Page:The Fruit of the Tree (Wharton 1907).djvu/406

Rh head and shoulders, and it was but too probable that the fractured vertebra had caused a bruise if not a lesion of the spinal cord. In that case paralysis was certain—and a slow crawling death the almost inevitable outcome. There had been cases, of course—Justine’s professional memory evoked them—cases of so-called “recovery,” where actual death was kept at bay, a semblance of life preserved for years in the poor petriﬁed body.… But the mind shrank from such a fate for Bessy. And it might still be that the injury to the spine was not grave—though, here again, the fracturing of the fourth vertebra was ominous.

The door opened and some one came from the inner room—Wyant, in search of an instrument—case. Justine turned and they looked at each other.

“It will be now?”

“Yes. Dr. Garford asked if there was no one you could send for.”

“No one but Mr. Tredegar and the Halford Gaineses. They’ll be here this evening, I suppose.”

They exchanged a discouraged glance, knowing how little difference the presence of the Halford Gaineses would make.

“He wanted to know if there was no telegram from Amherst.”

“No.”

“Then they mean to begin.” [ 390 ]