登陆注册
5386000000281

第281章

AT THE TERMINUS.

ON the night of the 2d of December, Mr. Bashwood took up his post of observation at the terminus of the South-eastern Railway for the first time. It was an earlier date, by six days, than the date which Allan had himself fixed for his return. But the doctor, taking counsel of his medical experience, had considered it just probable that "Mr. Armadale might be perverse enough, at his enviable age, to recover sooner than his medical advisers might have anticipated." For caution's sake, therefore, Mr.

Bashwood was instructed to begin watching the arrival of the tidal trains on the day after he had received his employer's letter.

From the 2d to the 7th of December, the steward waited punctually on the platform, saw the trains come in, and satisfied himself, evening after evening, that the travelers were all strangers to him. From the 2d to the 7th of December, Miss Gwilt (to return to the name under which she is best known in these pages) received his daily report, sometimes delivered personally, sometimes sent by letter. The doctor, to whom the reports were communicated, received them in his turn with unabated confidence in the precautions that had been adopted up to the morning of the 8th.

On that date the irritation of continued suspense had produced a change for the worse in Miss Gwilt's variable temper, which was perceptible to every one about her, and which, strangely enough, was reflected by an equally marked change in the doctor's manner when he came to pay his usual visit. By a coincidence so extraordinary that his enemies might have suspected it of not being a coincidence at all, the morning on which Miss Gwilt lost her patience proved to be also the morning on which the doctor lost his confidence for the first time.

"No news, of course," he said, sitting down with a heavy sigh.

"Well! well!"

Miss Gwilt looked up at him irritably from her work.

"You seem strangely depressed this morning," she said. "What are you afraid of now?""The imputation of being afraid, madam," answered the doctor, solemnly, "is not an imputation to cast rashly on any man--even when he belongs to such an essentially peaceful profession as mine. I am not afraid. I am (as you more correctly put it in the first instance) strangely depressed. My nature is, as you know, naturally sanguine, and I only see to-day what but for my habitual hopefulness I might have seen, and ought to have seen, a week since."Miss Gwilt impatiently threw down her work. "If words cost money," she said, "the luxury of talking would be rather an expensive luxury in your case!""Which I might have seen, and ought to have seen," reiterated the doctor, without taking the slightest notice of the interruption, "a week since. To put it plainly, I feel by no means so certain as I did that Mr. Armadale will consent, without a struggle, to the terms which it is my interest (and in a minor degree yours)to impose on him. Observe! I don't question our entrapping him successfully into the Sanitarium: I only doubt whether he will prove quite as manageable as I originally anticipated when we have got him there. Say," remarked the doctor, raising his eyes for the first time, and fixing them in steady inquiry on Miss Gwilt--"say that he is bold, obstinate, what you please; and that he holds out--holds out for weeks together, for months together, as men in similar situations to his have held out before him.

What follows? The risk of keeping him forcibly in concealment--of suppressing him, if I may so express myself--increases at compound interest, and becomes Enormous! My house is at this moment virtually ready for patients. Patients may present themselves in a week's time. Patients may communicate with Mr.

Armadale, or Mr. Armadale may communicate with patients. A note may be smuggled out of the house, and may reach the Commissioners in Lunacy. Even in the case of an unlicensed establishment like mine, those gentlemen--no! those chartered despots in a land of liberty--have only to apply to the Lord Chancellor for an order, and to enter (by heavens, to enter My Sanitarium!) and search the house from top to bottom at a moment's notice! I don't wish to despond; I don't wish to alarm you; I don't pretend to say that the means we are taking to secure your own safety are any other than the best means at our disposal. All I ask you to do is to imagine the Commissioners in the house--and then to conceive the consequences. The consequences!" repeated the doctor, getting sternly on his feet, and taking up his hat as if he meant to leave the room.

"Have you anything more to say?" asked Miss Gwilt.

"Have you any remarks," rejoined the doctor, "to offer on your side?"He stood, hat in hand, waiting. For a full minute the two looked at each other in silence.

Miss Gwilt spoke first.

"I think I understand you," she said, suddenly recovering her composure.

"I beg your pardon," returned the doctor, with his hand to his ear. "What did you say?""Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"If you happened to catch another fly this morning," said Miss Gwilt, with a bitterly sarcastic emphasis on the words, "I might be capable of shocking you by another 'little joke.' "The doctor held up both hands, in polite deprecation, and looked as if he was beginning to recover his good humor again.

