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Woolf, Virginia, 1882-1941

"The Voyage Out"

As he passed Helen she asked him in the same weary,
unnatural, but determined voice to fetch her more ice, and to have the
jug outside filled with fresh milk.
When he had done these errands he went to find Hirst. Exhausted and very
hot, St. John had fallen asleep on a bed, but Terence woke him without
scruple.
"Helen thinks she's worse," he said. "There's no doubt she's frightfully
ill. Rodriguez is useless. We must get another doctor."
"But there is no other doctor," said Hirst drowsily, sitting up and
rubbing his eyes.
"Don't be a damned fool!" Terence exclaimed. "Of course there's another
doctor, and, if there isn't, you've got to find one. It ought to have
been done days ago. I'm going down to saddle the horse." He could not
stay still in one place.
In less than ten minutes St. John was riding to the town in the
scorching heat in search of a doctor, his orders being to find one and
bring him back if he had to be fetched in a special train.
"We ought to have done it days ago," Hewet repeated angrily.
When he went back into the drawing-room he found that Mrs. Flushing was
there, standing very erect in the middle of the room, having arrived,
as people did in these days, by the kitchen or through the garden
unannounced.
"She's better?" Mrs. Flushing enquired abruptly; they did not attempt to
shake hands.
"No," said Terence.


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