Or perhaps he did. Perhaps he had known from the moment he had arrived at the hospital, for when the old man replied his words were the words he was always destined to speak, words that might have been revealed by a prophet centuries earlier in a Book of Revelation: ‘Miss Trent attended a doctor who performed a certain illegal operation on her person and now the child is no more.’

Yes, here were the words, and they were not the word of God, they were the word of Man, a man bewhiskered and benign and seated at a desk, a man who believed in compassion yet spoke with loathing.

‘The operation, naturally, was done without the blessing of law or church,’ Gregson went on, relentless and precise, ‘and for her sin she has found herself gravely ill and in the custody of the police. It is, sad to say, not an uncommon story in our colony. If Miss Trent lives, she will go to prison. If she dies—well, one does not wish to speculate on her likely fate.’

He had finished, rather pleased with himself, as is the minister in his pulpit who contemplates the sins of his congregation and sees himself above them.

Alasdair did not move. The breath had been driven from his body and he seemed no longer to hear properly. Words came and went, some audible, most very faintly. He saw the man’s lips moving and even those words he did hear ceased to have any meaning attached to them. He understood something very dreadful had happened and that it would pass, as all things did. He sat very still waiting for it to do so.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: THE WIFE OF THE MINISTER

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

THE WIFE OF THE MINISTER

CONSTABLES ATTEND UNCONSCIOUS WOMAN

Near death of female sought by police

A woman was brought to the Sydney Hospital on Saturday last in an unconscious state and in the custody of two police constables.

The woman, whose name was not released though it is believed she heralds from the Woolloomooloo area, was said to be suffering greatly from a loss of blood and is at present described as gravely ill. A charge of using drugs or instruments to procure abortion contrary to Section 58 of the Offences against the Person Act was levelled on the young woman, who is thought to be of about 21 or 22 years of age and a recent arrival to our shores.

The police constables had gone to arrest the woman at a boarding house at the above-mentioned district when they discovered her in a state of unconsciousness having apparently lost a great deal of blood.

It is thought that, had the constables not arrived when they did and immediately rendered assistance, the woman, who was weak and close to death, would surely have perished before the day was over.