm only going to take the first half of the night—much the easiest. Then I shall probably go to sleep, unless there's any change, when, of course, they'll fetch me. But Dr. Prince doesn't think there will be yet, and I shall take all the rest I can. I'm much more likely to be wanted at night later on."
Miss Bruce went upstairs again, much more nearly disposed to wonder at such reasonableness than to admire it.
Her ideals were early Victorian ones, and although she knew that she could not hope for hysterics from Lady Vivian, she would have much preferred at least to hear her declare that sleep would be utterly impossible to her, and that she should spend the night hovering between her unconscious husband and her prostrate daughter.
But Lady Vivian went to bed at half-past twelve, and did not even insist upon merely lying down in her dressing-gown, nor did she reappear in Sir Piers's room until eight o'clock on the following morning.
There had been no change during the night.
Char slept heavily until ten o'clock, then woke and rang her bell rather indignantly.
Miss Bruce, who had been hovering about anxiously since seven that morning, appeared instantly at the door.
"There is no change whatever, my dear. Now, do, do lie down again and keep warm. There is nothing that you can do."
Char complied rather sullenly. She was still feeling ill, and violently resented her own involuntary physical relief at this enforced inaction.