Chapter 5 Chapter 4 I Arrived at Hassan

Three days later, I left Baghdad. I was sad to leave Mrs. Kersey and her little baby.The little baby is a very cute child, raised in vain and fat, and gains a few taels of weight every week.Major Kersey took me to the station and waited for the drive before returning.I was supposed to arrive at Kokek the next morning.Someone will pick me up there. I didn't sleep well on the train, and I had a lot of tormenting dreams. Nevertheless, the next morning, when I woke up and looked out the window, the sky was clear and I was interested and curious about the people I was about to meet. Just as I was standing on the platform hesitating and looking around, I saw a young man walking towards me.He has a round red face.Never in my life have I seen a young man who really looked like Mr. Udhow's humorous novels.

"Hello, hello, hello," he said, "is it Nurse Leatheran? Oh, I mean, you must be—I can tell, ha, ha! My name is Cole Man. Dr. Leidner sent me, how are you? Hard journey? I know what it's like on this train! Ah, now—have you had breakfast? Is this your luggage? You're plain, yes No? Mrs. Leidner has four suitcases, a trunk--a hat-box, a fine pillow, miscellaneous, other things, that's all. Am I talking too much? Get on the old bus!" There was a car waiting there, which I later heard someone call a station wagon.It was a bit of a buggy, a bit of a wagon, and a bit of an automobile.Mr. Coleman helped me into the car, and explained to me that it is better to sit next to the driver's seat, so that the vibration is relatively small.

shock!Wonder if this new contraption of dubious value will crumble to pieces.Also, the road didn't look like a road at all--just a road, full of ruts and mud puddles.Is it really the splendor of the Orient?When I think of our beautiful arterial roads in England, I feel nostalgic. Coleman leaned forward from his seat in the back and whispered a lot in my ear. "The road is in good shape," he yelled to me after the car had knocked us all almost off the roof. Although he is serious about it. "It's good for people, it stimulates the liver and makes it function flexibly." He said, "Miss nurse, you should understand this."

"A irritated liver won't do me any good if my head cracks," I snapped. "You should walk around here after the rain, it's great. Most of the time we walk sideways." I have no reaction to this. Soon we will have to cross the river.We crossed the river in the most wobbly ferry you can imagine.I feel like it's only by the mercy of the Lord that we're getting through, but everyone seems to think it's normal. It took us four hours to reach Harshani.To my surprise, it was a huge place.The place looked beautiful too before we got there from the other side of the river!The white house character stands there, with Islamic minarets, like a fairyland.Even so, when we crossed the bridge and came to the place, something was different.Such a bad smell, the houses are crumbling, dilapidated, muddy and messy everywhere.

Coleman took me to Dr. Rayleigh's house.He said Dr. Reilly was at home waiting for me to have lunch with him. Dr. Rayleigh was as kind as ever, and his house was nice, with bathrooms, and everything was new.I had a nice shower, and by the time I put on my uniform and went downstairs, I felt good about myself. Lunch had just been prepared, so we went into the dining room and the doctor apologized for his daughter.He said she was often late. We had just eaten a dish of fried eggs with sauce when she walked in.Dr. Rayleigh said, "Miss Nurse, this is little Sheila." She shook hands with me, asked me how my journey was, threw her hat aside, gave Mr Coleman a cold nod, and sat down.

"Oh, Bill," she said, "how's it going?" He started talking to her about an upcoming banquet at the club or something.So, I took a look at her. I can't say I like her very much.Her attitude is a bit cold, not the kind of girl I like.Although it looks good, it seems too casual.Dark hair, blue eyes - somewhat pale face and the usual lipsticked mouth.She spoke in a cold, sarcastic, unpleasant tone.I used to have a trainee nurse who looked like her - a girl who, I admit, was doing a good job, but her attitude was always unpleasant. It seemed to me that Mr. Coleman had already turned her head off.He spoke with his hands, stuttered a little, and his words were more stupid than before.The way he looked reminded me of a dog wagging its tail, trying desperately to please.

