to say he forced
his voice to become brusque. "She's dying."

The man did not say a word; he stopped quite still, looking at his wife,
who lay, pale and unconscious, on the bed. It was the midwife who spoke.

"The gentlemen 'ave done all they could, 'Arry," she said. "I saw what was
comin' from the first."

"Shut up," said Chandler.

There were no curtains on the windows, and gradually the night seemed to
lighten; it was not yet the dawn, but the dawn was at hand. Chandler was
keeping the woman alive by all the means in his power, but life was
slipping away from her, and suddenly she died. The boy who was her husband
stood at the end of the cheap iron bed with his hands resting on the rail;
he did not speak; but he looked very pale and once or twice Chandler gave
him an uneasy glance, thinking he was going to faint: his lips were gray.
The midwife sobbed noisily, but he took no notice of her. His eyes were
fixed upon his wife, and in them was an utter bewilderment. He reminded
you of a dog whipped for something he did not know was wrong. When
Chandler and Philip had gathered together their things Chandler turned to
the husband.

"You'd better lie down for a bit. I expect you're about done up."

"There's nowhere for me to lie down, sir," he answered, and there was in
his voice a humbleness which was very distressing.

"Don't you know anyone in the house who'll give you a shakedown?"

"No, sir."

"They only moved in last week," said the midwife. "They don't know nobody
yet."

Chandler hesitated a moment awkwardly, then he went up to the man and
said:

"I'm very sorry this has happened."

He held out his hand and the man, with an instinctive glance at his own to
see if it was clean, shook it.

"Thank you, sir."

Philip shook hands with him too. Chandler told the midwife to come and
fetch the certificate in the morning. They left the house and walked along
together in silence.

"It upsets one a bit at first, doesn't it?" said Chandler at last.

"A bit," answered Philip.

"If you like I'll tell the porter not to bring you any more calls
tonight."

"I'm off duty at eight in the morning in any case."

"How many cases have you had?"

"Sixty-three."

"Good. You'll get your certificate then."

They arrived at the hospital, and the S. O. C. went in to see if anyone
wanted him. Philip walked on. It had been very hot all the day before, and
even now in the early morning there was a balminess in the air.