It was now that Nurse Kettle showed the quality that caused people to prefer her to grander and more up-to-date nurses. She exuded dependability, resourcefulness and authority. Even the common and pitilessly breezy flavour of her remarks was comfortable. To Commander Syce’s conjurations to leave him alone followed in the extremity of his pain by furious oaths, she paid no attention. She went down on all-fours beside him, enticed and aided him towards the bench, encouraged him to use it and her own person as aids to rising and finally had him, though almost bent double, on his feet. She helped him into his house and lowered him down on a sofa in a dismal drawing-room.

‘Down-a-bumps,’ she said. Sweating and gasping, he reclined there and glared at her. ‘Now, what are we going to do about you, I wonder? Did I or did I not see a rug in the hall? Wait a bit.’

She went out and came back with a rug. She called him ‘dear’ and, taking his pain seriously, covered him up, went out again and returned with a glass of water. ‘Making myself at home, I suppose you’re thinking. Here’s a couple of aspirins to go on with,’ said Nurse Kettle.

He took them without looking at her. ‘Please don’t trouble,’ he groaned. ‘Thank you. Under my own steam.’ She gave him a look and went out again.

In her absence, he attempted to get up but was galvanized with a monstrous jab of lumbago and subsided in agony. He began to think she had gone for good and to wonder how he was to support life while the attack lasted, when he heard her moving about in some remote part of the house. In a moment she came in with two hot-water bags.

‘At this stage,’ she said, ‘heat’s the ticket.’

‘Where did you get those things?’

‘Borrowed ‘em from the Cartarettes.’

‘My God!’

She laid them against his back.

‘Dr Mark’s coming to look at you,’ she said.

‘My God!’

‘He was at the Cartarettes and if you ask me there’s going to be some news from that quarter before any of us are much older. At least,’ Nurse Kettle added rather vexedly, ‘I would have said so, if it hadn’t been for them all looking a bit put out.’ To his horror she began to take off his shoes.

‘With a yo-heave-ho,’ said Nurse Kettle out of compliment to the navy. ‘Aspirin doing its stuff?’

‘I – I think so. I do beg –’

‘I suppose your bedroom’s upstairs?’

‘I do BEG –’

‘We’ll see what the doctor says, but I’d suggest you doss down in the housekeeper’s room to save the stairs. I mean to say,’ Nurse Kettle added with a hearty laugh, ‘always provided there’s no housekeeper.’