The attention fluttered her—and Bush could see that with her sturdy figure she was in no need of help. To cover he confusion she began to thump at the bedding, putting the pillows into the pillowslips.
“I trust you have already had the mumps, Maria?” said Hornblower.
“Oh yes, sir. I had them as a child, on both sides.”
The exercise and her agitation between them had brought the colour into her cheeks. With blunt but capable hands she spread the sheet. Then she paused as another implication of Hornblower’s inquiry occurred to her.
“You’ve no need to worry, sir. I shan’t give them to you if you haven’t had them.”
“I wasn’t thinking about that,” salt Hornblower.
“Oh, sir,” said Maria, twitching the sheet into mathematical smoothness. She spread the blankets before she looked up again. “Are you going out directly, sir?”
“Yes. I ought to have left already.”
“Let me take that coat of yours for a minute, sir. I can sponge it and freshen it up.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t have you go to that trouble, Maria.”