"Hard," he murmured, gently, "not to have forgiven me that unlucky blunder of mine, even yet!""What else have you to say? I am waiting for you," said Miss Gwilt. She turned her chair to the window scornfully, and took up her work again, as she spoke.

The doctor came behind her, and put his hand on the back of her chair.

"I have a question to ask, in the first place," he said; "and a measure of necessary precaution to suggest, in the second. If you will honor me with your attention, I will put the question first.""I am listening."

同类推荐
  • 郴行录

    郴行录

    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。
  • 外科精义

    外科精义

    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。
  • 比丘避女恶名欲自杀经

    比丘避女恶名欲自杀经

    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。
  • 蒙求集注

    蒙求集注

    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。
  • 白喉条辨

    白喉条辨

    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
  • 故事会(2017年7月上)

    故事会(2017年7月上)

    《故事会》是中国最通俗的民间文学小本杂志,是中国的老牌刊物之一。先后获得两届中国期刊的最高奖——国家期刊奖。1998年,它在世界综合类期刊中发行量排名第5。从1984年开始,《故事会》由双月刊改为月刊,2003年11月份开始试行半月刊,2004年正式改为半月刊。现分为红、绿两版,其中红版为上半月刊,绿版为下半月刊。
  • 最后一个莫希干人

    最后一个莫希干人

    事发生在1755-1763年英法北美殖民战争期间。年轻的英国军官邓肯·海沃德少校陪同两位姑娘投奔她们的父亲,途中他们遇到外号叫“鹰眼”的猎手与他的两个莫希干族朋友。在鹰眼等人带领下,海沃德等终于抵达威廉·亨利堡垒……
  • 天工开物

    天工开物

    《天工开物》是我国明代大科学家宋应星(1587—1663年)的代表作,初版于崇祯十年(1637年),是作者任江西分宜教谕时(1634—1638年)撰写成的,是中国古代最重要的工农业生产技术百科全书。
  • 除灵天师

    除灵天师

    这是一本描写中国民间方术与龙虎天师道术的小说,书中主人公秦枫从小就是得到了从天师道还俗的爷爷的真传,并用这些一一解开了民间广受关注的神秘灵异事件,从风水凶煞、驱鬼镇邪、民间预测到寻找丢失的传世国宝,名声响彻欧美、南洋,由此解开了诸多尘世已久的离奇事件,弘扬了博大精深的中华传统文化。书中没有过多的华丽,但却是真实的灵异事件……
  • 多元宇宙惩罚者

    多元宇宙惩罚者

    这是一个新近流传惩罚者的故事在怜悯凋零,怨恨旺盛之地在同情绝迹,残暴横行之地不需要圣母给予仁慈不需要上苍赐予希望所有的犯下的罪只配被彻底惩罚
  • Treadmill
  • 名利场

    名利场

    主人公丽贝卡出身低微,在社会上饱受歧视,于是利用种种计谋甚至以色相引诱、巴结权贵豪门,不择手段往上爬。作品辛辣地讽刺了买卖良心和荣誉的“名利场”中的各种丑恶现象,而且善于运用深刻的心理描写和生动的细节勾勒来刻画人物,是一部现实主义的杰作。
  • 造梦师

    造梦师

    本书为心理探秘小说,根据真实催眠案例改写。讲述了主人公空空通过远程浅催眠,引导遇到心理困扰的来访者面对自己的潜意识,发现并克服心理障碍的故事。对黑夜的莫名惧怕,对社交的无能为力,对于自己疾病的无穷想象……都能在潜意识里找到根源。在别人的梦里,找到驯服心魔的绳索。
  • The Life of Sir John Oldcastle

    The Life of Sir John Oldcastle

    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。
  • 前妻:乖乖束手就擒

    前妻:乖乖束手就擒

    她,秋落霜,这一生只爱过一个男人,就是那个人如其名的冷酷总裁冷若冰。洞房花烛夜:“我们的婚姻只有利益。”“我当然知道,难道你以为我会和你冷若冰谈感情吗。”婚后第三天:“我们谈个条件吧。”“你没有资格。”婚后三个月:“冷若冰,我们离婚吧。”“可以,先把欠我的还我。”都说爱情是美好的,可是为什么自己就没有感觉到?冷漠的眼神中没有任何的情绪,可是心中却在滴血,凝视着那一纸离婚协议,淡定的签上自己的名字,从此,他们再也没有任何关系……这个世上,有一个人毫不留情的伤害过秋落霜,他就是冷若冰;这个世上,有一个人毫不保留的深爱过秋落霜,他亦是冷若冰……