It seemed to crush him.
"Come, Alan, you must decide at once." "I cannot do it," he said, mechanically, as though words could alter things.
"You must.

You have no choice.

Don't delay." He hesitated a moment.

"Is there a fire in the room upstairs ?" "Yes, there is a gas-fire with asbestos." "I shall have to go home and get some things from the laboratory." "No, Alan, you must not leave the house.

Write out on a sheet of notepaper what you want and my servant will take a cab and bring the things back to you." Campbell scrawled a few lines, blotted them, and addressed an envelope to his assistant.