Crescendo Read Online Free Page B

away.
    â€œYou’ve got yourself a nice little ulcer with your worry, Mr. Armley,” said the doctor, holding a set of nasty cloudy photographs up to the light. “You’ll have to knock off work for a few weeks and stay in bed, drink milk every four hours and forget your worries, or you’ll be in for an operation.”
    â€œAnd what do I use for money meanwhile, eh?” said Ernest grimly.
    â€œTalk sense, man,” said the doctor. “You’ll have your National Health benefit.”
    â€œAnd suppose I don’t lay off work, what’ll happen?”
    â€œThe ulcer will get rapidly worse,” said the doctor shortly.
    â€œI shall worry far more lying at home in bed than standing about at the mill,” said Ernest.
    â€œRubbish,” said the doctor.
    They argued the matter back and forth for some time.
    â€œWell, if you want to be a fool in your own way, of course you can,” said the doctor at length. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
    He prescribed a diet, medicine, as much rest as possible, and repeated strongly his injunctions that Ernest should not allow himself to be irritated, should avoid sudden shocks and angers, and above all should not worry.
    â€œI’m not given to bursts of temper,” said Ernest stiffly, offended.
    â€œNo? Well, that’s all to the good,” said the doctor.
    He clapped Ernest on the shoulder and pushed him gently out of the consulting-room. “Come in to see me every week, keep to a milk diet and don’t get worked up about anything, and you may get rid of it without our having to do anything drastic.”
    In point of fact, now that Ernest knew what the trouble wasand what had to be done to cure it, he felt much better. He obeyed the doctor’s orders with his usual meticulous care. He told Millie that his stomach was a trifle out of order and she gave him his milk punctiliously; he went to bed early and rested all day on Saturdays and Sundays; above all, when he felt vexation rising in him he subdued it and tried to think of something else—his newest grandson, a charming infant in white creepers, was very useful in this respect. As a result, he had had no severe attack of pain in the last five weeks, and the doctor was pleased with his progress.
    â€œThe ulcer’s quiescent,” he said.
    â€œIsn’t it going away?” demanded Ernest, disappointed.
    â€œPossibly,” said the doctor. “Yes, possibly it may be diminishing. On the whole I believe it is. You may be going to escape more lightly than you deserve.”
    Ernest grinned, well satisfied. Nobody except the doctor and himself had ever heard the word ulcer mentioned in connection with Ernest—certainly Mr. Arnold, sitting so bland at his side and thinking about the new machine, knew nothing of his foreman’s ailment, and if Ernest had his way, never would.
    They had now reached Ashworth. Mr. Arnold glanced at his watch.
    â€œThere’s no point in your going on to the mill now, Ernest. You’d hardly get there before it was time to turn round and come back.”
    Ernest looked up at the Town Hall clock. It was ten minutes to five.
    â€œThat’s right,” he agreed. “I gave the lads full instructions for the work this afternoon, before I came out,” he added virtuously.
    â€œShall I run you up home? It’s still Walker Street, isn’t it?”
    There was just time to get Kenneth’s licence before the Borough Treasurer’s Office closed.
    â€œNo—I’ll just get out here, if it’s same to you.”
    The car drew up beyond the corner.
    On the one hand, Ernest was quite glad that the business of the licence forbade his acceptance of his employer’s offer, for he liked to keep his independence, he wanted no sympathetic humbug from anyone. On the other hand, he couldn’t help regretting it. The June day was hot and he was tired, and the buses up