Ethel returns to the building in front of which we saw her before and enters to find Isobel delivering a lecture about finding a place in the world to a woman who wouldn't care less even if she could hear the words over the sound of her own chewing. They should bring her to Downton to have an eating contest with Martha. When Isobel sees Ethel, she comes over with a smile and asks if she's looking to speak with her and Ethel tells "Mrs. Crawley" that she is. Isobel asks if she's come for their help, but Ethel makes to retreat like a skittish dog, at which point Isobel says she knows her -- although she doesn't pull her name, she remembers her as the maid who brought her child into the dining room at Downton. Ethel tells her this was a mistake and she's not ready to ask her yet. Just like that, she's gone again even as Isobel calls after her, "Ask me what?" You'll have to wait at least until next episode to find out, ma'am.

The fluid has apparently been drawn and Dr. Clarkson returns to the room with less-than-great news: There were traces of blood in it and while the levels weren't enough to conclusively indicate cancer, it couldn't be ruled out either, so he's got to send it away for analysis, which could take up to two months. Mrs. Patmore hilariously starts to bray about that, but cuts herself off at a look from Mrs. Hughes. Dr. Clarkson then instructs Mrs. Hughes to take it as easy as possible until then... maybe she could put her feet up here and there. This time, Mrs. Patmore can't restrain herself from replying "Chance'd be a fine thing," and given that this is pretty much what the phrase was coined for, you can hardly blame her. The ladies rise to go and Dr. Clarkson offers to say something to Lady Cora on Mrs. Hughes' behalf, but she tells him it's all right -- she'll do it herself if the need arises. I'm not sure that's true, but I doubt there will be any holding Mrs. Patmore's tongue for long.

While walking Isis, Lord Grantham comes across Edith sitting on a bench sobbing into Martha's arms, and Martha wastes no time in blaming him for Edith's misery. Edith pipes up that Lord Grantham may claim to know what's best for her, but he welcomed a chauffeur as Sybil's husband, while when she's in love with a gentleman, he "cast[s] him into the outer darkness." Martha adds that Sir Anthony has money, a title, "everything that you care about," adding that if he'd take the time to look, he'd see that Edith is sad and lonely. Edith threatens to see Sir Anthony anyway and makes the point that objecting to Sir Anthony's age is ridiculous given how many of the country's young men died in the war. Lord Grantham is running out of arguments that have any more sophistication than "I forbid you to, young lady!" and when Edith gets him to admit that he quite likes Sir Anthony, she gets up and begs him to write to Sir Anthony and re-invite him to the dinner. Lord Grantham reluctantly gives in and Martha nods her approval; somewhere, so do Mary and the Dowager Countess -- even if they have no idea why.