And her cry of joy when the
surgeons had said the boy would live was again for Graham.
She had been too engrossed to comment on Audrey's presence there,
and Audrey had gone out immediately and left them together. Clayton
was forced, that night, to an unwilling comparison of Natalie with
another woman. On the surface of their lives, where only they met,
Natalie had always borne comparison well. But here was a new
standard to measure by, and another woman, a woman with hands to
serve and watchful, intelligent eyes, outmeasured her.
Not that Clayton knew all this. He felt, in a vague way, that
Natalie was out of place there, and he felt, even more strongly,
that she had not the faintest interest in the still figure on
its white bed - save as it touched Graham and herself.
He was resentful, too, that she felt it necessary to plead with him
for his own boy. Good God, if she felt that way about him, no
wonder Graham -
She had placed a hand on Clayton's arm, as he sat in that endless
vigil, and bent down to whisper, although no sound would have
penetrated that death-like stupor.
Pages:
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138