The Closed Harbour (30 page)

"He thinks my name is Lucy. I have not denied it. Let it be."

She got up, said impatiently, yet with a curious, broken voice, "I want to go, doctor."

"He has not recognised you at all? You did speak to him?" She nodded her head.

"I once knew him when he was a man," she said.

"You agree then, that he should be removed to another place?"

She nodded her head, said slowly, "it is so hopeless. Will he recover?"

"I am unable to answer that," Dr. Parette said.

He saw that she was looking at her son. And then she said, almost under her breath.

"My husband, too, was a sailor. He drowned."

Then suddenly the doctor was not there. He was standing beside Marius. He was speaking to him.

"Are you ready?" he asked. "We will cast off."

The old woman moved forward. She could see the lake more clearly, how its waters suddenly darkened as it reached towards the heavy presence of tall trees, their branches laden.

Dr. Parette had taken her son's arm. He walked him slowly down to where Madame Marius was standing.

"Your mother," he said.

"Lucy," Marius said.

"You had better go, Madame. We will write to you again."

"Indeed I had better go."

And she stood looking at these two men, and at the taller of them who at this moment smiled so blandly at nothing but a great sheet of deadened water, moving now towards some invisible sea, and she tried to say "good morning" and did not, and turned and walked out of the room.

"We must be under way," Dr. Parette said, leading him out.

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