She came towards them.
"You've made friends without any introduction?"
She had on a hat and veil, and carried a fan in her hand.
"How can you be awake and up? But it's impossible, after the veronal I gave you. And such a night as you had! You mustn't--"
Doctor Hartley, still looking dreadfully guilty, was beside her. His solicitude was feverish.
"Really, I can't permit--" he almost stammered.
She looked at him.
"Your voices woke me!"
He was silent. He stood like a man who had been struck.
"How d'you do, Doctor Isaacson? Please forgive me for saying it, but, considering you are two doctors discussing the case of a patient sleeping immediately beneath you, you are not too careful to moderate your voices. Another minute and my husband would have been awake. He was moving and murmuring as it was. As for me--well, you just simply woke me right up, so I thought I would come and join you, and see whether I could keep you quiet."
Her face looked ghastly beneath the veil. Her voice, though she kept it very low, sounded bitter and harsh with irony, and there was something almost venomous in her manner.
"The question is," she added, standing midway between Hartley and Isaacson, "whether my unfortunate husband is to have a little rest or not. When we tied up here we really thought we should be at peace, but it seems we were mistaken. At any rate, I hope the consultation is nearly done, for my head is simply splitting."
Doctor Hartley was scarlet. He shot a vicious glance at Isaacson.
"There has been no consultation, Mrs. Armine," he said.
His eyes implored her forgiveness. His whole body looked pathetic, begging, almost like a chastised dog's.
"No consultation? Then what's the good of all this talky-talky? Have you waked me up by discussing the weather and the temples? That's really too bad of you!"
Her face worked for a second or two. It was easy to see that she was scarcely mistress of herself.
"I think I shall pack you both off to see Edfou," she continued, violently beginning to use her fan. "You can chatter away there and make friends to your hearts' content, and there'll be only the guardian to hear you. Then poor Nigel can have his sleep out whatever happens to me."
Suddenly she gaped, and put up her fan to her mouth.
"Ah!" she said.
The exclamation was like something between a sigh and a sob. Immediately after she had uttered it she cleared her throat.
"I told Doctor Isaacson his coming here to-day was absolutely useless," began Doctor Hartley. "I told him no consultation was required. I begged him to leave the case in my hands. Over and over again I--"