"You don't think"--he spoke slowly, almost lazily, as if he were too content to care much either way about anything under heaven or earth--"you don't think your husband would wish to see me, as we are so very near? We've known each other pretty well. And just now you seemed to fancy he might almost be vexed at my coming out to Egypt without letting him know."
"That's just it," she said, with an answering laziness and indifference. "If he had been expecting you, possibly it mightn't hurt him in the least to see you. But Doctor Baring Hartley specially enjoined on me to keep him quite quiet--at any rate till we got to Assouan. Any shock, even one of pleasure, must be avoided."
"Really? I'm afraid from that that he must really be pretty bad."
"Oh, no, he isn't. He looks worse than he is. It's given him a bad colour, rather, and he gets easily tired. But he was ever so much worse a week ago. He's picking up now every day."
"That's good."
"He would go out digging at Thebes in the very heat of the day. I begged him not to, but Nigel is a little bit wilful. The result is I've had to nurse him."
"It's spoilt your trip, I'm afraid."
"Oh, as long as I get him well quickly, that doesn't matter."
"It will seem quite odd to pass by him without giving him a call," said Isaacson, retaining his casual manner and lazy, indifferent demeanour. "For I suppose I shall pass. You're not going up immediately?"
"We may. I don't know at all. If he wishes to go, we shall go. I shall do just what he wants."
"If you start off, then I shall be in your wake."
"Yes."
She moved her umbrella slightly to and fro.
"I do wish you could pay Nigel a visit," she said. Then, in a very frank and almost cordial voice, she added, "Look here, Doctor Isaacson, let's make a bargain. I'll go back to the dahabeeyah and see how he is, how he's feeling--sound him, in fact. If I think it's all right, I'll send you a note to come on board. If he's very down, or disinclined for company--even yours--I'll ask you to give up the idea and just to put off your visit for a few days, and come to see us at Assouan. After all, Nigel may wish to see you, and it might even do him good. I'm perhaps over-anxious to obey doctor's orders, inclined to be too careful. Shall we leave it like that?"
"Thank you very much."