Winterbones,notawhitoffended,againhidhiscupunderhiscoat-tailandvanished。
\'Sitdown,Thorne,sitdown,\'saidthecontractor,speakinginquiteadifferentmannerfromanythathehadyetassumed。\'Iknowyou\'reinahurry,butyoumustgivemehalfanhour。Imaybedeadbeforeyoucangivemeanother;whoknows?\'
Thedoctorofcoursedeclaredthathehopedtohavemanyahalf-hour\'schatwithhimformanyayeartocome。
\'Well,that\'sasmaybe。Youmuststopnow,atanyrate。Youcanmakethecobpayforit,youknow。\'
Thedoctortookachairandsatdown。Thusentreatedtostop,hehadhardlyanyalternativebuttodoso。
\'Itwasn\'tbecauseI\'millthatIsentforyou,orratherletherladyshipsendforyou。Lordblessyou,Thorne;doyouthinkIdon\'tknowwhatitisthatmakesmelikethis?WhenIseethatpoorwretchWinterbones,killinghimselfwithgin,doyouthinkIdon\'tknowwhat\'scomingtomyselfaswellashim?
\'Whydoyoutakeitthen?Whydoyoudoit?Yourlifeisnotlikehis。Oh,Scatcherd!Scatcherd!\'andthedoctorpreparedtopouroutthefloodofhiseloquenceinbeseechingthissingularmantoabstainfromhiswell-knownpoison。
\'Isthatallyouknowofhumannature,doctor?Abstain。Canyouabstainfrombreathing,andlivelikeafishdoesunderwater?\'
\'ButNaturehasnotorderedyoutodrink,Scatcherd。\'
\'Habitissecondnature,man;andastrongernaturethanthefirst。AndwhyshouldInotdrink?WhatelsehastheworldgivenmeforallthatIhavedoneforit?WhatotherresourcehaveI?Whatothergratification?\'
\'Oh,myGod!Haveyounotunboundedwealth?Canyounotdoanythingyouwish?beanythingyouchoose?\'
\'No,\'andthesickmanshriekedwithanenergythatmadehimaudibleallthroughthehouse。\'IcandonothingthatIwouldchoosetodo;benothingthatIwouldwishtobe!WhatcanIdo?WhatcanIbe?WhatgratificationcanIhaveexceptthebrandybottle?IfIgoamonggentlemen,canItalktothem?Iftheyhaveanythingtosayaboutarailway,theywillaskmeaquestion:iftheyspeaktomebeyondthat,Imustbedumb。IfIgoamongmyworkmen,cantheytalktome?No;I
amtheirmaster,andasternmaster。Theybobtheirheadsandshakeintheirshoeswhentheyseeme。Wherearemyfriends?Here!\'saidhe,andhedraggedabottlefromunderhisverypillow。\'Wherearemyamusements?Here!\'andhebrandishedthebottlealmostinthedoctor\'sface。\'Whereismyoneresource,myonegratification,myonlycomfortafterallmytoils。Here,doctor;here,here,here!\'and,sosaying,hereplacedhistreasurebeneathhispillow。
Therewassomethingsohorrifyinginthis,thatDrThorneshrankbackamazed,andwasforamomentunabletospeak。
\'But,Scatcherd,\'hesaidatlast;\'surelyyouwouldnotdieforsuchapassionasthat?\'\'Dieforit?Aye,wouldI。LiveforitwhileIcanlive;anddieforitwhenIcanlivenolonger。Dieforit!Whatisthatforamantodo?Whatisamantheworsefordying?WhatcanIbetheworsefordying?Amancandiebutonce,yousaidjustnow。I\'ddietentimesforthis。\'
\'Youarespeakingnoweitherinmadness,orelseinfolly,tostartleme。\'
\'Follyenough,perhaps,andmadnessenough,also。Suchalifeasminemakesamanafool,andmakeshimmadtoo。WhathaveaboutmethatI
shouldbeafraidtodie?I\'mworththreehundredthousandpounds;andI\'dgiveitalltobeabletogotoworkto-morrowwithahodandmortar,andhaveafellowclaphishanduponmyshoulder,andsay:
“Well,Roger,shallushavethat\'ereotherhalf-pintthismorning?”
I\'lltellyouwhat,Thorne,whenamanhasmadethreehundredthousandpounds,there\'snothingleftforhimbuttodie。It\'sallhe\'sgoodforthen。Whenmoney\'sbeenmade,thenextthingistospendit。Nowthemanwhomakesithasnotthehearttodothat。\'
Thedoctor,ofcourse,inhearingallthis,saidsomethingofatendencytocomfortandconsolethemindofhispatient。Notthatanythinghecouldsaywouldcomfortorconsoletheman;butthatitwasimpossibletositthereandhearsuchfearfultruths——forasregardedScatcherdtheyweretruths——withoutmakingsomeanswer。\'
\'Thisisasgoodasaplay,isn\'t,doctor?\'saidthebaronet。\'Youdidn\'tknowhowIcouldcomeoutlikeoneofthoseactorfellows。Well,now,come;atlastI\'lltellyouwhyIhavesentforyou。BeforethatlastburstofmineImademywill。\'
\'Youhadmadeawillbeforethat。\'
\'Yes,Ihad。Thatwillisdestroyed。Iburntitwithmyownhand,sothatthereshouldbenomistakeaboutit。InthatwillIhadnamedtwoexecutors,youandJackson。IwasthenpartnerwithJacksonintheYorkandYeovilGrandCentral。IthoughtadealofJacksonthen。He\'snotworthashillingnow。\'
\'Well,I\'mexactlyinthesamecategory。\'
\'No,you\'renot。Jacksonisnothingwithoutmoney;butmoney\'llnevermakeyou。\'
\'No,norIshan\'tmakemoney,\'saidthedoctor。
\'No,youneverwill。Nevertheless,there\'smyotherwill,there,underthatdeskthere;andI\'veputyouinassoleexecutor。\'
\'Youmustalterthat,Scatcherd;youmustindeed;withthreehundredthousandpoundstobedisposedof,thetrustisfartoomuchforanyoneman:besidesyoumustnameayoungerman;youandIareofthesameage,andImaydiefirst。\'
\'Now,doctor,nohumbug;let\'shavenohumbugfromyou。Rememberthis;
ifyou\'renottrue,you\'renothing。\'
\'Well,but,Scatcherd——\'
\'Well,butdoctor,there\'sthewill,it\'salreadymade。Idon\'twanttoconsultyouaboutthat。Youarenamedasexecutor,andifyouhavethehearttorefusetoactwhenI\'mdead,why,ofcourse,youcandoso。\'
Thedoctorwasnotlawyer,andhardlyknewwhetherhehadanymeansofextricatinghimselffromthispositioninwhichhisfriendwasdeterminedtoplacehim。
\'You\'llhavetoseethatwillcarriedout,Thorne。NowI\'lltellyouwhatIhavedone。\'
\'You\'renotgoingtotellmehowyouhavedisposedofyourproperty?\'
\'Notexactly;atleastnotallofit。OnehundredthousandI\'veinlegacies,including,youknow,whatLadyScatcherdwillhave。\'
\'HaveyounotleftthehousetoLadyScatcherd?\'
\'No;whatthedevilwouldshedowithahouselikethis?Shedoesn\'tknowhowtoliveinitnowshehasgotit。Ihaveprovidedforher;itmattersnothow。Thehouseandtheestate,andtheremainderofmymoneyIhavelefttoLouisPhilippe。\'
\'What!twohundredthousandpounds?\'saidthedoctor。
\'Andwhyshouldn\'tIleavetwohundredthousandpoundstomyson,eventomyeldestsonifIhavemorethanone?DoesnotMrGreshamleaveallhispropertytohisheir?WhyshouldnotImakeaneldestsonaswellasLorddeCourcyortheDukeofOmnium?IsupposearailwaycontractoroughtnottobeallowedaneldestsonbyActofParliament!
