Her voice broke unexpectedly and she covered her head with a pillow.
Under the sheet Cub could see her body beginning to stiffen.
He reached over gently and took the cigarette from her fingers. Then he looked around for an ash-tray, saw none, and vacantly placed the cigarette between his own lips. The harassment of the morning had drained from his face. A deep concern replaced it.
His voice was bantering and slow:
“Looks like the phlebitis is traveling to your mind, little Salscie. Let’s take it step by step. The job; it’s intact. The doctor who asked me to take you in has been talking to the City Editor about you every day. Mistake was I ordered no visitors and no flowers and so you thought they had abandoned you. You may stay a month so far as they are concerned. The job will be there when you get back. If you stay a month, probably by then our friction may have worn itself out and you’ll begin to see how nice I really am. Want to try?”
The pillow remained inert, but the feet and legs began to relax. Cub cut his eye over the body and began talking again. He decided silently that when the breasts stopped rising, he’d quit talking....
He took the cigarette from his lips and moistened them:
“About the bills, I’ve been a rotter. I should have told you that the paper was paying them, or the hospital, or ... but I was pushed into the situation uninformed. I didn’t know whether you were the king’s mistress or the governor’s. I didn’t care a damn! And then some terribly, horribly important situations arose in the hospital and instead of thinking the thing out, I bungled it.”
The heaving in the breasts became slower, and Cub said:
“About the bills, I’ll do whatever you want me to. The hospital will take your note, or I’ll lend you the money myself. There is only one thing I will not do. I will not let you walk out of this hospital until I am absolutely sure that you are perfectly well. So make up your mind to that! I’m sorry if I’ve been cruel.... I didn’t mean to! Probably I’m just too stupid to be kind, Salscie!”