He nodded
to Lee, pressed his hand, and went quickly to the bed. In the stillness
while Dr. Fancett took Savina's pulse Lee again caught the shallow
rapidity of her breathing. Daniel Randon stood with a broad planter's
hat held with the lightness of touch characteristic of him. The man at
the bed turned a speculative gaze upon Lee.
"Your wife has an acute dilatation of the heart," he pronounced. The
significance of his unguarded tone shocked Lee immeasurably.
* * * * *
"But I don't understand that," Lee protested; "she has never had any
serious trouble with her heart before." He was halted by Daniel's brief
peculiar scrutiny. The doctor replied that this was not organic. "It
may be the result of unaccustomed and excessive heat; an accumulation
of the excessive," he added concisely. "Excesses." The single word
followed after a hesitation in which Fancett was plainly at a loss. His
frowning gaze was still bent upon Lee. "I know so little of Mrs.
Randon's history," he finally said. Daniel naturally had inferred, or
perhaps the doctor deduced, that Savina and he were married. They would
be, in a very short while, Lee told himself stubbornly. "You have ice
on the batey? Yes, at once, please. And a nurse can come from my office
on the Havana train this evening." Daniel nodded once, in
acknowledgment. He moved closer to Lee:
"This is serious.
Pages:
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345