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m , then as he was about to continue his discourse the sudden entry of Harriet Laine interrupted him. “ I suppose I ’ d better get off, but don ’ t forget Jill, we must get together soon and have a chat. I ’ ll pop in later and fix something. ”
    “ An old friend? ” Harriet, pushing the piled coats on one side seated herself on the corner of the chair.
    “ He was a student during my first year ’ s training. I ’ m glad he has gone on so well, he was awfully nice. ” It was a relief to find herself alone with Harriet. Taking advantage of the opportunity Jill went on, “ Never mind Philip Traven for the moment, there seems to be heaps of things I want to ask you First of all, that Nurse—what ’ s her name, Malling —my senior Nurse. I believe she is terribly antagonistic. I ’ m going to have an awful job with her. ”
    “ Worse than you think, ” Harriet began ominously. “ I f you pinch her best boyfriend , Dr. Traven, there ’ ll be murder!”
    “ Good heavens! So that is the explanation of the black looks! She was bad enough before. She has been frigid since the moment she set eyes on me. I had hopes of thawing her in time, but I see it ’ s not going to be as easy as I ’ d hoped.”
    “ She is just a silly girl, ” Harriet went on, but her kindly tone belied her words. “ She made a dead set at Traven from the moment he arrived. How he feels about her I don ’ t know, but a little competition won ’ t do her any harm, ” she added with a laugh.
    “ You are very consoling, ” Jill sighed. “ I thought I had enough to cope with in Dr. McRey. Between the two of the m I feel like throwing up the sponge before going into the ring. ”
    “ To think that I backed your appointment as much on your fighting qualities as on your nursing ability. ” Harriet sighed with exaggerated disappointment. “ Jill, you are slipping badly. I thought I could rely on you. ” She instilled a note of deep hurt into her voice. “ I believe you are scared.”
    “ I won ’ t admit that! ” Jill retorted with a laugh. “ I ’ ll fight this thing out if it kills me, that ill-mannered M c Rey isn ’ t going to put me off, and as for that insolent girl if she doesn ’ t mend her ways I ’ ll go out of my way deliberately to entice her boyfriend , ” she threatened with heightened colour.
    “ That ’ s the stuff! ” Harriet applauded, then added more seriously. “ Listen, Jill. I ’ m not coming on the ward round with Duncan today. I do miss sometimes—and this wi ll be one of the occasions. ” She added with a smile: “ I just don ’ t feel I can face you two meeting, after last night I mean. It seems so dreadful that he didn ’ t know who you were; you really should have told him. ”
    “ I don ’ t see why. Still, i f you funk it, I don ’ t mind. The shock, pleasurable or otherwise, will do him good. ” Her cheeks dimpled provocatively. “ I think the first round will go to me. ”
    Left again to her own devices, Jill didn ’ t feel quite so confident. It might perhaps have been better to admit her identity straight away ... she wished, however, that she could have had a little more time to get herself adjusted. He must be due any moment. Jill glanced at the clock on the desk—stopped of course, in keeping with the rest of the muddle. With an angry gesture she picked up the offending pile of coats, and after a short hunt discovered the cupboard in the passage which was their legitimate resting place. Returning to the room she made an ineffectual effort to clear the litter. It was useless in the short time at her disposal. Still, there was a free chair to sit on; that at least was an improvement .
    “ Sister—Dr. McRey—just arriving. ” Nurse Malling p u t her head through the door, to make the announcement, then threw it open as he advanced along the corridor.
    Jill was uncomfortably aware of the quickened beating of her heart; it was useless to deny the fact that she felt