to account for the situation. Now, with the nurse being questioned by the doctor, it emerged that Marianne’s condition had developed over the past three or four days.
‘But what’s
wrong
with her?’ John Savill said. He added, ‘As you know, Mrs Farrar has been here wet-nursing her. She took her own baby away just the other day. Could it be that Marianne was weaned too early? Perhaps she wasn’t ready.’
‘No.’ Kelsey shook his head. ‘I’m sure it’s not that.’ He was silent, then: ‘You say Mrs Farrar only recently took her baby home?’
‘Yes,’ Savill answered, to which Ellen added,
‘A week ago exactly, sir.’
After a moment’s thought Kelsey said, ‘When I’ve called at the house in the past they’ve always been together – Marianne and the Farrar child. Did they sleep together too?’
‘Oh, yes, sir,’ the nurse answered, ‘– here in the same crib. Miss Marianne always slept better like that.’
Kelsey nodded. Turning to Savill he said, ‘Then I should think that’s your answer. I can’t be sure, of course, but it seems to me that your daughter misses the other infant. She’s pining for her.’
‘Pining?’
‘Yes, if Marianne has spent almost every minute of her life with the other baby then she’s bound to miss her enormously. I’ve seen the same thing in the past, with twins – when one of them dies.’
Savill frowned. ‘And – and what happens?’
‘To the pining child? – the survivor? Oh, usually it gets over it all right – though I’ve known it to take quite a time.’
‘– You say the child
usually
gets over it. What does that mean?’
‘Well, the pining in itself isn’t dangerous. It’s just that its effects can sometimes – cause problems.’
‘In what way?’
Kelsey shrugged. ‘Well, according to the nurse the baby’s not eating properly – which commonly happens when a child pines. And of course at this very tender age a child is delicate and needs to be properly nourished. If not, it starts losing weight and then, of course, becomes far more vulnerable to any illness that might be lying in wait.’
Seeing the deepening concern in John Savill’s face the doctor quickly added, ‘Look, I don’t think you need to start worrying. The Farrar baby has only just left. Marianne will probably get over it in a few more days.’
‘And if she doesn’t?’
‘Then you’d do well to try to get the other child back for a while. It’s like weaning a baby from the breast. Sometimes a child needs to be weaned, slowly, from thecompanionship of another infant.’ The doctor fastened his bag. ‘Look,’ he said, turning back to Savill, ‘I suggest you wait a day or two and see whether Marianne begins to get over it. If she doesn’t then perhaps you can get the Farrar child back to stay with her for a time. If you do that then I warrant that your daughter will pick up again in no time.’
A few minutes after Kelsey had gone from the house Savill was downstairs and reaching for his coat. ‘I shan’t be long,’ he said to Mrs Callow, the housekeeper, ‘I’m just going down the hill to see Mrs Farrar.’ He wasn’t prepared to wait to see whether Marianne began to grow accustomed to the Farrar child’s absence. Where Marianne’s health was at stake he wasn’t prepared to take any chances.
Sarah Farrar was drying her hands as she opened the front door to John Savill’s knock and it was clear to him that he had caught her in the middle of her work. After he had wished her a good afternoon he said apologetically,
‘Mrs Farrar, I’m sorry to disturb you. I wanted to talk to you for a minute – but it looks as if I’ve chosen the wrong time. I’ll come back when you’re not so busy.’
She smiled ruefully. ‘Wait for then, sir, and you’ll be waiting a very long time.’ As she spoke her small daughter – he remembered that her name was Agnes – came to her side and stood looking up at him with wide hazel eyes, curious to see him
‘But what’s
wrong
with her?’ John Savill said. He added, ‘As you know, Mrs Farrar has been here wet-nursing her. She took her own baby away just the other day. Could it be that Marianne was weaned too early? Perhaps she wasn’t ready.’
‘No.’ Kelsey shook his head. ‘I’m sure it’s not that.’ He was silent, then: ‘You say Mrs Farrar only recently took her baby home?’
‘Yes,’ Savill answered, to which Ellen added,
‘A week ago exactly, sir.’
After a moment’s thought Kelsey said, ‘When I’ve called at the house in the past they’ve always been together – Marianne and the Farrar child. Did they sleep together too?’
‘Oh, yes, sir,’ the nurse answered, ‘– here in the same crib. Miss Marianne always slept better like that.’
Kelsey nodded. Turning to Savill he said, ‘Then I should think that’s your answer. I can’t be sure, of course, but it seems to me that your daughter misses the other infant. She’s pining for her.’
‘Pining?’
‘Yes, if Marianne has spent almost every minute of her life with the other baby then she’s bound to miss her enormously. I’ve seen the same thing in the past, with twins – when one of them dies.’
Savill frowned. ‘And – and what happens?’
‘To the pining child? – the survivor? Oh, usually it gets over it all right – though I’ve known it to take quite a time.’
‘– You say the child
usually
gets over it. What does that mean?’
‘Well, the pining in itself isn’t dangerous. It’s just that its effects can sometimes – cause problems.’
‘In what way?’
Kelsey shrugged. ‘Well, according to the nurse the baby’s not eating properly – which commonly happens when a child pines. And of course at this very tender age a child is delicate and needs to be properly nourished. If not, it starts losing weight and then, of course, becomes far more vulnerable to any illness that might be lying in wait.’
Seeing the deepening concern in John Savill’s face the doctor quickly added, ‘Look, I don’t think you need to start worrying. The Farrar baby has only just left. Marianne will probably get over it in a few more days.’
‘And if she doesn’t?’
‘Then you’d do well to try to get the other child back for a while. It’s like weaning a baby from the breast. Sometimes a child needs to be weaned, slowly, from thecompanionship of another infant.’ The doctor fastened his bag. ‘Look,’ he said, turning back to Savill, ‘I suggest you wait a day or two and see whether Marianne begins to get over it. If she doesn’t then perhaps you can get the Farrar child back to stay with her for a time. If you do that then I warrant that your daughter will pick up again in no time.’
A few minutes after Kelsey had gone from the house Savill was downstairs and reaching for his coat. ‘I shan’t be long,’ he said to Mrs Callow, the housekeeper, ‘I’m just going down the hill to see Mrs Farrar.’ He wasn’t prepared to wait to see whether Marianne began to grow accustomed to the Farrar child’s absence. Where Marianne’s health was at stake he wasn’t prepared to take any chances.
Sarah Farrar was drying her hands as she opened the front door to John Savill’s knock and it was clear to him that he had caught her in the middle of her work. After he had wished her a good afternoon he said apologetically,
‘Mrs Farrar, I’m sorry to disturb you. I wanted to talk to you for a minute – but it looks as if I’ve chosen the wrong time. I’ll come back when you’re not so busy.’
She smiled ruefully. ‘Wait for then, sir, and you’ll be waiting a very long time.’ As she spoke her small daughter – he remembered that her name was Agnes – came to her side and stood looking up at him with wide hazel eyes, curious to see him
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