Andreas cleared the soup bowl,and cleared the fish.As he ate,the room slowly darkened.A faint wind sprang up and beat the tree branches against the window.The dining-room looked over the breakwater of the harbour,and the sea swung heavily in rolling waves.Wind crept round the house,moaning drearily.
"We're in for a storm.That means I'm boxed up here all day.Well,there's one blessing;it'll clear the air."He heard the servant girl rushing importantly round the house,slamming windows.Then he caught a glimpse of her in the garden,unpegging tea towels from the line across the lawn.She was a worker,there was no doubt about that.He took up a book,and wheeled his arm-chair over to the window.But it was useless.Too dark to read;he didn't believe in straining his eyes,and gas at ten o'clock in the morning seemed absurd.So he slipped down in the chair,leaned his elbows on the padded arms and gave himself up,for once,to idle dreaming."A boy?Yes,it was bound to be a boy this time.""What's your family,Binzer?""Oh,I've two girls and a boy!"A very nice little number.Of course he was the last man to have a favourite child,but a man needed a son."I'm working up the business for my son!Binzer &Son!It would mean living very tight for the next ten years,cutting expenses as fine as possible;and then--"A tremendous gust of wind sprang upon the house,seized it,shook it,dropped,only to grip the more tightly.The waves swelled up along the breakwater and were whipped with broken foam.Over the white sky flew tattered streamers of grey cloud.
Andreas felt quite relieved to hear Doctor Erb coming down the stairs;he got up and lit the gas.
"Mind if I smoke in here?"asked Doctor Erb,lighting a cigarette before Andreas had time to answer."You don't smoke,do you?No time to indulge in pernicious little habits!""How is she now?"asked Andreas,loathing the man.
"Oh,well as can be expected,poor little soul.She begged me to come down and have a look at you.Said she knew you were worrying."With laughing eyes the doctor looked at the breakfast-table."Managed to peck a bit,Isee,eh?"
"Hoo-wih!"shouted the wind,shaking the window-sashes.
"Pity--this weather,"said Doctor Erb.
"Yes,it gets on Anna's nerves,and it's just nerve she wants.""Eh,what's that?"retorted the doctor."Nerve!Man alive!She's got twice the nerve of you and me rolled into one.Nerve!she's nothing but nerve.A woman who works as she does about the house and has three children in four years thrown in with the dusting,so to speak!"He pitched his half-smoked cigarette into the fireplace and frowned at the window.
"Now HE'S accusing me,"thought Andreas."That's the second time this morning--first mother and now this man taking advantage of my sensitiveness."He could not trust himself to speak,and rang the bell for the servant girl.
"Clear away the breakfast things,"he ordered."I can't have them messing about on the table till dinner!""Don't be hard on the girl,"coaxed Doctor Erb."She's got twice the work to do to-day."At that Binzer's anger blazed out.
"I'll trouble you,Doctor,not to interfere between me and my servants!"And he felt a fool at the same moment for not saying "servant."Doctor Erb was not perturbed.He shook his head,thrust his hands into his pockets,and began balancing himself on toe and heel.
"You're jagged by the weather,"he said wryly,"nothing else.A great pity--this storm.You know climate has an immense effect upon birth.Afine day perks a woman--gives her heart for her business.Good weather is as necessary to a confinement as it is to a washing day.Not bad--that last remark of mine--for a professional fossil,eh?"Andreas made no reply.
"Well,I'll be getting back to my patient.Why don't you take a walk,and clear your head?That's the idea for you.""No,"he answered,"I won't do that;it's too rough."He went back to his chair by the window.While the servant girl cleared away he pretended to read.then his dreams!It seemed years since he had had the time to himself to dream like that--he never had a breathing space.
