And then a little over three weeks ago I received a letter with an Iraq stamp on it.
She handed me a third letter.
You thought you could escape.
You were wrong.
You shall not be false to me and live.
I have always told you so.
Death is coming very soon.
And a week ago this!
Just lying on the table here.
It had not even gone through the post.
I took the sheet of paper from her.
There was just one phrase scrawled across it.
I have arrived.
She stared at me.
You see?
You understand?
Hes going to kill me.
It may be Frederick it may be little William but hes going to kill me. Her voice rose shudderingly.
I caught her wrist.
Now-now, I said warningly.
Dont give way.
Well look after you.
Have you got any sal volatile?
She nodded towards the washstand and I gave her a good dose.
Thats better, I said, as the colour returned to her cheeks.
Yes, Im better now. But oh, nurse, do you see why Im in this state?
When I saw that man looking in through my window, I thought: hes come Even when you arrived I was suspicious.
I thought you might be a man in disguise
The idea!
Oh, I know it sounds absurd.
But you might have been in league with him perhaps not a hospital nurse at all.
But thats nonsense!
Yes, perhaps.
But Ive got beyond sense.
Struck by a sudden idea, I said: Youd recognize your husband, I suppose?
She answered slowly.
I dont even know that. Its over fifteen years ago.
I mightnt recognize his face.
Then she shivered.
I saw it one night but it was a dead face.
There was a tap, tap, tap on the window.
And then I saw a face, a dead face, ghastly and grinning against the pane.
I screamed and screamedAnd they said there wasnt anything there!
I remembered Mrs Mercados story.
You dont think, I said hesitatingly, that you dreamt that?
Im sure I didnt!
I wasnt so sure.
It was the kind of nightmare that was quite likely under the circumstances and that easily might be taken for a waking occurrence.
However, I never contradict a patient.
I soothed Mrs Leidner as best I could and pointed out that if any stranger arrived in the neighbourhood it was pretty sure to be known.