Won\'tmysonhaveatitletokeepup?Andthat\'smorethantheGreshamshaveamongthem。\'
Thedoctorexplainedawaywhathesaidaswellashecould。Hecouldnotexplainthatwhathehadreallymeantwasthis,thatSirRogerScatcherd\'ssonwasnotamanfittobetrustedwiththeentirecontrolofanenormousfortune。
SirRogerScatcherdhadbutonechild;thatchildwhichhadbeenborninthedaysofhisearlytroubles,andhadbeendismissedfromhismother\'sbreastinorderthatthemother\'smilkmightnourishtheyoungheirofGreshamsbury。Theboyhadgrownup,buthadbecomestrongneitherinmindnorbody。Hisfatherhaddeterminedtomakeagentlemanofhim,andhadsenttoEtonandCambridge。Buteventhisreceipt,generallyasitisrecognized,willnotmakeagentleman。Itishard,indeed,todefinewhatreceiptwilldoso,thoughpeopledohaveintheirownmindssomecertainundefined,butyettolerablycorrectideasonthesubject。Bethatasitmay,twoyearsatEton,andthreetermsatCambridge,didnotmakeagentlemanofLouisPhilippeScatcherd。
Yes;hewaschristenedLouisPhilippe,aftertheKingoftheFrench。Ifonewishestolookoutintheworldforroyalnomenclature,tofindchildrenwhohavebeenchristenedafterkingsandqueens,ortheunclesandauntsofkingsandqueens,thesearchshouldbemadeinthefamiliesofdemocrats。Nonehavesoservileadeferencefortheverynail-paringsofroyalty;nonefeelsowonderinganaweattheexaltationofacrownedhead;nonearesoanxioustosecurethemselvessomeshredorfragmentthathasbeenconsecratedbytheroyaltouch。Itisthedistancewhichtheyfeeltoexistbetweenthemselves,andthethronewhichmakesthemcovetthecrumbsofmajesty,theoddsandendsandchancesplintersofroyalty。
TherewasnothingroyalaboutLouisPhilippeScatcherdbuthisname。Hehadnowcometoman\'sestate,andhisfather,findingtheCambridgereceipttobeinefficacious,hadsenthimabroadtotravelwithatutor。Thedoctorhadfromtimetotimeheardtidingsofthisyouth;
heknewthathehadalreadyshownsymptomsofhisfather\'svices,butnosymptomsofhisfather\'stalents;heknewthathehadbegunlifebybeingdissipated,withoutbeinggenerous;andthatattheageoftwenty-onehehadalreadysufferedfromdeliriumtremens。
Itwasonthisaccountthathehadexpresseddisapprobation,ratherthansurprise,whenheheardthathisfatherintendedtobequeaththebulkofhislargefortunetotheuncontrolledwillofthisunfortunateboy。
\'Ihavetoiledformymoneyhard,andIhavearighttodoasIlikewithit。Whatothersatisfactioncanitgiveme?\'
Thedoctorassuredhimthathedidnotatallmeantodisputethis。
\'LouisPhilippewilldowellenough,you\'llfind,\'continuedthebaronet,understandingwhatwaspassingwithinhiscompanion\'sbreast。
\'Letayoungfellowsowhiswildoatswhileheisyoung,andhe\'llbesteadyenoughwhenhegrowsold。\'
\'Butwhatifheneverlivestogetthroughthesowing?\'thoughtthedoctortohimself。\'Whatifthewild-oatsoperationiscarriedoninsoviolentamannerastoleavenostrengthinthesoilfortheproductofamorevaluablecrop?\'Itwasofnousesayingthis,however,soheallowedScatcherdtocontinue。
\'IfI\'dhadafreeflingwhenIwasayoungster,Ishouldn\'thavebeensofondofthebrandybottlenow。Butanyway,mysonshallbemyheir。I\'vehadthegumptiontomakethemoney,butIhaven\'tthegumptiontospendit。Myson,however,shallbeabletoruffleitwiththebestofthem。I\'llgobailheshallholdhisheadhigherthaneveryoungGreshamwillbeabletoholdhis。Theyaremuchofthesameage,aswellIhavecausetoremember;——andsohasherladyshiphere。\'
Nowthefactwas,thatSirRogerScatcherdfeltinhisheartnospecialloveforyoungGresham;butwithherladyshipitmightalmostbeaquestionwhethershedidnotlovetheyouthwhomshehadnursedalmostaswellasthatotheronewhowasherownproperoffspring。
\'Andwillyounotputanycheckonthoughtlessexpenditure?Ifyoulivetenortwentyyears,aswehopeyoumay,itwillbecomeunnecessary;
butinmakingawill,amanshouldalwaysrememberhemaygooffsuddenly。\'
\'Especiallyifhegoestobedwithabrandybottleunderhishead;eh,doctor?But,mind,that\'samedicalsecret,youknow;notawordofthatoutofthebedroom。\'
DrThornecouldbutsigh。Whatcouldhesayonsuchasubjecttosuchamanasthis?
\'Yes,Ihaveputacheckonhisexpenditure。Iwillnotlethisdailybreaddependonanyman;Ihavethereforelethimfivehundredayearathisowndisposal,fromthedayofmydeath。Lethimmakewhatducksanddrakesofthathecan。\'
\'Fivehundredayeariscertainlynotmuch,\'saidthedoctor。
\'No;nordoIwanttokeephimtothat。Lethimhavewhateverhewantsifhesetsaboutspendingitproperly。Butthebulkoftheproperty——thisestateofBoxallHill,andtheGreshamsburymortgage,andthoseothermortgages——Ihavetiedupinthisway:theyshallbeallhisattwenty-five;anduptothatageitshallbeinyourpowertogivehimwhathewants。Ifheshalldiewithoutchildrenbeforeheshallbetwenty-fiveyearsofage,theyarealltogotoMary\'seldestchild。\'
NowMarywasSirRoger\'ssister,themother,therefore,ofMissThorne,and,consequently,thewifeoftherespectableironmongerwhowenttoAmerica,andthemotherofafamilythere。
\'Mary\'seldestchild!\'saidthedoctor,feelingthattheperspirationhadnearlybrokenoutonhisforehead,andthathecouldhardlycontrolhisfeelings。\'Mary\'seldestchild!Scatcherd,youshouldbemoreparticularinyourdescription,oryouwillleaveyourbestlegacytothelawyers。\'
\'Idon\'tknow,andneverheardthenameofoneofthem。\'
\'Butdoyoumeanaboyoragirl?\'
\'TheymaybeallgirlsforwhatIknow,orallboys;besides,Idon\'tcarewhichitis。Agirlwouldprobablydobestwithit。Onlyyou\'dhavetoseethatshemarriedsomedecentfellow;you\'dbeherguardian。\'
\'Pooh,nonsense,\'saidthedoctor。\'Louiswillbefive-and-twentyinayearortwo。\'
\'Inaboutfouryears。\'
\'Andforallthat\'scomeandgoneyet,Scatcherd,youarenotgoingtoleaveusyourselfquitesosoonasallthat。\'
\'NotifIcanhelpit;butthat\'sasmaybe。\'
\'Thechancesaretentoonethatsuchaclauseinyourwillwillnevercometobear。\'
\'Quiteso,quiteso。IfIdie,LouisPhilippewon\'t,butIthoughtitrighttoputinsomethingtopreventhissquanderingitallbeforehecomestohissenses。\'
\'Oh!quiteright,quiteright。IthinkIwouldhavenamedalateragethantwenty-five。\'
