My Mother — Page 126
126 told her that she was with child, but she wanted to be quite sure before revealing the joyous development even to. She was examined by the lady obstetrician regularly who assured her that she was pregnant and gave her the necessary directions. It was not till her fourth visit that my wife said to her, ‘Now you may go and tell my husband. ’ and I were delighted with the good news. When my doctor came up to Simla the next time, he men- tioned to me that a very dear friend of mine in Delhi was running a temperature every afternoon, and admonished me: ‘You must insist that he should take leave and come up to Simla and stay out of the heat with you till he gets rid of the temperature. I have warned him that if he does not take proper care of himself at this stage he will run into tuberculosis, but he does not seem to mind me. ’ ‘Perhaps you are being unnecessarily apprehensive. ’ ‘I am not merely apprehensive. I am quite certain. I am pre- pared to stake my professional reputation on it. ’ ‘I know you are a specialist in this particular field, but you are too fond of staking your professional reputation in season and out of season. Forgive my saying that I do not value your professional reputation above twopence. ’ ‘What reason have you for saying that?’ ‘You have staked your professional reputation that my wife is not capable of bearing a child. ’ ‘Yes, I have, and I do so again emphatically. Her womb is com- pletely dried up and is utterly incapable of functioning. It is an impossibility. ’ ‘Come upstairs and examine her. ’