It was as if he were discussing the case with an ordinary visitor or a reporter. He already knew she was not likely to be particularly interested, but the impersonal manner in which she asked and received his account of her husband's accident—certainly grievous and possibly fatal—was most indicative. He found himself wondering why she had taken the trouble to come at all.
And she read something of what he thought, for she remarked, without preliminary:
"The Hospital said over the telephone that he had asked for me when he was first brought in—and I came because of that. Has he asked again?"
"I think not, Mrs. Lorraine—nor for any one."
"May I see him?"
The doctor hesitated. "You may—if you very much wish—but we should prefer not."
"Can I do him any good by seeing him?"
"Not a particle. He is, pardon me, much better as it is—with the surgeons and nurses. In such cases, the presence even of one nearly connected is frequently a deterrent, and excites the patient unduly."
"I can do nothing then?" she persisted.