\'SowouldnotI。LouisPhilippewillbeallrightbythattime。That\'smylookout。Andnow,doctor,youknowmywill;andifIdieto-morrow,youwillknowwhatIwantyoutodoforme。\'
\'Youhavemerelysaidtheeldestchild,Scatcherd?\'
\'That\'sall;giveithere;andI\'llreadittoyou。\'
\'No;no;nevermind。Theeldestchild!Youshouldbemoreparticular,Scatcherd;youshould,indeed。Considerwhatanenormousinterestmayhavetodependonthosewords。\'
\'Why,whatthedevilcouldIsay?Idon\'tknowtheirnames;neverevenheardthem。Buttheeldestistheeldest,alltheworldover。PerhapsIoughttosaytheyoungest,seeingthatIamonlyarailwaycontractor。\'
ScatcherdbegantothinkthatthedoctormightnowaswellgoawayandleavehimtothesocietyofWinterbonesandthebrandy;but,muchasourfriendhadbeforeexpressedhimselfinahurry,henowseemedinclinedtomoveveryleisurely。Hesattherebythebedside,restinghishandsonhiskneesandgazingunconsciouslyatthecounterpane。Atlasthegaveadeepsigh,andthenhesaid,\'Scatcherd,youmustbemoreparticularinthis。IfIamtohaveanythingtodowithit,youmust,indeed,bemoreexplicit。\'
\'Why,howthedeucecanIbemoreexplicit?Isn\'thereldestlivingchildplainenough,whetherhebeJack,orshebeGill?\'
\'Whatdidyourlawyersaytothis,Scatcherd?\'
\'Lawyer!Youdon\'tsupposeIletmylawyerknowwhatIwasputting。
No;Igottheformandthepaper,andallthatfromhim,andIdiditinanother。It\'sallrightenough。ThoughWinterboneswroteit,hediditinsuchawayhedidnotknowwhathewaswriting。\'
Thedoctorsatawhilelonger,stilllookingatthecounter-pane,andthengotuptodepart。\'I\'llseeyouagainsoon,\'saidhe;\'to-morrow,probably。\'
\'To-morrow!\'saidSirRoger,notatallunderstandingwhyDrThorneshouldtalkofreturningsosoon。\'To-morrow!whyIain\'tsobadasthat,man,amI?Ifyoucomesooftenasthatyouwillruinme。\'
\'Oh,notasamedicalman;notasthat;butaboutthiswill,Scatcherd。Imustthinkifover;Imust,indeed。\'
\'YouneednotgiveyourselftheleasttroubleintheworldaboutmywilltillI\'mdead;nottheleast。Andwhoknows——maybe,Imaybesettlingyouraffairsyet;eh,doctor?lookingafteryourniecewhenyou\'redeadandgone,andgettingahusbandforher,eh?Ha!ha!ha!\'
Andthen,withoutfurtherspeech,thedoctorwenthisway。
CHAPTERXI
THEDOCTORDRINKSHISTEA
Thedoctorgotonhiscobandwenthisway,returningdulytoGreshamsbury。But,intruth,ashewenthehardlyknewwhitherhewasgoing,orwhathewasdoing。SirRogerhadhintedthatthecobwouldbecompelledtomakeupforlosttimebyextraexertionontheroad;
butthecobhadneverbeenpermittedtohavehisownwayastopacemoresatisfactorilythanonthepresentoccasion。Thedoctor,indeed,hardlyknewthathewasonhorseback,socompletelywasheenvelopedinthecloudofhisownthoughts。
Inthefirstplace,thatalternativewhichithadbecomehimtoputbeforethebaronetasoneunlikelytooccur——thatofthespeedydeathofbothfatherandson——wasonewhichhefeltinhisheartofheartsmightveryprobablycometopass。
\'Thechancesaretentoonethatsuchaclausewillneverbebroughttobear。\'Thishehadsaidpartlytohimself,soastoeasethethoughtswhichcamecrowdingonhisbrain;partly,also,inpityforthepatientandthefather。Butnowthathethoughtthematterover,hefeltthattherewerenosuchodds。Werenottheoddstheotherway?Wasitnotalmostprobablethatboththesemenmightbegatheredtotheirlongaccountwithinthenextfouryears?One,theelder,wasastrongman,indeed;onewhomightyetliveforyearstocomeifhecouldbutgivehimselffairplay。Butthen,hehimselfprotested,andprotestedwithatruthtoosurelygrounded,thatfairplaytohimselfwasbeyondhisownpowertogive。Theother,theyounger,hadeverythingagainsthim。Notonlywasheapoor,punycreature,withoutphysicalstrength,oneofwhoselifeafriendcouldneverfeelsureunderanycircumstances,buthealsowasalreadyaddictedtohisfather\'svices;
healsowasalreadykillinghimselfwithalcohol。
Andthen,ifthesetwomendiddiewithintheprescribedperiod,ifthisclauseofSirRoger\'swillwerebroughttobear,itshouldbecomehis,DrThorne\'s,dutytoseethatclausecarriedout,howwouldhebeboundtoact?Thatwoman\'seldestchildwashisownniece,hisadoptedbairn,hisdarling,theprideofhisheart,thecynosureofhiseye,hischildalso,hisownMary。Ofallhisdutiesonthisearth,nexttothatonegreatdutytohisGodandconscience,washisdutytoher。
What,underthesecircumstances,didhisdutytoherrequireofhim?
Butthen,thatonegreatduty,thatdutywhichshewouldbethefirsttoexpectfromhim;whatdidthatdemandofhim?HadScatcherdmadehiswillwithoutsayingwhatitsclauseswere,itseemedtoThornethatMarymusthavebeentheheiress,shouldthatclausebecomenecessarilyoperative。Whethersheweresoornotwouldatanyratebeforlawyerstodecide。Butnowthecasewasverydifferent。Thisrichmanhadconfidedinhim,andwoulditnotbeabreachofconfidence,anactofabsolutedishonesty——anactofdishonestybothtoScatcherdandtothatfar-distantAmericanfamily,tothatfather,who,informerdays,hadbehavedsonobly,andtothateldestchildofhis,woulditnotbegrossdishonestytothemallifheallowedthismantoleaveawillbywhichhispropertymightgotoapersonneverintendedtobehisheir?
LongbeforehehadarrivedatGreshamsburyhismindonthispointhadbeenmadeup。Indeed,ithadbeenmadeupwhilesittingtherebyScatcherd\'sbedside。Ithadnotbeendifficulttomakeuphismindtosomuch;butthen,hiswayoutofthisdishonestywasnotsoeasyforhimtofind。Howshouldhesetthismatterrighttoastoinflictnoinjuryonhisniece,andnosorrowtohimself——ifthatindeedcouldbeavoided?
Andthenotherthoughtscrowdedonhisbrain。Hehadalwaysprofessed——professedatanyratetohimselfandtoher——thatofallthevileobjectsofaman\'sambition,wealth,wealthmerelyforitsownsake,wasthevilest。They,intheirjointschoolofinherentphilosophy,hadprogressedtoideaswhichtheymightfinditnoteasytocarryout,shouldtheybecalledonbyeventstodoso。Andifthiswouldhavebeendifficulttoeitherwhenactingonbehalfofselfalone,howmuchmoredifficultwhenonemighthavetoactfortheother!Thisdifficultyhadnowcometotheuncle。Shouldhe,inthisemergency,takeuponhimselftoflingawaythegoldenchancewhichmightaccruetohisnieceifScatcherdshouldbeencouragedtomakeherpartlyhisheir?
