“Go away,” he said, “I am not able to see 302 anybody. There’s a mistake. I gave strict orders that nobody at all was to be admitted.”
“I know, Dick,” Nancy said gently, “don’t blame your faithful servitors. I thought I should have to use a gun on them, but I explained to them that you must be looked after.”
“I don’t want to be looked after. I’m all right, thank you. Are you alone?”
“No, Hitty’s outside. Betty simply insisted on my bringing her,—I don’t know why, but she said you’d be kinder to me if I did. I don’t think you’re very kind.”
A flicker of a smile crossed Dick’s face, which seemed to say that if anything could bring back a momentary relish of existence the mention of Betty’s name would be that thing. Nancy saw the expression and misinterpreted it.
“I don’t want to see anybody,” Dick repeated firmly. “Will you be good enough to go away and leave me to my misery?”
“No, I won’t,” Nancy said, “I never left anybody to their misery yet, and I’m not going to begin on you. Of course, if you’d rather see Betty, I’ll send for her. She seems to know a good deal about your habits and customs. You look like a monk in that bathrobe. I’m glad 303 you’re not a fat man, Dick. It’s so very hard to calculate just how much to cut down on starches and sweets without injury to the health. What are you feeding up on?”
“You know very well that I’m not feeding up on anything, but if you think you can come around here, and dope out one of your darned health menus for me, and sit around watching me eat it, you are jolly well mistaken. I wish you’d go home, Nancy. I don’t like you to-day. I don’t like myself or anybody in this whole universe. I’m not fit for human society—don’t you see I’m not?”
“You’re awful cross, dear.”
“Don’t call me dear. I’m not Sheila or one of your sick waitresses, you know.”