She questioned him on the chances of an operation.

He could not reduce his judgment to a mathematical one; he was inclined to advocate an operation on psychological grounds, he said.
"It keeps up the patient's courage to know something is being done." He added, "That will be your work, Mrs.Farron, to keep his courage up." Most women like to know they had their part to play, but Adelaide shook her head quickly.
"I would so much rather go through it myself!" she cried.
"Naturally, naturally," he agreed, without getting the full passion of her cry.
She stood up.
"Oh," she said, "if it could only be kill or cure!" He glanced at her.
"We have hardly reached that point yet," he answered.
She went away dissatisfied.

He had answered every question, he had even encouraged her to hope a little more than her interpretation of what Vincent said had allowed her; but as she drove away she knew he had failed her.

For she had gone to him in order to have Vincent presented to her as a hero, as a man who had looked upon the face of death without a quiver.

Instead, he had been presented to her as a patient, just one of the long procession that passed through that office.