Then she turned with a sort of fierceness to the doctors.
“Why don't you do something?” she demanded. She raised a hand with a repellant gesture towards the other men.
“You had better go now,” said she. “I thank you very much. If there is anything you can do, I will let you know.”
When Mrs. Lloyd was left with the two doctors and a young assistant, Robert, and Ellen, she said, cutting her words short as if she released every one from a mental grip:
“I have got everything ready. Shall I go out now?”
“I think you had better, Mrs. Lloyd,” said the family physician, pityingly. He went close to Ellen.
“Can't you stay with her a little while?” he whispered.
Ellen nodded.
Then the physician spoke quite loudly and cheerfully to Mrs. Lloyd.
“We are going to probe for the ball,” he said. “We must all hope for the best, Mrs. Lloyd.”