bully, insult, and generally abuse people," he contradicted her. "It only takes one moment when the temper snaps because someone cannot endure any more." He felt a sudden very sharp anxiety, almost a premonition of loss. "That's why you should be careful, Hester."
She looked at him in total amazement, then she began to laugh. At first it was only a little giggle, then it swelled into a delirious, hilarious surge.
For an instant his temper flared, then he realized how much he would rather not quarrel with her. But he refused to laugh as well. He merely waited with a look of resigned patience.
Eventually she rubbed her eyes with the heel of her hand, most inelegantly, and stopped laughing. She sniffed.
"I shall be careful," she promised. "Thank you for your concern."
He drew breath to say something sharp, then changed his mind.
"We never looked very carefully into Kristian Beck. I still don't know what Prudence was going to tell the authorities when he begged her not to." A new thought occurred to him, which he should have seen before. "I wonder what particular authority she had in mind? The governors-or Sir Herbert? Rathbone could ask Sir Herbert."
Hester said nothing. Again the look of weariness crossed her face.
"Go back to sleep," he said gently, instinctively putting his hand on her shoulder. "I'll go and see Rathbone. I expect we've got a few days yet. We may find something."
She smiled doubtfully, but there was a warmth in it, a sharing of all the understanding and the emotions that needed no words, past experiences that had marked them with the same pains and the same fears forThe present. She reached out and touched his face momentarily with her fingertips, then turned and walked back into the dormitory.
He had very little hope Sir Herbert would know anything about Kristian Beck, or he would surely have said so before now. It was conceivable he might tell them which authority something ought to be reported to, the chairman of the Board of Governors, perhaps? Altogether the case looked grim. It would rest in Rathbone's skill and the jury's mood and temper. Hester had been little help. And yet he felt a curious sense of happiness inside, as if he had never been less alone in his life.
* * * * *
At the earliest opportunity the following day Hester changed her duties with another nurse and went to see Edith Sobell and Major Tiplady. They greeted her with great pleasure and some excitement.
"We were going to send a message to you," the major said earnestly, assisting her to a chintz-covered chair as if she had been an elderly invalid. "We have news for you."
"I am afraid it is not going to please you," Edith added, sitting in the chair opposite, her face earnest. "I'm so sorry."
Hester was confused. "You found nothing?" That was hardly news sufficient to send a message.
"We found something." Now the major also looked confused, but his questioning look was directed at Edith. Hester only peripherally noticed the depth of affection in it.
"I know that is what she asked," Edith said patiently. "But she likes Dr. Beck." She turned back to Hester. "You will not wish to know that twice in the past he has been accused of mishandling cases of young women who died. Both times the parents were sure there was nothing very wrong with them, and Dr. Beck performed operations which were quite unnecessary, and so badly that they bled to death. The fathers both sued, but neither won. The proof was not sufficient."
Hester felt sick. "Where? Where did this happen? Surely not since he's been with the Royal Free Hospital?"
"No," Edith agreed, her curious face with its aquiline nose and wry, gentle mouth full of sadness. "The first was in the north, in Alnwick, right up near the Scottish border; the second was in Somerset. I wish I had something better to tell you."
"Are you sure it was he?" It was a foolish question, but she was fighting for any rescue at all. Callandra filled her mind.
"Can there be two surgeons from Bohemia named Kristian Beck?" Edith said quietly.
The major was looking at Hester with anxiety. He did not know why it hurt her so much, but he was painfully aware that it did.
"How did you find out?" Hester asked. It did not affect the reality of it, but even to question it somehow put off the finality of acceptance.
"I have become friends with the librarian at one of the newspaper offices,"