Page:Sons and Lovers, 1913, Lawrence.djvu/394

382 guilty towards the other, and more or less responsible. And being in such a state of soul himself, he felt an almost painful nearness to Dawes, who was suffering and despairing, too. Besides, they had met in a naked extremity of hate, and it was a bond. At any rate, the elemental man in each had met.

He went down to the isolation hospital, with Dr. Ansell’s card. The sister, a healthy young Irishwoman, led him down the ward.

“A visitor to see you, Jim Crow,” she said.

Dawes turned over suddenly with a startled grunt.

“Eh?”

“Caw!” she mocked. “He can only say ‘Caw!’ I have brought you a gentleman to see you. Now say ‘Thank you,’ and show some manners.”

Dawes looked swiftly with his dark, startled eyes beyond the sister at Paul. His look was full of fear, mistrust, hate, and misery. Morel met the swift, dark eyes, and hesitated. The two men were afraid of the naked selves they had been.

“Dr. Ansell told me you were here,” said Morel, holding out his hand.

Dawes mechanically shook hands.

“So I thought I’d come in,” continued Paul.

There was no answer. Dawes lay staring at the opposite wall.

“Say ‘Caw!’&thinsp;” mocked the nurse. “Say ‘Caw!’ Jim Crow.”

“He is getting on all right?” said Paul to her.

“Oh yes! He lies and imagines he’s going to die,” said the nurse, “and it frightens every word out of his mouth.”

“And you must have somebody to talk to,” laughed Morel.

“That’s it!” laughed the nurse. “Only two old men and a boy who always cries. It is hard lines! Here am I dying to hear Jim Crow’s voice, and nothing but an odd ‘Caw!’ will he give!”

“So rough on you!” said Morel.

“Isn’t it?” said the nurse.

“I suppose I am a godsend,” he laughed.

“Oh, dropped straight from heaven!” laughed the nurse.

Presently she left the two men alone. Dawes was thinner, and handsome again, but life seemed low in him. As the doctor said, he was lying sulking, and would not move forward towards convalescence. He seemed to grudge every beat of his heart.