"You would very soon get enough of it, Miss Daisy", said Philip.
"It would depend entirely on the man", she returned. "With the right man, I would face any danger".
"You had better come with us on our hunting trip next year, as a preparation", said Dr. Ramsay.
"Ah, but would the right man be there to give me the moral support I need?"
"At any rate, Dr. Ramsay could attend to your physical injuries", said her uncle.
This turned the conversation to arduous journeys the doctor had had to make in his profession to remote places in the depth of winter. When the ladies had left the room he was encouraged to enlarge on these. Colonel Vaughan again circulated the decanter of port.
"You would be surprised", said Ramsay, "to see what shift I can make when I am put to it. A few weeks ago I was visiting a patient when a neighbour came in a great state of excitement to fetch me. Her husband had given his foot a gash with an axe. Well, when I reached their little farm, there was the man looking pretty weak. It was a bad wound. I had nothing with me for sewing it up. There was no linen thread in the house. So I just went to the barn and pulled a few good white hairs from the tail of one of their nags and they did the trick. Not very sanitary, of course, but that gash healed as well as any I’ve seen".
He told other experiences which were shocking to Wilmott. He bolstered himself with port. No one noticed that he walked rather unsteadily when they returned to the parlour, or that he had become very quiet. He went and sat beside Adeline. Rain was beginning to fall. They could hear it beating against the windows.
"I am glad to hear that rain", said Colonel Vaughan. "It is badly needed".
"I wish it had waited till I reached home", said Dr. Ramsay. "It will be an uncomfortable ride. My mare never fails to step in every hole and puddle. Just listen to how it’s coming down!" He turned to Wilmott. "Were you on horseback, sir?"
Wilmott looked bewildered. "Yes-yes", he began slowly. "I hope to buy a good horse. A team-yes-and in time-a saddle horse".
"I asked", returned Dr. Ramsay irritably, "if you rode here".
"No-no-I never ride".
Philip, seated on the other side of the room on a sofa beside Daisy, knew that she wanted to be urged to play on the piano. He said to Mrs. Vaughan:
"I wish you could persuade your niece to play for us. She’s adamant to my implorings".
"I think it would be very nice", said Mrs. Vaughan. "Do play something, Daisy".
"Oh, Aunt, I perform so horribly! Please don’t insist".
"I don’t wish to insist, Daisy, but I think it would be agreeable to everyone".
"Not to Dr. Ramsay, I’m sure. I am positive he hates the piano-forte".
"I don’t know how I gave that impression", said the doctor. "I myself can play ’The Bluebells of Scotland’ with one finger and take great pride in it".
"Oh, please do! I should so love to hear you".
"After your performance".
"Come, Miss Daisy", urged Philip, "don’t be obstinate. It’s not becoming in a young girl".
She rose, gracefully reluctant, and went to the instrument. It required some twirlings of the piano-stool to make it of the height to suit her. Philip assisted in this and also in the finding of her music.
Adeline said in an undertone to Wilmott, "If the creature didn’t pose so, I could tolerate her".
"I hate all women but you".
There was something uncontrolled in his voice that made Adeline turn to him quickly.
"What is the matter with you, James?"
"Nothing", he answered. "Except that I’ve had a little too much to drink".
Daisy was sailing brightly through a Strauss waltz, while Philip turned the pages for her.
"Oh, to waltz!" sighed Adeline. "What wouldn’t I give to waltz!"
"Why not waltz then? I should like nothing better".
"In this room! On this carpet! Come, be sensible… I mean in a real ballroom and to a waltz played sensitively-languorously".
There was a murmur of approbation as the music ceased. Daisy refused to play another piece.
"My heart is set", she said, "on hearing Mrs. Whiteoak and Mr. Wilmott sing together from The Bohemian Girl. I know they do it excessively well because Captain Whiteoak has told me. Do command them to do it, Captain Whiteoak!"
"It is impossible", said Philip, "for my wife to keep on the tune. But I’ll engage to make her sing if the company demands it".
"I demand it", said Dr. Ramsay.
"What about it, Wilmott?" asked Philip. "Do you think you can keep Adeline to the tune?"
Wilmott rose with sudden alacrity.
"Come", he said to Adeline, "we’ll show them what a really finished performance is". He held out his hand to her.
She allowed herself to be led to the piano but she gave Wilmott a look askance. She was a little mistrustful of him. However, he sat down before the keyboard with an air of confidence. He knew the accompaniment by heart. He played the opening chords. But his first vocal note was a kind of discordant groan. He looked up at her in astonishment.
"Is anything wrong?" asked Colonel Vaughan.
"No, no", said Adeline. She bent over Wilmott. "Are you going to shame us both", she whispered, "or are you going to sing?"
"Going to sing", he muttered.
Philip beat a tattoo with his heels. He would have liked to be a little rowdy but was afraid of Mrs. Vaughan.
Wilmott struck the opening bars afresh. Then, abruptly he took his hands from the keys, crossed his arms on the music-rack and laid his head on them. Mrs. Vaughan sprang up.
"Is Mr. Wilmott ill?" she asked.
"No", answered Adeline, "not really ill, just a little faint".
"I’ll get my smelling-salts". She hurried from the room.
Philip came and looked down into that part of his friend’s face which was visible. Dr. Ramsay also bent over him.
"Are you aware of what is wrong with him?" asked the doctor.
"Yes. I’ve been suspicious of him ever since dinner. We’d better get him out in the air before Mrs. Vaughan comes back".
Philip turned to Adeline. "You and Daisy must go to Mrs. Vaughan and tell her we’ve taken Wilmott outside. Hadn’t you the wit to see that he was tipsy? You should not have attempted to sing with him".
She stood abashed for once. Then she murmured, "He’s had such a day-the poor man!"
"You can tell me about that later".
He and Dr. Ramsay got Wilmott to his feet and steered him across the room. The two young women went to find Mrs. Vaughan. Colonel Vaughan followed the other men. The rain was beating in on the verandah. He said:
"You can’t take him out there".
"It will do him good", said the doctor.
They placed Wilmott in a rocking-chair. It swayed with him so that his head rolled against his shoulder. Philip winked at the doctor.
"He looks pretty seedy, doesn’t he?"
Dr. Ramsay nodded grimly. "He’ll not go home tonight".
Wilmott opened his eyes and looked at them. "I’m afraid I can’t sing", he said.
"We’ll excuse you, old man", said Philip. He went to the Colonel. "Do you think you could put him up for the night?" he asked apologetically.
Colonel Vaughan replied coldly, "Certainly. He may have Robert’s room. We must keep this from my wife. Her feelings would be outraged".