Lena's door was open: the doctor was talking to the young priest whose cropped head seemed more skull than anything alive. Mme. Ronde found her way to Lena's bed ... Orville found his way downstairs, rejoining Jeannette, saying over and over, I must go, I must remember to take a bath and scrub ... I must say ... I must tell Jean ... I must ... must say ...
She kissed him and said quietly:
"I'm going to the hospital."
"Yes?"
"I'm on duty, worried about a fellow there. Meet me early at the hospital, in the entry, say about eight o'clock? ... Okay? but if things don't work out call me ... no, no, you can't, the phone's out of order."
"The hospital ... at eight? I'll be there ... now, I have to take ... but how are you getting back? Let Claude drive you there."
"I have my raincoat and umbrella. It's not far, you know."
"Not in this rain!"
"Then I'll ask Claude."
He helped her into her raincoat; Claude came; at the door her red head disappeared under his black umbrella; then Orville let the window drapes fall into place.