“It’s Mrs. Gregg,” said Mary Ellen, “and it’s the doctor she’s asking for.”
“The doctor’s not here,” said Father McCormack. “Can’t you see that for yourself?”
“If it’s Mrs. Gregg,” said the Major, “you’d better show her up. You can’t leave her standing by herself in the hall till the doctor chooses to come. I wish to goodness he would come. I can’t think why he isn’t here. This is his show entirely.”
Mrs. Gregg came into the room while the Major was speaking. She looked agitated and, in spite of the fact that she had been waiting downstairs for nearly ten minutes, was almost breathless.
“Oh, Major Kent,” she said, “where’s Dr. O’Grady? Such a dreadful thing has happened. I don’t know what to do. Just fancy—Mrs. Ford has written to me——”
“There’s no use appealing to me,” said the Major. “I can’t do anything with Mrs. Ford. She and I are hardly on speaking terms. It’s not my fault—at least I don’t think it is—but you must see Mrs. Gregg, that I can’t interfere about any letter she may have written to you.”
Mrs. Gregg shook hands with Father McCormack, but her head was turned away from him as she did so. She had little hope that he could interfere effectually to settle the difficulty created by Mrs. Ford.
“Dr. O’Grady said that I——”
The Major interrupted her.
“You’d far better wait till the doctor comes,” he said. “He’ll be here in a minute.”