At the sound of the door Roddy looked up, straightened himself, and then came forward.
"Hallo! Christopher," he said. "Delighted. Splendid! Rachel's out, but she said she'd be back to tea."
He was not looking well—fat, his cheeks pale and puffy, lines beneath his eyes.
"I'm jolly glad you've come," he said. He drew two arm-chairs to the fire and they sat down.
Roddy then talked a great deal. He was always a little nervous with Christopher because he was well aware that the doctor had disapproved of his marriage.
Christopher had lately shown him that he liked him, but still Roddy was not at his ease. He talked of the war, then of golf, then polo, then horses, Seddon Court—abruptly he stopped and sat there gazing moodily into the fire.
"You're not looking well, Seddon," Christopher said quietly.
"I'm not very—Nobody's at their liveliest just now with fellers one knows droppin' out any minute.... One feels a bit of a worm keepin' out of it all—skunkin' rather——"
Moodily he sat there, his head hanging, dejected as Christopher had never seen him before.
Suddenly he said—"That ain't quite the truth, Doctor. I am a bit worried——"