CHAPTER TWENTY NINE: Money from Mr Ivory

Soon after Denny’s visit, a Mrs Thornton requested Andrew to call and see her daughter, Sybil, who had hurt her foot. When Andrew examined her foot, he decided that the only way to cure the trouble was by a simple operation. ‘I should have this done before the foot gets worse,’ he advised Mrs Thornton.

‘I will take your advice, Doctor,’ she said. ‘Will you make the arrangements for this, please? Who do you suggest does the operation?’

For a moment, Andrew could not think of anyone. Then suddenly he remembered Ivory. ‘Mr Ivory might do this for us – if he’s not too busy,’ he said.

Andrew went home and telephoned Ivory, whose manner was most friendly. He examined the girl, and agreed that an operation was necessary; and two days later, he did the operation in Miss Sherrington’s Nursing Home.

Andrew was present, because Ivory said that it was important for him to be present. Two weeks later, when Sybil Thornton had left the nursing home, Ivory invited him to lunch. During the meal, he suggested to Andrew: ‘Leave the money arrangements for the operation to me. I hear that the Thorntons are very rich. I can charge them more than you can.’ He paused. ‘Er, there is another matter that I ought to mention: Sybil’s tonsils are in a bad state. Did you examine them?’

‘No – no, I didn’t.’

‘Oh, they’re very bad! I hope you don’t mind, but I told Mrs Thornton that we would take out Sybil’s tonsils as soon as the weather is warm.’

On his way home, Andrew thought: ‘What a pleasant man Ivory is – so nice and easy to work with!’

About a month later, while he was having tea with Christine, the afternoon post brought him a friendly letter from Ivory, enclosing a cheque for twenty pounds. Andrew looked at the cheque in surprise. He had done nothing to help Ivory at the operation! With a smile, he handed the letter and cheque to Christine. ‘This is very generous, isn’t it, Chris?’

She looked confused. ‘But I don’t understand. Is this in payment of your bill to Mrs Thornton?’

He laughed. ‘No, no! This is an additional payment – for the time that I spent at the operation. I earned this just for being there.’

She put the cheque on the table. ‘It seems a lot of money for doing nothing!’

‘Well, why not? The Thorntons are very rich. They can easily afford it!’

When Andrew had gone, Christine looked at the cheque again.

She had not realized that he was working with Ivory. Suddenly all her worries returned. How fond of money he had become! Money seemed to be the only thing that mattered to him! Tears came to her eyes. She must speak to him.

That evening, after surgery, she asked slowly: ‘Andrew, will you do something to please me? Will you drive me into the country on Sunday?’

He looked at her strangely. ‘Well – oh, all right!’

On Sunday, a fine spring day, they drove to a village a few miles from London, where they ate their lunch – which they had brought with them – by some woods.

As they sat in the sunshine, Christine took a deep breath. ‘Andrew, dear,’ she said. ‘I want to speak to you. Money isn’t the only thing in life! Please listen to me. Please! You have changed so much, Andrew! Denny noticed the difference in you, too! You’re not the Andrew Manson that I married! Oh, if only you could be as you used to be!’

‘What have I done wrong now?’ Andrew shouted.

‘It’s your whole behaviour, love! That cheque that Ivory sent you – it’s not right to accept it!’

He stiffened. ‘Not right! Why shouldn’t I accept it?’

‘Oh, can’t you understand what I mean? You’re doing all the things that used to make you so angry with other doctors! Oh, Andrew, don’t lose all respect for yourself.’ She suddenly burst into tears.

He looked at her in anger. ‘Oh, stop crying, you fool! Try to help me, instead of complaining every minute of the day! You talk as if I were a criminal. I only want to succeed. Don’t mention this nonsense to me again.’

‘All right,’ she cried. ‘I won’t. But I warn you: one day you will be sorry.’

They hardly spoke to each other for the rest of the day.

Towards the end of the week, Andrew went to tea with Mrs Lawrence, who always seemed to approve of his actions.

‘Why,’ suggested Mrs Lawrence, ‘don’t you rent a room in this part of London for this high-class practice that you are so anxious to develop? Many more people with money would come to you if you had a room in this area.’

Half an hour later, as Andrew drove home, he thought about Mrs Lawrence’s suggestion. It was a good idea! Without saying anything to Christine, he began to search for a room in the West End of London. When he found one, about a month later, he told her at breakfast: ‘It may interest you to know that I have rented a room in Welbeck Street. I shall use the surgery here for people who have not much money, and my new room in the West End for my rich patients.’