He got up from his chair.
"And if Mrs. Chepstow should come, sir?"
"Explain to her that I waited till ten minutes to six and then—" He paused. The hall door-bell was ringing sharply.
"If it is Mrs. Chepstow, shall I admit her now, sir?"
The doctor hesitated, but only for a second.
"Yes," he said.
And he sat down again by his table.
He had been almost looking forward to the arrival of his last patient of that day, but now he felt irritated at being detained. For a moment he had believed his day's work to be over, and in that moment the humour for work had left him. Why had she not been up to time? He tapped his delicate fingers impatiently on the table, and drew down his thick brows over his sparkling eyes. But directly the door moved, his expression of serenity returned, and when a tall woman came in, he was standing up and gravely smiling.
"I'm afraid I am late."
The door shut on Henry.