Читать книгу While Rivers Run - Maurice Walsh - Страница 20

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Paddy Joe Long, on a bicycle ludicrously short for his length of leg, arrived while Alistair was at breakfast, and had a low-voiced consultation with Aelec outside the porch door. The result was that, instead of going in to see his friend, he again mounted the borrowed machine and went free-wheeling down the cart-road, his knees jutting outside the handle-bars.

And that is how Dr Angus from Muiryside arrived while yet the morning was young. His examination of the surprised patient was a thorough one. “There is really nothing to fear,” he finally told Long, leaning over the end of the bed, “thanks to a soundly made cranium and a strong-cased medulla. A frailer man might have broken his neck.”

“You put it nicely, doctor,” said the relieved Paddy Joe. “An ivory Yankee dome on a stiff neck has served its only purpose. When can he get up?”

“Not before to-morrow at the earliest.”

“Jiminy!” exclaimed Alistair; “I’m not as bad as all that?”

“Your neck muscles are badly wrenched, Mr MacIan, and must have rest—a little massage is all they require. But, worse than that, you have the slightest touch of concussion, and the brain is a tender organ. You cannot move before to-morrow, and even then you’ll have intermittent headache for a week or so.”

“But my host—Mr Brands——”

“Oh, Aelec Brands won’t mind. Your uncle and he know each other. I believe Miss Brands is going home to-day?”

“Yes! to London.”

“Then I’ll arrange with the District Nurse, and send something across that will make you sleep to-night.”

And that was that. The doctor left the room, and Long, having seen him to the door, returned and held discussion with his friend. “This thing can be hidden no longer, son,” he began. “I mean the fact that you are here on your back. We can suppress the rumpus that led to it.”

“Don’t care a hoot,” said Alistair sourly.

“We must keep Norrey Carr out of it.”

MacIan’s face grew thoughtful. “Why should she object to Don socking me one?”

“ ’Tisn’t that. I will not have Norrey in this.” The Irishman slapped the bar of the bed, and added quickly, “And there are your uncle and aunt.”

“And Don and his dignity. Oh, very well! Choose your lie.”

“You were walking down to Buntness and slipped over the bank on to the stones at the river-side. Leave the lieing to me.”

“Some liar myself.”

“All men are. Aelec Brands will only know that he found you lying, and his niece will be gone.”

“She would not give us away.”

“Who are we to judge a woman?”

“I bet she would not.”

“Why wouldn’t you?” said Paddy Joe smoothly. “Now I am off to Highland Drum to spin a yarn, God help me.”

“And bring the whole bunch down.”

“Ay, faith! Including Norrey Carr. You’ll have a hell of a headache before night.”

When Long stepped outside the porch he found that Dr Angus had not yet departed, though his car was purring and tremoring outside the garden paling. He was a tall, loosely-put-together, mouse-haired, diffident young man, and seemed loth to part with Margaret’s hand. Paddy Joe lifted his disreputable tweed hat and went cycling down the cart-track. At the main road he looked back. The doctor was getting into his car, and Margaret waved a hand from the porch.

Dr Angus also looked back from the main road—and very nearly collided with the gate-post. But the porch door looked at him with a blank eye, and he bore down furiously on the accelerator.