She'll accuse us
of being too familiar again, the old wench!

EILEEN. Sssh. You're wrong. She's looking at me, not at us.

MURRAY. At you? Why?

EILEEN. I ran a temperature yesterday. It must have been over a hundred
last night.

MURRAY. (_with consoling scepticism_). You're always looking for
trouble, Eileen. How do you know you ran a temp? You didn't see the
stick, I suppose?

EILEEN. No--but--I could tell. I felt feverish and chilly. It must have
been way up.

MURRAY. Bosh! If it was you'd have been sent to bed.

EILEEN. That's why she's looking at me. (_Piteously._) Oh, I do hope I
won't be sent back to bed! I don't know what I'd do. If I could only
gain this morning. If my temp has only gone down! (_Hopelessly._) But I
feel---- I didn't sleep a wink--thinking----

MURRAY. (_roughly_). You'll persuade yourself you've got leprosy in a
second. Don't be silly! It's all imagination, I tell you. You'll gain.
Wait and see if you don't.

(Eileen _shakes her head. A metallic rumble and jangle comes
from the hallway. Everyone turns in that direction with nervous
expectancy._)

MRS. TURNER (_admonishingly_). Mr. Peters!

PETERS. Yes, ma'am.

(_He stops playing and rejoins the group of men on the right.
In the midst of a silence broken only by hushed murmurs of
conversation,_ Doctor Stanton _appears in the hall doorway.
He turns to help his assistant wheel in a Fairbanks scale on
castors. They place the scale against the wall immediately to the
rear of the doorway._ Doctor Simms _adjusts it to a perfect
balance._)

DOCTOR STANTON (_takes a pencil from his pocket and opens the record
book he has in his hand_). All ready, Doctor?

DOCTOR SIMMS. Just a second, sir.

(_A chorus of coughs comes from the impatient crowd, and
handkerchiefs are hurriedly produced to shield mouths._)

MURRAY (_with a nervous smile_). Well, we're all set. Here's hoping!

EILEEN. You'll gain, I'm sure you will. You look so well.

MURRAY. Oh--I--I wasn't thinking of myself, I'm a sure thing. I was
betting on you. I've simply got to gain to-day, when so much depends on
it.

EILEEN. Yes, I hope you---- (_She falters brokenly and turns away from
him._)

DOCTOR SIMMS (_straightening up_). All ready, Doctor?

STANTON (_nods and glances at his book--without raising his
voice--distinctly_). Mrs. Abner.

(_A middle-aged woman comes and gets on the scale._