After lunch, Dr. Rayleigh went to the hospital.Mr. Coleman is going into town to fetch some things.Miss Sheila asked me if I wanted to go to town or stay at home.She said Mr. Coleman would be back for me in an hour. "Is there anything I can look at?" I asked. "There's something very quaint about it," said Miss Sheila, "but I don't know if you like it. It's very dirty in there." Her remark annoyed her a little.I still can't understand why a place can be forgiven as long as it is unique and dirty. In the end, she took me to the club.That place faces the river, which is very gratifying.There are English newspapers and magazines there.

Mr. Coleman hadn't arrived when we came back: so we sat down and chatted.For some reason, we didn't have an easy conversation. She asked me if I had seen Mrs. Leidner. "No," I said, "only her husband." "Ah," she said, "I don't know what you'd think of her." I didn't say anything about this.So she went on: "I like Dr. Leidner very much. Everyone likes him." I think that's tantamount to saying: You don't like his wife. I still didn't say anything, and after a while, she suddenly asked: "What's wrong with her, did Dr. Leidner tell you?"

I'm not going to gossip about the patient before I've seen her.So, I said vaguely: "I heard that she is not in good health and needs someone to take care of her." She laughed--it was a malicious laugh--harsh and rude. "Why," she said, "isn't nine people looking after her enough?" "I think they all have jobs to do," I said. "Is there a job to do? Of course they have a job to do. But first take care of Louise—she's gotta do it, no ambiguity." By the way - I think - you don't like her. "I still don't understand," Miss Reilly went on, "what she wants a nurse from the hospital to do. I think it would be more suitable to have a layman take care of it. I don't think there is any need for someone who keeps putting a thermometer on her." Mouth, follow her pulse, take care of her with someone who does everything really well."

Ah, I have to admit, I'm curious. "You think there's nothing wrong with her?" I asked. "Of course, there's nothing wrong with her! That woman is as strong as a cow. 'Dear Louise was up all night', 'There are dark circles under her eyes.' By the way, write it down with a blue pencil! Whatever you do, just get attention. Get everyone hanging around her, fussing and taking care of her." Of course, there was some truth to what she said.I have seen some depressive patients (which nurse has not seen it?) They like to have the whole family around them and serve them.If the doctor or the nurse tells them, "There's nothing wrong with you!" Well, first of all, they don't believe it.The look of their anger was real.

