again and turned on his face and sobbed and wailed
but he didn't scream.

"You didn't feel a lump!" contradicted Mary
fiercely. "If you did it was only a hysterical
lump. Hysterics makes lumps. There's nothing
the matter with your horrid back -- nothing but
hysterics! Turn over and let me look at it!"

She liked the word "hysterics" and felt somehow
as if it had an effect on him. He was probably
like herself and had never heard it before.

"Nurse," she commanded, "come here and
show me his back this minute!"

The nurse, Mrs. Medlock and Martha had
been standing huddled together near the door staring
at her, their mouths half open. All three had
gasped with fright more than once. The nurse
came forward as if she were half afraid. Colin
was heaving with great breathless sobs.

"Perhaps he -- he won't let me," she hesitated
in a low voice.

Colin heard her, however, and he gasped out
between two sobs:

"Sh -- show her! She -- she'll see then!"

It was a poor thin back to look at when it
was bared. Every rib could be counted and every
joint of the spine, though Mistress Mary did not
count them as she bent over and examined them
with a solemn savage little face. She looked so

[[222]]

p221 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p222w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p223

v?