登陆注册
4709100000182

第182章

"Come, come! none of that damned rubbish! My life is of no end of value to me! Besides, it's too late. If I were young now, with a constitution like yours, and the world before me, there might be some good in a paring or two of self-denial; but you wouldn't stab your murderer for fear of the clasp knife closing on your hand! you would not fire your pistol at him for fear of its bursting and blowing your brains out!"

"I have no desire to keep you alive, my lord; but I would give my life to let you get some of the good of this world before you pass to the next. To lengthen your life infinitely, I would not give you a single drop of any one of those cursed drugs!"

He rang the bell again.

"You're a friendly fellow!" grunted his lordship, and went back to his bed to ponder how to gain the solace of his passion.

Mrs. Brookes came.

"Will you please send to Mr. Avory, the new surgeon," said Donal, "and ask him, in my name, to come to the castle."

The earl was so ill, however, as to be doubtful, much as he desired them, whether, while rendering him for the moment less sensible to them, any of his drugs would do no other than increase his sufferings. He lay with closed eyes, a strange expression of pain mingled with something like fear every now and then passing over his face. I doubt if his conscience troubled him. It is in general those, I think, who through comparatively small sins have come to see the true nature of them, whose consciences trouble them greatly.

Those who have gone from bad to worse through many years of moral decay, are seldom troubled as other men, or have any bands in their death. His lordship, it is true, suffered terribly at times because of the things he had done; but it was through the medium of a roused imagination rather than a roused conscience: the former deals with consequences; the latter with the deeds themselves.

He declared he would see no doctor but his old attendant Dowster, yet all the time was longing for the young man to appear: he might--who could tell?--save him from the dreaded jaws of death!

He came. Donal went to him. He had summoned him, he said, without his lordship's consent, but believed he would see him; the earl had been long in the habit of using narcotics and stimulants, though not alcohol, he thought; he trusted Mr. Avory would give his sanction to the entire disuse of them, for they were killing him, body and soul.

"To give them up at once and entirely would cost him considerable suffering," said the doctor.

"He knows that, and does not in the least desire to give them up. It is absolutely necessary he should be delivered from the passion."

"If I am to undertake the case, it must be after my own judgment," said the doctor.

"You must undertake two things, or give up the case," persisted Donal.

"I may as well hear what they are."

"One is, that you make his final deliverance from the habit your object; the other, that you will give no medicine into his own hands."

"I agree to both; but all will depend on his nurse."

"I will be his nurse."

The doctor went to see his patient. The earl gave one glance at him, recognized firmness, and said not a word. But when he would have applied to his wrist an instrument recording in curves the motions of the pulse, he would not consent. He would have no liberties taken with him, he said.

"My lord, it is but to inquire into the action of your heart," said Mr. Avory.

"I'll have no spying into my heart! It acts just like other people's!"

The doctor put his instrument aside, and laid his finger on the pulse instead: his business was to help, not to conquer, he said to himself: if he might not do what he would, he would do what he could.

While he was with the earl, Donal found lady Arctura, and told her all he had done. She thanked him for understanding her.

同类推荐
  • 上清天关三图经

    上清天关三图经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 家政须知

    家政须知

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 上清回神飞霄登空招五星上法经

    上清回神飞霄登空招五星上法经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 易冒

    易冒

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 孝经

    孝经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 莲华面经

    莲华面经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 教你学跳水

    教你学跳水

    水上运动是集竞争性、观赏性和刺激性于一体的、富有现代文明特征的竞技体育项目。它是为了区别于陆上和空中体育项目,全部过程或主要过程都在水下、水面或水上进行的体育项目。
  • 绯闻影后:帝少的贴身私宠

    绯闻影后:帝少的贴身私宠

    五年前,他因为一段大尺度的视频,欲杀死她和她肚子里的孩子。五年后,她化身国际影星“东方女神”,带着帅气儿子和绯闻男友成功归来。情场路上,看两人如何厮杀;商场路上,看两人谁赚谁赔……
  • 花开花落两不弃

    花开花落两不弃

    (完结文!)“当年,我也是个痴情的种子,结果下了场雨……淹死了。唉!”她摇头叹息,无耻中!终于惹某爷发飙了,邪佞警告:“女人,敢再和别的男人说话试试看?”她讪然一笑,回道:“爷,我不敢了。”
  • 救命的松果

    救命的松果

    这是一个阳光明媚的深秋,一群小松鼠坐在树枝上,每人捧着一个松果吃得正香。“啪”,松鼠爷爷的松果掉在了地上,那松果“咕噜噜”地滚到了很远的地方。小松鼠罗罗看到了,飞快地跳下树向松果跑去,他要帮爷爷把松果捡上来。谁知他刚跳到松果旁边,就看到一片枯叶下面钻出一个毛茸茸的小脑袋。
  • 无人生还

    无人生还

    十个相互陌生、身份各异的人受邀前往德文郡海岸边一座孤岛上的豪宅。客人到齐后,主人却没有出现。当晚,一个神秘的声音发出指控,分别说出每个人心中罪恶的秘密。接着,一位客人离奇死亡。暴风雨让小岛与世隔绝,《十个小士兵》——这首古老的童谣成了死亡咒语。如同歌谣中所预言的,客人一个接一个死去……杀人游戏结束后,竟无一人生还!
  • 太上老君说五斗金章受生经

    太上老君说五斗金章受生经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 绝色王爷刁蛮妃

    绝色王爷刁蛮妃

    穿越到异世的她只想找到回家的路,可没想到才7岁便被人强行定婚,娶她的人的据说是当朝皇帝和太子最疼爱的六皇子。这怎么行?她才不要嫁给一个古人呢,而且还是这么一个美得天怒人怨的极品王爷。三十六计,走为上计。为了自由,她走上了逃婚之路。可没想到,无论她逃到哪里,他总能找到她。“你是不是狐狸转世的?”她气怒交加,“太狡猾太奸诈了!”“我亲爱的王妃,”他笑得果然如一只狐狸,“现在跑跑我当你在运动。但是怀了咱们的孩子后,你就不能带球跑了,否则我定不饶你!”“鬼才怀你的孩子,你去死吧!”她彻底被激怒了,向他大吼。
  • The Kissing Game
  • 相忘江湖

    相忘江湖

    本书是一部长篇小说,全书以川藏公路为背景,以保护历史文物玉石榴为主线,记述了主人公谯生和好友阿辉、大鼓书艺人老阚等人西行川藏公路发生的一段惊心动魄的故事。作品通过一段旅程串起了阿辉、老阚、殷牍、恰果、刘恒、扎地、石头儿等一系列典型人物形象,从故事的演绎中,可以看到奇异的风景、奇幻的传说和传奇的经历,传递出重情重义、知恩图报、大道无形的传统美德,同时启发人们敬畏自然、保护文化、守望真情的思考。