CHAPTER SEVEN: Freddie Hamson
In July an important meeting of British doctors was held in the Welsh capital, Cardiff. Andrew had not intended to go to this meeting, because of the cost, but a few days before it began he received a letter from his friend Freddie Hamson, urging him to attend and inviting him to have dinner with him on the Saturday evening.
Andrew showed the letter to Christine, with whom he was now very much in love, and asked her: ‘Will you come with me? I’d like you to meet Hamson.’
‘I’d love to come,’ she said.
On Saturday Christine and Andrew took the train to Cardiff. Andrew smiled at Christine, who sat on the opposite seat. He wanted to kiss her, to hold her in his arms. Rather breathlessly, he said: ‘We shall have a happy time this evening. Freddie’s a nice man. You’ll like him.’
When they reached Cardiff, they went to the hotel where the meeting was being held. Hamson had not yet arrived. So they stood together, watching the doctors and their wives talking and laughing.
After some time, Freddie arrived and headed towards them. ‘Hullo! Hullo! Sorry I’m late. Well, well! It’s nice to see you again, Andrew. I see that you’re still the same old Manson! Why don’t you buy yourself a new suit?’ Suddenly noticing Christine, he smiled and ordered Andrew: ‘Introduce me, man! Wake up!’
While the two doctors were in their meeting, Christine went out to look at the shops. Then, in the early evening, they met up again in the hotel. Over dinner Freddie began to talk about the days when he and Andrew had studied medicine together. ‘I never thought then,’ he said in a rather scornful manner, ‘that you would bury yourself in the country like this!’
‘Do you really think that he’s buried himself?’ Christine asked coldly.
There was a pause. Freddie smiled at Andrew. ‘What did you think of the meeting?’
‘I suppose,’ Andrew answered doubtfully, ‘that the discussions help to keep one’s knowledge up to date.’
‘Oh, I don’t take any notice of the discussions. Heavens, no! I’ve come here to meet the doctors – the important doctors who will be useful to me in my profession. You’d be surprised how many useful men there are here. When I return to London, I shall invite them to a meal. Then we shall do business together.’
‘I don’t understand, Freddie,’ Manson said.
‘It’s simple! When rich people come to me, I shall examine them first, and then send them to a second doctor to see if he agrees with my opinion about their illness and the treatment to give. In return, these doctors will send me some of their patients. The patients then have to pay each of us. That’s the way to make money!’ Freddie laughed. ‘You ought to come to London one day. Then you and I could do business together!’
Christine looked quickly at Hamson, was about to speak, but then stopped herself.
‘And now tell me about yourself, Manson,’ Freddie continued, smiling. ‘What have you been doing?’
‘Oh, nothing much. Most of my patients are coal miners and their families.’
‘That doesn’t sound very good!’
‘I enjoy my work,’ Andrew said.
Christine interrupted. ‘And you do important work.’
‘Yes, I had one interesting case recently.’ Andrew began to tell Hamson about Emlyn. But Hamson was not really listening.
At ten o’clock Andrew and Christine left. As they walked back to the railway station, Andrew asked: ‘Did you like Hamson?’
‘No – not much.’ She paused. ‘He’s too pleased with himself. He considers himself to be so much better than you. I hate that way of talking.’
Andrew seemed surprised. ‘I agree that he is rather pleased with himself, but he’s really a very nice man.’
‘You must be blind if you can’t see the kind of person he is! He only thinks about himself!’ Andrew had never seen Christine so angry before.
They entered the railway station. Andrew wanted a quiet talk with Christine to clear up their little disagreement, and to tell her of his love for her. But the train was crowded and they could not be alone.
It was late when they reached Drineffy, and Christine looked very tired. So he took her home and said good night.