\'He\'dwanthertogoandlivethere——tolivewithhimandhiswife。
AllthemoneyintheBankofEnglandwouldnotpayherforsuchmisery,\'
saidthedoctortohimself,asheslowlyrodeintoisownyard。
Ononepoint,andoneonly,hadhedefinitelymadeuphismind。OnthefollowingdayhewouldgooveragaintoBoxallHill,andwouldtellScatcherdthewholetruth。Comewhatmight,thetruthmustbebest。
Andso,withsomegleamofcomfort,hewentintothehouse,andfoundhisnieceinthedrawing-roomwithPatienceOriel。
\'MaryandIhavebeenquarrelling,\'saidPatience。\'Shesaysthedoctoristhegreatestmaninavillage;andIsaytheparsonisofcourse。\'
\'Ionlysaythatthedoctoristhemostlookedafter,\'saidMary。
\'There\'sanotherhorridmessageforyoutogotoSilverbridge,uncle。
Whycan\'tthatDrCenturymanagehisownpeople?\'
\'Shesays,\'continuedMissOriel,\'thatifaparsonwasawayforamonth,noonewouldmisshim;butthatadoctorissopreciousthathisveryminutesarecounted。\'
\'Iamsureuncle\'sare。Theybegrudgehimhismeals。MrOrielnevergetscalledawaytoSilverbridge。\'
\'No;weintheChurchmanageourparisharrangementsbetterthanyoudo。Wedon\'tletstrangepractitionersinamongourflocksbecausethesheepmaychancetofancythem。Oursheephavetoputupwithourspiritualdoseswhethertheylikethemornot。Inthatrespectwearemuchthebestoff。Iadviseyou,Mary,tomarryaclergyman,byallmeans。\'
\'Iwillwhenyoumarryadoctor,\'saidshe。
\'Iamsurenothingonearthwouldgivemegreaterpleasure,\'saidMissOriel,gettingupandcurtseyingverylowtoDrThorne;\'butIamnotquitepreparedfortheagitationofanofferthismorning,soI\'llrunaway。\'
Andsoshewent;andthedoctor,gettingtohisotherhorse,startedagainforSilverbridge,wearilyenough。\'She\'shappynowwheresheis,\'saidhetohimself,asherodealong。\'TheyalltreatherthereasanequalatGreshamsbury。WhatthoughshebenocousintotheThornesofUllathorne。Shehasfoundherplacethereamongthemall,andkeepsitonequaltermswiththebestofthem。ThereisMissOriel;herfamilyishigh;sheisrich,fashionable,abeauty,courtedbyeveryone;butyetshedoesnotlookdownonMary。Theyareequalfriendstogether。ButhowwoulditbeifsheweretakentoBoxallHill,evenasarecognizednieceoftherichmanthere?WouldPatienceOrielandBeatriceGreshamgothereafterher?Couldshebehappythereassheisinmyhousehere,poorthoughitbe?ItwouldkillhertopassamonthwithLadyScatcherdandputupwiththatman\'shumours,toseehismodeoflife,tobedependentonhim,tobelongtohim。\'Andthenthedoctor,hurryingontoSilverbridge,againmetDrCenturyattheoldlady\'sbedside,andhavingmadehisendeavourstostaveofftheinexorablecomingofthegrimvisitor,againreturnedtohisownnieceandhisowndrawing-room。
\'Youmustbedead,uncle,\'saidMary,asshepouredouthisteaforhim,andpreparedthecomfortsofthatmostcomfortablemeal-tea,dinner,andsupper,allinone。\'IwishSilverbridgewasfiftymilesoff。\'
\'Thatwouldonlymakethejourneyworse;butIamnotdeadyet,and,whatismoretothepurpose,neitherismypatient。\'Andashespokehecontrivedtoswallowajorumofscaldingtea,containinginmeasuresomewhatnearapint。Mary,notawhitamazedatthisfeat,merelyrefilledthejorumwithoutanyobservation;andthedoctorwentonstirringthemixturewithhisspoon,evidentlyobliviousthatanyceremonyhadbeenperformedbyeitherofthemsincethefirstsupplyhadbeenadministeredtohim。
Whentheclatterofknivesandforkswasover,thedoctorturnedhimselftothehearthrug,andputtingonelegovertheother,hebegantonurseitashelookedwithcomplacencyathisthirdcupoftea,whichstooduntastedbesidehim。Thefragmentsofthesolidbanquethadbeenremoved,butnosacrilegioushandhadbeenlaidontheteapotandthecream-jug。
\'Mary,\'saidhe,\'supposeyouweretofindoutto-morrowmorningthat,bysomeaccident,youhadbecomeagreatheiress,wouldyoubeabletosuppressyourexultation?\'
\'ThefirstthingI\'ddo,wouldbetopronounceapositiveedictthatyoushouldnevergotoSilverbridgeagain;atleastwithoutaday\'snotice。\'
\'Well,andwhatnext?whatwouldyoudonext?\'
\'Thenextthing——thenextthingwouldbetosendtoParisforaFrenchbonnetexactlyliketheonePatienceOrielhadon。Didyouseeit?\'
\'WellIcan\'tsayIdid;bonnetsareinvisiblenow;besidesIneverremarkanybody\'sclothes,exceptyours。\'
\'Oh!dolookatMissOriel\'sbonnetthenexttimeyouseeher。Icannotunderstandwhyitshouldbeso,butIamsureofthis——noEnglishfingersputtogethersuchabonnetasthat;andIamnearlysurethatnoFrenchfingerscoulddoitinEngland。\'
\'Butyoudon\'tcaresomuchaboutbonnets,Mary!\'Thisthedoctorsaidasanassertion;buttherewas,nevertheless,somewhatofaquestioninvolvedinit。
\'Don\'tIthough?\'saidshe。\'Idocareverymuchaboutbonnets;
especiallysinceIsawPatiencethismorning。Iaskedhowmuchitcost——guess。\'
\'Oh!Idon\'tknow——apound?\'
\'Apound,uncle!\'
\'What!agreatdealmore?Tenpounds?\'
\'Oh,uncle。\'
\'What!morethantenpounds?ThenIdon\'tthinkevenPatienceOrieloughttogiveit。\'
\'No,ofcourseshewouldnot;but,uncle,itreallycostahundredfrancs!\'
\'Oh!ahundredfrancs;that\'sfourpounds,isn\'tit?Well,andhowmuchdidyourlastnewbonnetcost?\'
\'Mine!oh,nothing——fiveandninepence,perhaps;Itrimmeditmyself。
IfIwereleftagreatfortune,I\'dsendtoParisto-morrow;no,I\'dgomyselftoParistobuyabonnet,andI\'dtakeyouwithmetochooseit。\'
Thedoctorsatsilentforawhilemeditatingaboutthis,duringwhichheunconsciouslyabsorbedtheteabesidehim;andMaryagainreplenishedhiscup。
\'Come,Mary,\'hesaidatlast,\'I\'minagenerousmood;andasIamrathermorerichthanusual,we\'llsendtoParisforaFrenchbonnet。ThegoingforitmustwaitawhilelongerIamafraid。\'
\'You\'rejoking。\'
\'No,indeed。Ifyouknowthewaytosend——thatImustconfesswouldpuzzleme;butifyou\'llmanagethesending,I\'llmanagethepaying;
andyoushallhaveaFrenchbonnet。\'
\'Uncle!\'saidshe,lookingupathim。
\'Oh,I\'mnotjoking;Ioweyouapresent,andI\'llgiveyouthat。\'
\'Andifyoudo,I\'lltellyouwhatI\'lldowithit。I\'llcutitintofragments,andburnthembeforeyourface。Why,uncle,whatdoyoutakemefor?You\'renotabitniceto-nighttomakesuchanofferasthattome;notabit,notabit。\'Andthenshecameoverfromherseatatthetea-trayandsatdownonafoot-stoolcloseathisknee。
\'BecauseI\'dhaveaFrenchbonnetifIhadalargefortune,isthatareasonwhyIshouldlikeonenow?ifyouweretopayfourpoundsforabonnetforme,itwouldscorchmyheadeverytimeIputiton。\'
\'Idon\'tseethat:fourpoundswouldnotruinme。However,Idon\'tthinkyou\'dlookabitbetterifyouhadit;and,certainly,Ishouldnotliketoscorchtheselocks,\'andputtinghishanduponhershoulders,heplayedwithherhair。
\'Patiencehasapony-phaeton,andI\'dhaveoneifIwererich;andI\'dhaveallmybooksboundasshedoes;and,perhaps,I\'dgivefiftyguineasforadressing-case。\'
\'Fiftyguineas!\'
\'Patiencedidnottellme;butsoBeatricesays。Patienceshowedittomeonce,anditisadarling。IthinkI\'dhavethedressing-casebeforethebonnet。But,uncle——\'
