'Eh?' said Conroy. 'Oh yes! This is the first time I've turned my corner without help. With your help, I should say.'
'It'll come back, though.'
'Then shall we meet it in the same way? Here's my card. Write me your train, and we'll go together.'
'Yes. We must do that. But between times--when we want--' She looked at her palm, the four fingers working on it. 'It's hard to give 'em up.'
'But think what we have gained already, and let me have the case to keep.'
She shook her head, and threw her cigarette out of the window. 'Not yet.'
'Then let's lend our cases to Nurse, and we'll get through to-day on cigarettes. I'll call her while we feel strong.'
She hesitated, but yielded at last, and Nurse accepted the offerings with a smile.
'You'll be all right,' she said to Miss Henschil. 'But if I were you'--to Conroy--'I'd take strong exercise.'
When they reached their destination Conroy set himself to obey Nurse Blaber. He had no remembrance of that day, except one streak of blue sea to his left, gorse-bushes to his right, and, before him, a coast-guard's track marked with white-washed stones that he counted up to the far thousands. As he returned to the little town he saw Miss Henschil on the beach below the cliffs. She kneeled at Nurse Blaber's feet, weeping and pleading.