The professor attempted to carry on with his business, but found his organisational skills lacking. His irritation stemmed from the fact, or so he told himself, that Eliza had coddled him until he had quite forgotten how to conduct himself. He attempted to acquire the assistance of some of his students, but he had no patience with them and quickly dismissed the majority of them. Only the truly devoted remained under his vigilant watch.
Finally, one sleepless night at three am, with an impending visit by a professor emeritus, Higgins found his nerves raw and his stomach aching in an ulceric fashion. Several of his students, though previously dismissed or bullied, remained by Higgins's side to help him prepare. The housemaids ran around attempting the paradox of cleaning without throwing anything away. The study at 27A Wimpole Street resembled an ant hill.
Higgins walked over and began to berate one of the students who had mistakenly transcribed a section of a manuscript in Bell's visible speech as opposed to Broad Romic.
"I've told you before that this vowel sound is more accurately represented. It's a diphthong …."
He stopped as he saw one of the house maids carrying a flower pot.
"Stop! What are you doing with that plant?"
The house maid stopped sharp in her tracks. She was carrying a browning ivy plant. Eliza's ivy, the very one she had watered and kept alive all those months.
"It's dead, sir." She said sheepishly
Higgins paused and the let out an exasperated sigh. He motioned for the plant. "Oh, give it here."
He took a long look around the room and then grabbed the dead plant from the maid. He turned around angrily and began walking towards the door, stopping to grab his coat.
Mrs. Pearce followed him to the door in haste "Oh sir! Where are you going? It's three in the morning. You can't go out in the middle of the night like this."
Turning around, still clutching the dead plant in his hand he spoke boisterously. "I need to fetch the only person who knows what she's doing!"
He flung the door open with great panache and started into the street. A moment later he returned and met the eyes of his staff and students. He sighed.
"But first, I'm going to need a car. Mrs. Pearce?"
"Immediately sir." She shook her head.