\'Well?\'
\'Youdon\'tsupposeIwantsuchthings?\'
\'Notimproperly。Iamsureyoudonot。\'
\'Notproperly,orimproperly;notmuch,orlittle。Icovetmanythings;butnothingofthatsort。Youknow,orshouldknow,thatIdonot。WhydoyoutalkofbuyingaFrenchbonnetforme?\'
DrThornedidnotanswerthisquestion,butwentonnursinghisleg。
\'Afterall,\'saidhe,\'moneyisafinething。\'
\'Veryfine,whenitiswellcomeby,\'sheanswered;\'thatis,withoutdetrimenttotheheartandsoul。\'
\'IshouldbeahappiermanifyouwereprovidedforasMissOriel。
Suppose,now,Icouldgiveyouuptoarichmanwhowouldbeabletoinsureyouagainstallwants?\'
\'Insuremeagainstallwants!Oh,thatwouldbeaman。Thatwouldbesellingme,wouldn\'tit,uncle?Yes,sellingme;andthepriceyouwouldreceivewouldbefreedomfromfutureapprehensionsasregardsme。Itwouldbeacowardlysaleforyoutomake;andthen,astome——methevictim。No,uncle;youmustbearthemiseryofhavingtoprovideforme——bonnetsandall。Weareinthesameboat,andyoushan\'tturnmeoverboard。\'
\'ButifIweretodie,whatwouldyoudothen?\'
\'AndifIweretodie,whatwouldyoudo?Peoplemustbeboundtogether。Theymustdependoneachother。Ofcourse,misfortunesmaycome;butitiscowardlytobeafraidofthembeforehand。YouandI
areboundtogether,uncle;andthoughyousaythesethingstoteaseme,Iknowyoudonotwishtogetridofme。\'
\'Well,well;weshallwinthrough,doubtless;ifnotinoneway,theninanother。\'
\'Winthrough!Ofcourseweshall;whodoubtsourwinning?but,uncle——\'
\'But,Mary。\'
\'Well?\'
\'Youhaven\'tgotanothercupoftea,haveyou?\'
\'Oh,uncle!youhavehadfive。\'
\'No,mydear!notfive;onlyfour——onlyfour。Iassureyou;Ihavebeenveryparticulartocount。IhadonewhileIwas——\'
\'Fiveuncle;indeedandindeed。\'
\'Well,then,asIhatetheprejudicewhichattacheslucktoanoddnumber,I\'llhavethesixthtoshowthatIamnotsuperstitious。\'
WhileMarywaspreparingthesixthjorum,therecameaknockatthedoor。ThoselatesummonseswerehatefultoMary\'sear,fortheywereusuallyforerunnersofamidnightridethroughthedarklanestosomefarmer\'shouse。Thedoctorhadbeeninthesaddleallday,and,asJanetbroughtthenoteintotheroom,Marystoodupasthoughtodefendherunclefromanyfurtherinvasiononhisrest。
\'Anotefromthehouse,miss,\'saidJanet:now\'thehouse\',inGreshamsburyparlance,alwaysmeantthesquire\'smansion。
\'Nooneillatthehouse,Ihope,\'saidthedoctor,takingthenotefromMary\'shand。\'Oh——ah——yes;it\'sfromthesquire——there\'snobodyill:waitaminute,Janet,andI\'llwritealine。Mary,lendmeyourdesk。\'
Thesquire,anxiousasusualformoney,hadwrittentoaskwhatsuccessthedoctorhadhadinnegotiatingthenewloanwithSirRoger。Thatfact,however,was,thatinhisvisittoBoxallHill,thedoctorhadbeenaltogetherunabletobringonthecarpetthematterofthisloan。
Subjectshadcrowdedthemselvesintooquicklyduringthatinterview——thosetwointerviewsatSirRoger\'sbedside;andhehadbeenobligedtoleavewithoutevenalludingtothequestion。
\'Imustatanyrategobacknow,\'hesaidtohimself。Sohewrotetothesquire,sayingthathewastobeatBoxallHillagainonthefollowingday,andthathewouldcallatthehouseonhisreturn。
\'That\'sallsettled,atanyrate,\'saidhe。
\'What\'ssettled?\'saidMary。
\'Why,ImustgotoBoxallHillagainto-morrow。Imustgoearly,too,sowe\'dbetterbothbeofftobed。TellJanetImustbreakfastathalf-pastseven。\'
\'Youcouldn\'ttakeme,couldyou?IshouldsoliketoseethatSirRoger。\'
\'ToseeSirRoger!Why,he\'sillinbed。\'
\'That\'sanobjection,certainly;butsomeday,whenhe\'swell,couldyounottakemeover?Ihavethegreatestdesiretoseeamanlikethat;amanwhobeganwithnothingandnowhasmorethanenoughtobuythewholeparishofGreshamsbury。\'
\'Idon\'tthinkyou\'dlikehimatall。\'
\'Whynot?IamsureIshould;IamsureIshouldlikehim,andLadyScatcherdtoo。I\'veheardyousaythatsheisanexcellentwoman。\'
\'Yes,inherway;andhe,too,isgoodinhisway;buttheyareneitheroftheminyourway:theyareextremelyvulgar——\'
\'Oh!Idon\'tmindthat;thatwouldmakethemmoreamusing;onedoesn\'tgotothosesortofpeopleforpolishedmanners。\'
\'Idon\'tthinkyou\'dfindtheScatcherdspleasantacquaintancesatall,\'saidthedoctor,takinghisbed-candle,andkissinghisniece\'sforeheadashelefttheroom。
CHAPTERXII
WHENGREEKMEETSGREEK,THENCOMESTHETUGOFWAR
Thedoctor,thatisourdoctor,hadthoughtnothingmoreofthemessagewhichhadbeensenttothatotherdoctor,DrFillgrave;norintruthdidthebaronet。LadyScatcherdhadthoughtofit,butherhusbandduringtherestofthedaywasnotinahumourwhichallowedhertoremindhimthathewouldsoonhaveanewphysicianonhishands;sosheleftthedifficultytoarrangeitself,waitinginsomelittletrepidationtillDrFillgraveshouldshowhimself。
ItwaswellthatSirRogerwasnotdyingforwantofhisassistance,forwhenthemessagereachedBarchester,DrFillgravewassomefiveorsixmilesoutoftown,atPlumstead;andashedidnotgetbacktilllateintheevening,hefelthimselfnecessitatedtoputoffhisvisittoBoxallHilltillnextmorning。Hadhechancedtohavebeenmadeacquaintedwiththatlittleconversationaboutthepump,hewouldprobablyhavepostponeditevenyetawhilelonger。
Hewas,however,bynomeanssorrytobesummonedtothebedsideofSirRogerScatcherd。ItwaswellknownatBarchester,andverywellknowntoDrFillgrave,thatSirRogerandDrThornewereoldfriends。Itwasverywellknowntohimalso,thatSirRoger,inallhisbodilyailments,hadhithertobeencontentedtoentrusthissafetytotheskillofhisoldfriend。SirRogerwasinhiswayagreatman,andmuchtalkedofinBarchester,andrumourhadalreadyreachedtheearsoftheBarchesterGalen,thatthegreatrailwaycontractorwasill。
When,therefore,hereceivedaperemptorysummonstogoovertoBoxallHill,hecouldnotbutthinkthatsomepurelighthadbrokeninuponSirRoger\'sdarkness,andtaughthimatlastwheretolookfortruemedicalaccomplishment。
Andthen,also,SirRogerwastherichestmaninthecounty,andtocountypractitionersanewpatientwithlargemeansisagodsend;howmuchgreateragodsendwhennotonlyacquired,buttakenalsofromsomerivalpractitioner,needhardlybeexplained。
DrFillgrave,therefore,wassomewhatelatedwhen,afteranearlybreakfast,hesteppedintothepost-chaisewhichwastocarryhimtoBoxallHill。DrFillgrave\'sprofessionaladvancementhadbeensufficienttojustifytheestablishmentofabrougham,inwhichhepaidhisordinaryvisitsroundBarchester;butthiswasaspecialoccasion,requiringspecialspeed,andabouttoproducenodoubtaspecialguerdon,andthereforeapairofpost-horseswereputintorequest。
Itwashardlyyetninewhenthepost-boysomewhatloudlyrangthebellatSirRoger\'sdoor;andthenDrFillgrave,forthefirsttime,foundhimselfinthenewgrandhallofBoxallHillhouse。
\'I\'lltellmylady,\'saidtheservant,showinghimintothegranddining-room;andthereforsomefifteenminutesortwentyminutesDrFillgravewalkedupanddownthelengthoftheTurkeycarpetallalone。
