When she had packed her trunk, she went into the kitchen automatically, to see about the preparations for dinner. She spoke to the cook about the special things for Charles and said that she herself was dining out. The sight of one of the small pans that had been used to cook Chuck's food caught her attention for a moment—but she stared at it unmoved. She looked into the ice-box and saw it was clean and fresh inside. Then she went into Charles's room. He was sitting up in bed, and the nurse was reading to him. His hair was almost white now, silvery white, and underneath it his eyes were huge and dark in his thin young face.
"The baby is sick?" he asked in his own natural voice.
She nodded.
He hesitated, closing his eyes for a moment. Then he asked:
"The baby is dead?"
"Yes."
For a long time he didn't speak. The nurse came over and put her hand on his forehead. Two large, strange tears welled from his eyes.
"I knew the baby was dead."
After another long wait, the nurse spoke:
"The doctor said he could be taken out for a drive to-day while there was still sunshine. He needs a little change."