"That's very good of you, of course. But you didn't do me good last night. It was the worst night I ever had."
Isaacson remembered the sound he had heard when the Nubians lay on their oars on the dark river.
"Let us try to do you good to-night. Won't you?" he said.
"All I want is rest. I've told her so. And I tell you so."
"Shall I stay on board to-night and see you to-morrow morning when you have had a night's rest?"
Nigel looked up at his wife.
"Aren't you quite near?" he asked Isaacson, in a moment.
"I'm not very far away, but--"
"Then I don't think we need bother you to stay. We've got Doctor Hartley."
"I--I'm afraid I shall have to leave you to-morrow," said the young man, who had several times looked, almost with a sort of horror, at Mrs. Armine's ravaged face. "You see I'm with people at Assouan. I really came out to Egypt in a sort of way in attendance upon Mrs. Craven Bagley, who is in delicate health. And though she's much stronger--"
"Yes, yes!" Nigel interrupted. "Of course, go--go! I want peace, I want rest."
He drooped towards his wife. Suddenly she sat down beside him, holding his hand.
"Would you rather not be examined to-night?" she asked him.
"Examined!" he said, in a startled voice.
"Well, dearest, these doctors--"
Nigel, with a great effort, sat up as before.
"I won't be bothered to-night," he said, with the weak anger of an utterly worn-out man. "I--I can't stand anything more. I--can't--stand--" His voice died away.
"We'd better go," whispered Hartley. "To-morrow morning."
He looked at Mrs. Armine, and moved towards the door. Isaacson got up.
"We will leave the patient to-night," he said to Mrs. Armine, in an expressionless voice.
"Yes?"
"But may I have a word with you, please, in the other room?"
Then he followed Hartley.
He caught him up in the passage.
"It's absolutely no use to-night," said Hartley. "Any examination would only make matters worse. He's not in a fit state mentally to go through it so late."
"I think it will be best to wait till to-morrow."
"And then, directly after the consultation is over, I must really get away. That is, if you are willing to--"
"You may leave everything in my hands."
"She hates me now!" the young man said, almost plaintively. "Did you ever see such a change?"
"I'm going to speak with her in the first saloon, so I'll leave you," said Isaacson.
Hartley had his hand on one of the cabin doors.
"Then I'll go in here. I sleep here."