DrFillgravewasnotatallman,andwasperhapsrathermoreinclinedtocorpulencethanbecamehisheight。Inhisstocking-feet,accordingtotheusuallyreceivedstyleofmeasurement,hewasfivefeetfive;
andhehadalittleroundabdominalprotuberance,whichaninchandahalfaddedtotheheelsofhisbootshardlyenabledhimtocarryoffaswellashehimselfwouldhavewished。Ofthishewasapparentlyconscious,anditgavetohimanairofnotbeingentirelyathisease。Therewas,however,apersonaldignityinhisdemeanour,aproprietyinhisgait,andanairofauthorityinhisgestureswhichshouldprohibitonefromstigmatizingthoseeffortsataltitudeasafailure。Nodoubthedidachievemuch;but,nevertheless,theeffortwouldoccasionallybetrayitself,andthestoryofthefrogandtheoxwouldirresistiblyforceitselfintoone\'smindatthosemomentswhenitmostbehovedDrFillgravetobemagnificent。
Butifthebulgyroundnessofhispersonandtheshortnessofhislegsinanywaydetractedfromhispersonalimportance,thesetriflingdefectswere,hewaswellaware,morethanatonedforbythepeculiardignityofhiscountenance。Ifhislegswereshort,hisfacewasnot;
iftherewasanyunduepreponderancebelowthewaistcoat,allwasinduesymmetryabovethenecktie。Hishairwasgrey,notgrizzled,norwhite,butproperlygrey;andstoodupstraightfromhistemplesoneachside,withanunbendingdeterminationofpurpose。Hiswhiskers,whichwereofanadmirableshape,comingdownandturninggracefullyattheangleofhisjaw,weregreyalso,butsomewhatdarkerthanhishair。HisenemiesinBarchesterdeclaredthattheirperfectshadewasproducedbyaleadencomb。Hiseyeswerenotbrilliant,butwereveryeffective,andwellundercommand。Hewasrathershort-sighted,andapairofeye-glasseswasalwaysonhisnose,orinhishand。Hisnosewaslong,andwellpronounced,andhischin,also,wassufficientlyprominent;butthegreatfeatureofhisfacewashismouth。Theamountofsecretmedicalknowledgeofwhichhecouldgiveassurancebythepressureofthoselipswastrulywonderful。Byhislips,also,hecouldbemostexquisitelycourteous,ormoststernlyforbidding。Andnotonlycouldhebeeithertheoneortheother;buthecouldathiswillassumeanyshadeofdifferencebetweenthetwo,andproduceanymixtureofsentiment。
WhenDrFillgravewasfirstshownintoSirRoger\'sdining-room,hewalkedupanddowntheroomforawhilewitheasy,jauntystep,withhishandsjoinedtogetherbehindhisback,calculatingthepriceofthefurniture,andcountingtheheadswhichmightbeadequatelyentertainedinaroomofsuchnobleproportions;butinsevenoreightminutesanairofimpatiencemighthavebeenseentosuffusehisface。Whycouldhenotbeshownintothesickman\'sroom?Whatnecessitycouldtherebeforkeepinghimthere,asthoughheweresomeapothecarywithaboxofleechesinhispocket?Hethenrangthebell,perhapsalittleviolently。\'DoesSirRogerknowthatIamhere?\'hesaidtotheservant。\'I\'lltellmylady,\'saidtheman,againvanishing。
Forfiveminutesmorehewalkedupanddown,calculatingnolongerthevalueofthefurniture,butratherthatofhisownimportance。Hewasnotwonttobekeptwaitinginthisway;andthoughSirRogerScatcherdwasatpresentagreatandrichman,DrFillgravehadrememberedhimaverysmallandaverypoorman。HenowbegantothinkofSirRogerasthestone-mason,andtochafesomewhatmoreviolentlyatbeingsokeptbysuchaman。
Whenoneisimpatient,fiveminutesisasthedurationofalltime,andaquarterofanhouriseternity。AttheendoftwentyminutesthestepofDrFillgraveupanddowntheroomhadbecomeveryquick,andhehadjustmadeuphismindthathewouldnotstaytherealldaytotheseriousdetriment,perhapsfatalinjury,ofhisotherexpectantpatients。Hishandwasagainonthebell,andwasabouttobeusedwithvigour,whenthedooropenedandLadyScatcherdentered。
\'Oh,laws!\'Suchhadbeenherfirstexclamationonhearingthatthedoctorwasinthedining-room。Shewasstandingatthetimewithherhousekeeperinasmallroominwhichshekeptherlinenandjam,andinwhich,incompanywiththesamehousekeeper,shespentthehappiestmomentsofherlife。
\'Ohlaws!now,Hannah,whatshallwedo?\'
\'Send\'unupatoncetomaster,mylady!letJohntake\'unup。\'
\'There\'llbesucharowinthehouse,Hannah;Iknowtherewill。\'
\'Butsurelydidn\'thesendfor\'un?Letthemasterhavetherowhimself,then;that\'swhatI\'ddo,mylady,\'addedHannah,seeingthatherladyshipstillstoodtremblingindoubt,bitingherthumb-nail。
\'Youcouldn\'tgouptothemasteryourself,couldnow,Hannah?\'saidLadyScatcherdinhermostpersuasivetone。
\'Whyno,\'saidHannah,afteralittledeliberation;\'no,I\'mafeardI
couldn\'t。\'
\'ThenImustjustfaceitmyself。\'Andupwentthewifetotellherlordthatthephysicianforwhomhehadsenthadcometoattendhisbidding。
Intheinterviewwhichthentookplacethebaronethadnotindeedbeenviolent,buthehadbeenverydetermined。Nothingonearth,hesaid,shouldinducehimtoseeDrFillgraveandoffendhisdearoldfriendDrThorne。
\'ButRoger,\'saidherladyship,halfcrying,orratherpretendingtocryinvexation,\'whatshallIdowiththeman?HowshallIgethimoutofthehouse?\'
\'Puthimunderthepump,\'saidthebaronet;andhelaughedhispeculiarlowgutturallaugh,whichtoldsoplainlyofthehavocwhichbrandyhadmadeinhisthroat。
\'That\'snonsense,Roger;youknowIcan\'tputhimunderthepump。Nowyouareill,andyou\'dbetterseehimjustforfiveminutes。I\'llmakeitrightwithDrThorne。\'
\'I\'llbed——ifIdo,mylady。\'AllthepeopleaboutBoxallHillcalledpoorLadyScatcherd\'mylady\'asiftherewassomeexcellentjokeinit;and,so,indeed,therewas。
\'Youknowyouneedn\'tmindnothinghesays,noryettakenothinghesends:andI\'lltellhimnottocomenomore。Nowdo\'eeseehim,Roger。\'
ButtherewasnotcoaxingRogerovernow,indeedever:hewasawilful,headstrong,masterfulman;atyrantalwaysthoughneveracruelone;
andaccustomedtorulehiswifeandhouseholdasdespoticallyashedidhisgangsofworkmen。Suchmenitisnoteasytocoaxover。
\'YougodownandtellhimIdon\'twanthim,andwon\'tseehim,andthat\'sanendofit。Ifhechosetoearnhismoney,whydidn\'thecomeyesterdaywhenhewassentfor?I\'mwellnow,anddon\'twanthim;andwhat\'smore,Iwon\'thavehim。Winterbones,lockthedoor。\'
SoWinterbones,whoduringthisinterviewhadbeenatworkathislittletable,gotuptolockthedoor,andLadyScatcherdhadnoalternativebuttopassthroughitbeforethelastedictwasobeyed。
LadyScatcherd,withslowstep,wentdownstairsandagainsoughtcounselwithHannah,andthetwo,puttingtheirheadstogether,agreedthattheonlycureforthepresentevilwastofoundinagoodfee。SoLadyScatcherd,withafive-poundnoteinherhand,andtremblingineverylimb,wentforthtoencountertheaugustpresenceofDrFillgrave。
Asthedooropened,DrFillgravedroppedthebell-ropewhichwasinhishand,andbowedlowtothelady。Thosewhoknewthedoctorwell,wouldhaveknownfromhisbowthathewasnotwellpleased;itwasasmuchasthoughhesaid,\'LadyScatcherd,Iamyourmostobedientservant;atanyrateitappearsthatitisyourpleasuretotreatmeassuch。\'