Mrs. Leidner was, of course, likely to be such a patient; and naturally the doctor was the first to be deceived.I have found that doctors are the most credulous people when it comes to disease.However, this still doesn't match what I've heard.For example, this does not match the words "much safer". Strange, why can't I always forget those words? I thought of this and said, "Is Mrs. Leidner a nervous person? Doesn't she get nervous when traveling, for example?" "There's something that's going to get on her nerves: alas, they've got ten men there! And, besides, they've got guards—that's for antiquities, ah, no, no! She won't get on the nerves --At least--" She seemed to think of something suddenly, and she stopped suddenly—after a minute or two, she continued slowly. "It's strange that you would say that." "why?" "Captain Jarvis and I drove over to them the other day. It was in the morning and most of them were off to work at the excavation site. She was sitting there writing a letter and I think she heard us come in The only time the servant who usually came in was absent was when we walked all the way into the porch. She apparently saw the shadow of Captain Jarvis on the wall - and she screamed in terror! Later, of course, she apologized to us. She said she thought it was a strange man. That was kind of weird. I mean, even if it was a strange man last time, why would you be scared?" I endured it and nodded. Miss Raleigh was silent for a moment, then said suddenly: "I don't know what's wrong with them this year. They all seem restless. Jason is always so sullen that she can hardly speak. David can't talk, Bill never stopped talking, of course. Somehow, though, his babbling only made the others more uneasy. Jared walked around like a string might snap at any moment. And they were all on each other's guard, as if— —as if—oh, I don't know what—but it's strange." I thought it was strange how two people as different as Miss Riley and Major Pennyman could feel the same way. At this moment, Mr. Coleman hurried in. The words "hustle and bustle" can just describe the situation.If his tongue is idle, you will not be surprised if he suddenly takes out a tail and wags it non-stop. "Ha-lo!" he said, "the best shopper in the world--that's me! Did you take the nurse to see the beauties of this town?" "She has a bad impression," said Miss Raleigh coldly. "It's no wonder," said Mr. Coleman kindly, "that it's the most shabby country place." "You're not one for fancy things or antiquities, are you? Bill? I can't think why you do archaeology." "It's not my fault. My guardian is to blame. He's a man of learning--he's a research professor at his university--even when he's at home in his loafers--that's the kind of guy he is. There's a guy like It was a little shocking to him that a man like me should have guardianship;" "I think it is very miserable that you are thus forced into a profession that you do not like," said the young lady sharply. "Not forced, Sheila, good lady, not forced. The old gentleman asked me what special occupation I wanted to pursue, and I said I had no special desire. Therefore, he managed to get me to serve here for a period of excavation." "But don't you really know what you like to do? You must know." "Of course I do. My idea is not to have any job. What I like to do is have a lot of money and participate in racing activities." "You're ridiculous!" said Miss Riley. Her words sounded like she was very angry. "Ah, I know it's impossible," Coleman said enthusiastically, "so if I have to do something, I don't care what I do as long as I don't slog around in the office all day. I Would love to go around the world a bit. 'Look at me!' I said, and here I am." "I think you must be very useful?" "You'd be wrong. I can stand at a digging site and say 'Allah!' like anyone else. And I'm pretty good at drawing. Copying other people's handwriting was my specialty when I was in school. What if I'll be a first-rate counterfeiter if I have to. Ah, maybe I'll be in that line. You'll know me if one day my limo splashes mud on you while you're waiting for the bus Already a seasoned criminal." Miss Raleigh said coldly: "Don't you think it's wrong to say so much? Isn't it time to go?" "We're very hospitable, aren't we, Miss Nurse?" "I'm sure Nurse Leatheran is anxious to settle down." "You're sure of everything," Mr. Coleman countered, grinning. I think what you said is true.A naughty girl with overconfidence. I said coldly: "Perhaps we'd better start, Mr. Coleman." "You're right, Miss Nurse." I shook hands with Miss Riley, thanked her, and off we went. "Sheila, she's a pretty girl," said Mr. Coleman, "but always likes to blame people." Our car drove out of the city, and soon we came to a road among the green wheat fields. This road is rough and has many pits. About half an hour later, Mr. Coleman pointed to a large mound on the river bank in front of us and said, "Arimian Hill." I can see some dark little people walking around like ants. When I looked over, they suddenly ran down the side of the hill together. "Phaedos," said Mr. Coleman, "it's time to leave. We leave an hour before sunset." The inspection team's house is not far from the river. The driver rounded a corner, bumped through a very narrow arch, and there we were. The house was built around a courtyard.Originally it only occupied the south side of the courtyard, and some unimportant outbuildings to the east.The inspection team continued to build some houses on the other two sides.Because the floor plan of this house has a particularly important reference value later, I attach a rough drawing here. In all the rooms, the doors opened onto the courtyard, and most of the windows did as well--with the exception of the rooms originally built on the south side, the houses on that side also had windows looking out on the fields.These windows, however, were barred from the outside, and at the south-west corner a staircase led to a roof with a long rail, as long as the building to the south, and higher than those on the other three sides.Mr. Coleman led me across the east side of the courtyard, and then around to a doorless portico which occupied the center of the south side.He pushed open the door on one side of the colonnade, and we went into a room.There were already several people there, sitting around a tea table. "!" said Mr. Coleman, "this is ''!" The lady at the head of the table rose to welcome me. And so, I met Louise Leidner for the first time.

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