hard cash-第17章

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Julia　coloured　at　this　broad　hint；　drew　herself　up；　and　lighted　a　bedcandle。　She　went　to　Mrs。　Dodd；　kissed　her；　and　whispered　in　her　ear；　〃I　hate　him！〃　and；　as　she　retired；　her　whole　elegant　person　launched　ladylike　defiance；　under　which　brave　exterior　no　little　uneasiness　was　hidden。　〃Oh；　what　will　become　of　me！〃　thought　she；　〃if　_he_　has　gone　and　told　him　about　Henley？〃


〃Let's　see　the　prescriptions；　ma'am；〃　said　Dr。　Sampson。

Delighted　at　this　concession；　Mrs。　Dodd　took　them　out　of　her　desk　and　spread　them　earnestly。　He　ran　his　eye　over　them；　and　pointed　out　that　the　mucous…membrane　man　and　the　nerve　man　had　prescribed　the　same　medicine；　on　irreconcilable　grounds；　and　a　medicine；　moreover；　whose　effect　on　the　nerves　was　_nil；_　and　on　the　mucous　membrane　was　not　to　soothe　it；　but　plough　it　and　harrow　it；　〃and　did　not　that　open　her　eyes？〃　He　then　reminded　her　that　all　these　doctors　in　consultation　would　have　contrived　to　agree。　〃But　you；〃　said　he；　〃have　baffled　the　collusive　hoax　by　which　Dox　arrived　at　a　sham　uniformityhonest　uniformity　can　never　exist　till　scientific　principles　obtain。　Listme！　To　begin；　is　the　pashint　in　love？〃

The　doctor　put　this　query　in　just　the　same　tone　in　which　they　inquire　〃Any　expectoration？〃　But　Mrs。　Dodd；　in　reply；　was　less　dry　and　business…like。　She　started　and　looked　aghast。　This　possibility　had　once；　for　a　moment；　occurred　to　her；　but　only　to　be　rejected；　the　evidence　being　all　against　it。

〃In　love？〃　said　she。　〃That　child；　and　I　not　know　it！〃

He　said　he　had　never　supposed　that。　〃But　I　thought　I'd　just　ask　ye；　for　she　has　no　bodily　ailment；　and　the　passions　are　all　counterfeit　diseases；　they　are　connected；　like　all　diseases；　with　cerebral　instability；　have　their　hearts　and　chills　like　all　diseases；　and　their　paroxysms　and　remissions　like　all　diseases。　Nlistme！　You　have　detected　the　signs　of　a　slight　cerebral　instability；　I　have　ascertained　th'　absence　of　all　physical　cause：　then　why　make　this　healthy　pashint's　buddy　a　test…tube　for　poisons？　Sovereign　drugs　（I　deal　with　no　other；　I　leave　the　nullities　to　the　noodles）　are　either　counterpoisons　or　poisons；　and　here　there　is　nothing　to　counterpoison　at　prisent。　So　I'm　for　caushin；　and　working　on　the　safe　side　th'　hidge；　till　we　are　less　in　the　dark。　Mind　ye；　young　women　at　her　age　are　kittle　cattle；　they　have　gusts　o'　this；　and　gusts　o'　that；　th'　unreasonable　imps。　D'ye　see　these　two　pieces　pasteboard？　They　are　tickets　for　a　ball；

　　　　　In　Barkton　town…hall。〃

〃Yes；　of　course　I　see　them；〃　said　Mrs。　Dodd　dolefully。

〃Well；　I　prescribe　'em。　And　when　they　have　been　taken；

　　　　　And　the　pashint　well　shaken；

perhaps　we　shall　see　whether　we　are　on　the　right　system：　and　if　so；　we'll　dose　her　with　youthful　society　in　a　more　irrashinal　form；　conversaziones；　cookeyshines；　et　citera。　And　if　we　find　ourselves　on　the　wrong　_tack_　why　then　we'll　hark　_back。_

　　　　　Stick　blindly　to　'a　course；'　the　Dockers　cry。　　　　　　But　it　does　me　harm：　_Then_　'twill　do　good　_by…and…bye。_　　　　　　Where　lairned　ye　that；　Echoes　of　Echoes；　say！　　　　　　The　killer　ploughs　'a　course；'　the　healer　_'feels　his　way。'_〃

So　mysterious　are　the　operations　of　the　human　mind；　that；　when　we　have　exploded　in　verse　tuneful　as　the　above；　we　lapse　into　triumph　instead　of　penitence。　Not　that　doggrel　meets　with　reverence　here　belowthe　statues　to　it　are　few；　and　not　in　marble；　but　in　the　material　itselfBut　then　an　Impromptu！　A　moment　ago　our　Posy　was　not：　and　now　is；　with　the　speed；　if　not　the　brilliancy；　of　lightning；　we　have　added　a　handful　to　the　intellectual　dust…heap　of　an　oppressed　nation。　From　this　bad　eminence　Sampson　then　looked　down　complacently；　and　saw　Mrs。　Dodd's　face　as　long　as　his　arm。　She　was　one　that　held　current　opinions；　and　the　world　does　not　believe　Poetry　can　sing　the　Practical。　Verse　and　useful　knowledge　pass　for　incompatibles；　and；　though　Doggrel　is　not　Poetry；　yet　it　has　a　lumbering　proclivity　that　way；　and　so　forfeits　the　confidence　of　grave　sensible　people。　This　versification；　and　this　impalpable　and　unprecedented　prescription　she　had　waited　for　so　long；　seemed　all　of　a　piece　to　poor　mamma：　wild；　unpractical；　and〃oh；　horror！　horror！〃eccentric。