LadyScatcherddidnotunderstandallthis;butsheperceivedatoncethathewasangry。
\'IhopeSirRogerdoesnotfindhimselfworse,\'saidthedoctor。\'Themorningisgettingon;shallIstepupandseehim?\'
\'Hem!ha!oh!Why,yousee,DrFillgrave,SirRogerfindshisselfvastlybetterthismorning,vastlyso。\'
\'I\'mverygladtohearit;butasthemorningisgettingon,shallI
stepuptoseeSirRoger?\'
\'Why,DrFillgrave,sir,yousee,hefindshisselfsomuchhisselfthismorning,thathea\'mostthinksitwouldbeashametotroubleyou。\'
\'Ashametotroubleme!\'ThiswasthesortofshamewhichDrFillgravedidnotatallcomprehend。\'Ashametotroubleme!WhyLadyScatcherd——\'
LadyScatcherdsawthatshehadnothingforitbuttomakethewholematterintelligible。Moreover,seeingthatsheappreciatedmorethoroughlythesmallnessofDrFillgrave\'spersonmorethoroughlythanshedidthepeculiargreatnessofhisdemeanour,shebegantobeashadelessafraidofhimthanshehadthoughtsheshouldhavebeen。
\'Yes,DrFillgrave;yousee,whenamanlikehegetswell,hecan\'tabidetheideaofdoctors:now,yesterday,hewasallforsendingforyou;butto-dayhecomestohisself,anddon\'tseemtowantnodoctoratall。\'
ThendidDrFillgraveseemtogrowoutofhisboots,sosuddenlydidhetakeuponhimselfsundrymodesofexpansiveattitude;——togrowoutofhisbootsandtoswellupwards,tillhisangryeyesalmostlookeddownonLadyScatcherd,andeacherecthairbristleduptowardstheheavens。
\'Thisisverysingular,verysingular,LadyScatcherd;verysingularindeed;verysingular;quiteunusual。IhavecomeherefromBarchester,atsomeconsiderableinconvenience,atsomeveryconsiderableinconvenience,Imaysay,tomyregularpatients;and——and——and——Idon\'tknowthatanythingsoverysingulareveroccurredtomebefore。\'AndthenDrFillgrave,withacompressionofhislipswhichalmostmadethepoorwomansinkintotheground,movedtowardsthedoor。
ThenLadyScatcherdbethoughtofhergreatpanacea。\'Itisn\'taboutthemoney,youknow,doctor,\'saidshe;\'ofcourseSirRogerdon\'texpectyoutocomeherewithpost-horsesfornothing。\'Inthis,bytheby,LadyScatcherddidnotstickquiteclosetoveracity,forSirRoger,hadheknownit,wouldbynomeanshaveassentedtoanypayment;
andthenotewhichherladyshipheldinherhandwastakenfromherownprivatepurse。\'Itain\'taboutthemoney,doctor;\'andthenshetenderedthebank-note,whichshethoughtwouldimmediatelymakeallthingssmooth。
NowDrFillgravedearlylovedafive-poundfee。Whatphysicianissounnaturalasnottoloveit?Hedearlylovedafive-poundfee;buthelovedhisdignitybetter。Hewasangryalso;andlikeallangrymen,helovedhisgrievance。Hefeltthathehadbeenbadlytreated;butifhetookthemoneyhewouldthrowawayhisrighttoindulgeinanysuchfeeling。Atthatmomenthisoutrageddignityandcherishedangerwereworthmorethanafive-poundnote。Helookedatitwithwishfulbutstillavertedeyes,andthensternlyrefusedthetender。
\'No,madam,\'saidhe;\'no,no;\'andwithhisrighthandraisedwithhiseye-glassesinit,hemotionedawaythetemptingpaper。\'No;IshouldhavebeenhappytohavegivenSirRogerthebenefitofanymedicalskillImayhave,seeingthatIwasspeciallycalledin——\'
\'But,doctor;iftheman\'swell,youknow——\'
\'Oh,ofcourse;ifhe\'swell,anddoesnotchoosetoseeme,there\'sanendofit。Shouldhehaveanyrelapse,asmytimeisvaluable,hewillperhapsobligemebysendingelsewhere。Madam,goodmorning。Iwill,ifyouwillallowme,ringformycarriage——thatis,post-chaise。\'
\'But,doctor,you\'lltakethemoney;youmusttakethemoney;indeedyou\'lltakethemoney,\'saidLadyScatcherd,whohadnowbecomereallyunhappyattheideaofherhusband\'sunpardonablewhimhadbroughtthismanwithpost-horsesallthewayfromBarchester,andthathewastobepaidnothingforhistimeorcosts。
\'No,madam,no。Icouldnotthinkofit。SirRoger,Ihavenodoubt,willknowbetteranothertime。Itisnotaquestionofmoney;notatall。\'
\'Butitisaquestionofmoney,doctor;andyoureallyshall,youmust。\'AndpoorLadyScatcherd,inheranxietytoacquitherselfatanyrateofanypecuniarydebttothedoctor,cametopersonalclosequarterswithhim,withaviewofforcingthenoteintohishands。
\'Quiteimpossible,quiteimpossible,\'saidthedoctor,stillcherishinghisgrievance,andvaliantlyrejectingtherootofallevil。\'Ishallnotdoanythingofthekind,LadyScatcherd。\'
\'Nowdoctor,do\'ee;toobligeme。\'
\'Quiteoutofthequestion。\'Andso,withhishandsandhatbehindhisback,intokenofhisutterrefusaltoacceptanypecuniaryaccommodationofhisinjury,hemadehiswaybackwardstothedoor,herladyshipperseveringlypressinghiminfront。Soeagerhadbeentheattackonhim,thathehadnotwaitedtogivehisorderaboutthepost-chaise,butmadehiswayatoncetowardsthehall。
\'Now,do\'eetakeit,do\'ee,\'pressedLadyScatcherd。
\'Utterlyoutofthequestion,\'saidDrFillgrave,withgreatdeliberation,ashebackedhiswayintothehall。Ashedidso,ofcourseheturnedround,——andhefoundhimselfalmostinthearmsofDrThorne。
AsBurleymighthaveglaredatBothwellwhentheyrushedtogetherinthedreadencounteronthemountainside;asAchillesmayhaveglaredatHectorwhenatlasttheymet,eachresolvedtotestinfatalconflicttheprowessoftheother,sodidDrFillgraveglareathisfoefromGreshamsbury,when,onturningroundonhisexaltedheel,hefoundhisnoseonalevelwiththetopbuttonofDrThorne\'swaistcoat。
Andhere,ifitbenottootedious,letuspauseawhiletorecapitulateandadduptheundoubtedgrievancesoftheBarchesterpractitioner。Hehadmadenoefforttoingratiatehimselfintothesheepfoldofthatothershepherd-dog;itwasnotbyhisseekingthathewasnotatBoxallHill;muchashehatedDrThorne,fullsureashefeltofthatman\'sutterignorance,ofhisincapacitytoadministerproperlyevenablackdose,ofhismurderingpropensitiesandhislow,mean,unprofessionalstyleofpractice;nevertheless,hehaddonenothingtounderminehimwiththeseScatcherds。DrThornemighthavesenteverymother\'ssonatBoxallHilltohislongaccount,andDrFillgravewouldnothaveinterfered;——wouldnothaveinterferedunlessspeciallyanddulycalledupontodoso。
Buthehadbeenanddulycalledon。BeforesuchastepwastakensomewordsmustundoubtedlyhavepassedonthesubjectbetweenThorneandScatcherds。Thornemusthaveknownwhatwastobedone。Havingbeensocalled,DrFillgravehadcome——hadcomeallthewayinapost-chaise——hadbeenrefusedadmittancetothesickman\'sroom,onthepleathatthesickmanwasnolongersick;andjustashewasabouttoretirefee-less——forthewantofthefeewasnotthelessagrievancefromthefactofitshavingbeentenderedandrefused——feeless,dishonoured,andindudgeon,heencounteredthisotherdoctor——thisveryrivalwhomhehadbeesenttosupplant;heencounteredhimintheveryactofgoingtothesickman\'sroom。