Sampson　read　her　sorrowful　face　after　his　fashion。　〃Oh；　I　see；　ma'am；〃　cried　he。　〃Cure　is　not　welcome　unless　it　comes　in　the　form　consecrated　by　cinturies　of　slaughter。　Well；　then；　give　me　a　sheet。〃　He　took　the　paper　and　rent　it　asunder；　and　wrote　this　on　the　larger　fragment：

　　　　　Rx　Die　Mercur。　circa　x。　hor：　vespert：　　　　　　eat　in　musca　ad　Aulam　oppid：　　　　　　Saltet　cum　xiii　canicul：　　　　　　praesertim　meo。　Dom：　reddita；　　　　　　6　hora　matutin：　dormiat　at　prand：　　　　　　Repetat　stultit：　pro　re　nata。

He　handed　this　with　a　sort　of　spiteful　twinkle　to　Mrs。　Dodd；　and　her　countenance　lightened　again。　Her　sex　will　generally　compound　with　whoever　can　give　as　well　as　take。　Now　she　had　extracted　a　real；　grave　prescription；　she　acquiesced　in　the　ball；　though　not　a　county　one；　〃to　satisfy　your　whim；　my　good；　kind　friend；　to　whom　I　owe　so　much。〃


Sampson　called　on　his　way　back　to　town；　and；　in　course　of　conversation；　praised　nature　for　her　beautiful　instincts；　one　of　which；　he　said；　had　inspired　Miss　Julee；　at　a　credulous　age；　not　to　swallow　〃the　didly　drastics　of　the　tinkering　dox。〃

Mrs。　Dodd　smiled；　and　requested　permission　to　contradict　him；　her　daughter　had　taken　the　several　prescriptions。

Sampson　inquired　brusquely　if　she　took　him　for　a　fool。

She　replied　calmly：　〃No；　for　a　very　clever；　but　_rather_　opinionated　personage。

〃Opinionated？　So　is　ivery　man　who　has　grounnds　for　his　opinin。　D'ye　think；　because　Dockers　Short；　an'　Bist；　an'　Kinyon；　an'　Cuckoo；　an'　Jackdaw；　an'　Starling；　an'　Co。；　don't　know　the　dire　effecks　of　calomel　an'　drastics　on　the　buddy；　I　don't　know't？　Her　eye；　her　tongue；　her　skin；　her　voice；　her　elastic　walk；　all　tell　_me_　she　has　not　been　robbed　of　her　vital　resources。　'Why；　if　she　had　taken　that　genteel　old　thief　Short's　rimidies　alone；　the　girl's　gums　would　be　sore；

　　　　　And　herself　at　Dith's　door。〃

Mrs。　Dodd　was　amused。　〃Julia；　this　is　so　like　the　gentlemen；　they　are　in　love　with　argumeunt。They　go　on　till　they　reason　themselves　out　of　their　reason。　Why　beat　about　the　bush；　when　there　she　sits？〃

〃What；　go　t'　a　wumman　for　the　truth；　when　I　can　go　t'　infallible　Inference？〃

〃You　may　always　go　to　my　David's　daughter　for　the　truth；〃　said　Mrs。　Dodd；　with　dignity。　She　then　looked　the　inquiry；　and　Julia　replied　to　her　look　as　follows：　first；　she　coloured　very　high；　then；　she　hid　her　face　in　both　her　hands；　then　rose；　and　turning　her　neck　swiftly；　darted　a　glance　of　fiery　indignation　and　bitter　reproach　on　Dr。　Meddlesome；　and　left　the　apartment　mighty　stag…like。

〃Maircy　on　us！〃　cried　Sampson。　〃Did　ye　see　that；　ma'am？　Yon's　just　a　bonny　basilisk。　Another　such　thunderbolt　as　she　dispinsed；　and　ye'll　be　ringing　for　your　maid　to　sweep　up　the　good　physician's　ashes。〃

Julia　did　not　return　till　the　good　physician　was　gone　back　to　London。　Then　she　came　in　with　a　rush；　and；　demonstrative　toad；　embraced　Mrs。　Dodd's　knees；　and　owned　she　had　cultivated　her　geraniums　with　all　those　medicines；　liquid　and　solid；　and　only　one　geranium　had　died。


There　is　a　fascinating　age；　when　an　intelligent　girl　is　said　to　fluctuate　between　childhood　and　womanhood。　Let　me　add　that　these　seeming　fluctuations　depend　much　on　the　company　she　is　in：　the　budding　virgin　is　princess　of　chameleons；　and；　to　confine　ourselves　to　her　two　most　piquant　contrasts；　by　her　mother's　side　she　is　always　more　or　less　childlike；　but；　let　a　nice　young　fellow　engage　her　apart；　and；　hey　presto！　she　shall　be　every　inch　a　woman：　perhaps　at　no　period　of　her　life　are　the　purely　mental　characteristics　of　her　sex　so　supreme　in　her；　thus　her　type；　the　rosebud；　excels　in　essence　of　rosehood　the　rose　itself。

My　reader　has　seen　Julia　Dodd　play　both　parts；　but　it　is　her　child's　face　she　has　now　been　turning　for　several　pages；　so　it　may　be　prudent　to　remind　him　she　has　shone　on　Alfred　Hardie　in　but　one　light；　a　young　but　Juno…like　woman。　Had　she　shown　〃my　puppy〃　her　childish　qualities；　he　would　have　despised　herhe　had　left　that　department　himself　so　recently。　But　Nature　guarded　the　budding　fair　from　such　a　disaster。

We　left　Alfred　Hardie　standin