WhatmadfanaticBurley,whatgod-succouredinsolentAchilles,everhadsuchcausetoswellwithwrathasatthatmomenthadDrFillgrave?HadIthepenofMoliere,Icouldfitlytellofsuchmedicalanger,butwithnootherpencanitbefitlytold。Hedidswell,andwhenthehugebulkofhiswrathwasaddedtohisnaturalproportions,heloomedgiganticbeforetheeyesofthesurroundingfollowersofSirRoger。
DrThornesteppedbackthreestepsandtookhishatfromhishead,having,inthepassagefromthehall-doortothedining-room,hithertoomittedtodoso。ItmustbeborneinmindthathehadtoconceptionwhateverthatSirRogerhaddeclinedtoseethephysicianforwhomhehadsent;nonewhateverthatthephysicianwasnotabouttoreturn,feeless,toBarchester。
DrThorneandDrFillgraveweredoubtlesswell-knownenemies。AlltheworldofBarchester,andallthatportionoftheworldofLondonwhichisconcernedwiththelancetandthescalping-knife,werewellawareofthis:theywerecontinuallywritingagainsteachother;continuallyspeakingagainsteachother;butyettheyhadneverhithertocometothatpositivepersonalcollisionwhichisheldtojustifyacutdirect。Theyveryrarelysaweachother;andwhentheydidmeet,itwasinsomecasualwayinthestreetsofBarchesterorelsewhere,andonsuchoccasionstheirhabithadbeentobowwithverycoldpropriety。
Onthepresentoccasion,DrThorneofcoursefeltthatDrFillgravehadthewhip-handofhim;and,withasortofmanlyfeelingonsuchapoint,heconceivedittobemostcompatiblewithhisowndignitytoshow,undersuchcircumstances,morethanhisusualcourtesy——something,perhaps,amountingalmosttocordiality。Hehadbeensupplanted,quoaddoctor,inthehouseofthisrich,eccentric,railwaybaronet,andhewouldshowthatheborenomaliceonthataccount。
Sohesmiledblandlyashetookoffhishat,andinacivilspeechheexpressedahopethatDrFillgravehadnotfoundhispatienttobeinanyveryunfavourablestate。
Herewasanaggravationtothealreadylaceratedfeelingsoftheinjuredman。Hehadbeenbroughtthithertobescoffedatandscornedat,thathemightbealaughing-stocktohisenemies,andfoodformirthtothevile-minded。Heswelledwithnobleangertillhewouldhaveburst,haditnotbeenfortheopportunepaddingofhisfrock-coat。
\'Sir,\'saidhe;\'sir:\'andhecouldhardlygethislipsopentogiveventtothetumultofhisheart。Perhapshewasnotwrong;foritmaybethathislipsweremoreeloquentthanwouldhavebeenhiswords。
\'What\'sthematter?\'saidDrThorne,openinghiseyeswide,andaddressingLadyScatcherdoverhisheadandacrossthehairsoftheirritatedmanbelowhim。\'Whatonearthisthematter?IsanythingwrongwithSirRoger?\'
\'Oh,laws,doctor!\'saidherladyship。\'Oh,laws;I\'msureitain\'tmyfault。Here\'sDrFillgrave,inataking,andI\'mquitereadytopayhim——quite。Ifamangetspaid,whatmorecanhewant?\'Andsheagainheldoutthefive-poundnoteoverDrFillgrave\'shead。
Whatmore,indeed,LadyScatcherd,cananyofuswant,ifonlywecouldkeepourtempersandfeelingsalittleinabeyance?DrFillgrave,however,couldnotsokeephis;and,therefore,hedidwantsomethingmore,thoughatthepresentmomenthecouldhardlyhavesaidwhat。
LadyScatcherd\'scouragewassomewhatresuscitatedbythepresenceofherancienttrustyally;and,moreover,shebegantoconceivethatthelittlemanbeforeherwasunreasonablebeyondallconsciencewithhisanger,seeingthatthatforwhichhewasreadytoworkhadbeenofferedhimwithoutanyworkatall。
\'Madam,\'saidhe,againturningroundatLadyScatcherd,\'IwasneverbeforetreatedinsuchawayinanyhouseinBarchester——never——never。\'
\'Goodheavens,DrFillgrave!\'saidheofGreshamsbury,\'whatisthematter?\'
\'I\'llletyouknowwhatisthematter,sir,\'saidhe,turningroundagainasquicklyasbefore。\'I\'llletyouknowwhatisthematter。
I\'llpublishthis,sir,tothemedicalworld;\'andasheshriekedoutthewordsofthethreat,hestoodontiptoesandbrandishedhiseye-glassesupalmostintohisenemy\'sface。
\'Don\'tbeangrywithDrThorne,\'saidLadyScatcherd。\'Anyways,youneedn\'tbeangrywithhim。Ifyoumustbeangrywithanybody——\'
\'Ishallbeangrywithhim,madam,\'ejaculatedDrFillgrave,makinganothersuddendemi-pirouette。\'Iamangrywithhim——or,rather,I
despisehim;\'andcompletingthecircle,DrFillgraveagainbroughthimselfroundinfullfrontofhisfoe。
DrThorneraisedhiseyebrowsandlookedinquiringlyatLadyScatcherd;
buttherewasaquietsarcasticmotionroundhismouthwhichbynomeanshadtheeffectofthrowingoilonthetroubledwaters。
\'I\'llpublishthewholeofthistransactiontothemedicalworld,DrThorne——thewholeofit;andifthathasnottheeffectofrescuingthepeopleofGreshamsburyoutofyourhands,then——then——then,Idon\'tknowwhatwill。Ismycarriage——thatis,thepost-chaisethere?\'andDrFillgrave,speakingveryloudly,turnedmajesticallytooneoftheservants。
\'WhathaveIdonetoyou,DrFillgrave,\'saidDrThorne,nowabsolutelylaughing,\'thatyoushoulddeterminedtotakethebreadoutofmymouth?Iamnotinterferingwithyourpatient。IhavecomeheresimplywithreferencetomoneymattersappertainingtoSirRoger。\'
\'Moneymatters!Verywell——verywell;moneymatters。Thatisyourideaofmedicalpractice。Verywell——verywell。Ismypost-chaiseatthedoor?I\'llpublishitalltothemedicalworld——everyword——everywordofit,everywordofit。\'
\'Publishwhat,youunreasonableman?\'
\'Man!sir;whomdoyoucallaman?I\'llletyouknowwhetherI\'maman——post-chaisethere!\'
\'Don\'t\'eecallhimnamesnow,doctor;don\'t\'eepraydon\'t\'ee,\'saidLadyScatcherd。
Bythistimetheyhadallgotsomewherenearerthehall-door;buttheScatcherdretainersweretoofondoftherowtoabsentthemselveswillinglyatDrFillgrave\'sbidding,anditdidnotappearthatanyonewentinsearchofthepost-chaise。
\'Man!sir;I\'llletyouknowwhatitistospeaktomeinthatstyle。I
think,sir,youhardlyknowwhoIam。\'
\'AllthatIknowofyouatpresentis,thatyouaremyfriendSirRoger\'sphysician,andIcannotconceivewhathasoccurredtomakeyousoangry。\'Andashespoke,DrThornelookedcarefullyathimtoseewhetherthatpump-disciplinehadintruthbeenapplied。TherewerenosignswhateverthatcoldwaterhadbeenthrownuponDrFillgrave。
\'Mypost-chaise——ismaypost-chaisethere?Themedicalworldshallknowall;youmaybesure,sir,themedicalworldshallknowitall;\'andthus,orderinghispost-chaiseandthreateningDrThornewiththemedicalworld,DrFillgravemadehiswaytothedoor。
Butthemomentheputonhishathereturned。\'No,madam,\'saidhe。
\'No;quiteoutofthequestion:suchanaffairisnottobearrangedbysuchmeans。I\'llpublishitalltothemedicalworld——post-chaisethere!\'andthen,usingallhisforce,heflungasfarashecouldintothehallalightbitofpaper。ItfellatDrThorne\'sfeet,who,raisingit,foundthatitwasafive-poundnote。
\'Iputitintohishatjustwhilehewasinhistantrum,\'saidLadyScatcherd。\'AndIthoughtthatperhapshewouldnotfindittillhegottoBarchester。WellIwishhe\'dbeenpaid,certainly,althoughSirRogerwouldn\'tseehim;\'andinthismannerDrThornegotsomeglimpseofunderstandingintothecauseofthegreatoffence。
\'IwonderwhetherSirRogerwillseeme,\'saidhe,laughing。