hard cash-第60章

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　the　gate　of　Albion　Villa。　Alfred's　curiosity　was　excited；　and　he　ventured　to　put　his　head　over　the　gate。　But　Mrs。　Maxley　had　disappeared。

Alfred　had　half　a　mind　to　go　in　and　inquire　if　anything　was　the　matter：　it　would　be　a　good　excuse。

While　he　hesitated；　the　dining…room　window　was　thrown　violently　up；　and　Sampson　looked　out。　〃Hy！　Hardie！　my　good　fellow！　for　Heaven's　sake　a　fly；　and　a　fast　one！〃

It　was　plain　something　very　serious　had　occurred：　so　Alfred　flew　towards　the　nearest　fly…stand。　On　the　way；　he　fell　in　with　a　chance　fly　drawn　up　at　a　public…house；　he　jumped　on　the　box　and　drove　rapidly　towards　Albion　Villa。　Sampson　was　hobbling　to　meet　himhe　had　sprained　his　ankle　or　would　not　have　asked　for　a　conveyanceto　save　time　he　got　up　beside　Alfred；　and　told　him　to　drive　hard　to　Little　Friar　Street。　On　the　way　he　explained　hurriedly：　Mrs。　Maxley　had　burst　in　on　him　at　Albion　Villa　to　say　her　husband　was　dying　in　torment：　and　indeed　the　symptoms　she　gave　were　alarming；　and；　if　correct；　looked　very　like　lockjaw。　But　her　description　had　been　cut　short　by　a　severe　attack；　which　choked　her　and　turned　her　speechless　and　motionless；　and　white　to　the　very　lips。

〃'Oho；'　sis　I；　'brist…pang！'　And　at　such　a　time；　ye　know。　But　these　women　are　as　unseasonable　as　they　are　unreasonable。　Now；　angina　pictoris　or　brist…pang　is　not　curable　through　the　lungs；　nor　the　stomick；　nor　the　liver；　nor　the　stays；　nor　the　saucepan；　as　the　bunglintinkerindox　of　the　schools　pretind；　but　only　through　that　mighty　mainspring　the　Brain；　and　instid　of　going　meandering　to　the　Brain　round　by　the　stomick；　and　so　giving　the　wumman　lots　o'　time　to　die　first；　which　is　the　scholastic　practice；　I　wint　at　the　Brain　direct；　took　a　puff　o'　chlorofm　put　m'　arm　round　her　neck；　laid　her　back　in　a　chairshe　didn't　struggle；　for；　when　this　disorrder　grips　ye；　ye　cant　move　hand　nor　footand　had　my　lady　into　the　land　of　Nod　in　half　a　minute；　thin　off　t'　her　husband；　so　here's　th'　Healer　between　two　stoolsspare　the　whipcord；　spoil　the　knacker！it　would　be　a　good　joke　if　I　was　to　lose　both　pashints　for　want　of　a　little　unbeequity；　wouldn't　itLash　the　lazy　vagabin！Not　that　I　care：　what　interest　have　I　in　their　lives？　they　never　pay：　but　ye　see　custom's　second　nature；　an　d'Ive　formed　a　vile　habit；　I've　got　to　be　a　Healer　among　the　killers：　an　d'a　Triton　amongthe　millers。　Here　we　are　at　last；　Hiven　be　praised。〃　And　he　hopped　into　the　house　faster　than　most　people　can　run　on　a　good　errand。　Alfred　flung　the　reins　to　a　cad　and　followed　him。

The　room　was　nearly　full　of　terrified　neighbours：　Sampson　shouldered　them　all　roughly　out　of　his　way；　and　there；　on　a　bed；　lay　Maxley's　gaunt　figure　in　agony。

His　body　was　drawn　up　by　the　middle　into　an　arch；　and　nothing　touched　the　bed　but　the　head　and　the　heels；　the　toes　were　turned　back　in　the　most　extraordinary　contortion；　and　the　teeth　set　by　the　rigour　of　the　convulsion；　and　in　the　man's　white　face　and　fixed　eyes　were　the　horror　and　anxiety；　that　so　often　show　themselves　when　the　body　feels　itself　in　the　grip　of　Death。

Mr。　Osmond　the　surgeon　was　there；　he　had　applied　a　succession　of　hot　cloths　to　the　pit　of　the　stomach；　and　was　trying。　to　get　laudanum　down　the　throat；　but　the　clenched　teeth　were　impassable。

He　now　looked　up　and　said　politely；　〃Ah！　Dr。　Sampson；　I　am　glad　to　see　you　here。　The　seizure　is　of　a　cataleptic　nature；　I　apprehend。　The　treatment　hitherto　has　been　hot　epithems　to　the　abdomen；　and〃

Here　Sampson；　who　had　examined　the　patient　keenly；　and　paid　no　more　attention　to　Osmond　than　to　a　fly　buzzing；　interrupted　him　as　unceremoniously

〃Poisoned；〃　said　he　philosophically。

〃Poisoned！！〃　screamed　the　people。

〃Poisoned！〃　cried　Mr。　Osmond；　in　whose　little　list　of　stereotyped　maladies　poisoned　had　no　place。　〃Is　there　any　one　you　have　reason　to　suspect？〃

〃I　don't　suspect；　nor　conject；　sir：　I　know。　The　man　is　poisoned；　the　substance　strychnine。　Now　stand　out　of　the　way　you　gaping　gabies；　and　let　me　work。　Hy；　young　Oxford！　you　are　a　man：　get　behind　and　hold　both　his　arms　for　your　life！　That's　you！〃

He　whipped　off　his　coat　laid　hold　of　Osmond's　epithems；　chucked　them　across　the　room；　saying；　〃You　may　just　as　well　squirt　rose…water　at　a　house　on　fire；〃　drenched　his　handkerchief　with　chloroform；　sprang　upon　the　patient　like　a　mountain　cat　and　chloroformed　him　with　all　his　might。

Attacked　so　skilfully　and　resolutely；　Maxley　resisted　little　for　so　strong　a　man；　but　the　potent　poison　within　fought　virulently：　as　a　proof；　the　chloroform　had　to　be　renewed　three　times　before　it　could　produce　any　effect。　At　last　the　patient　yielded　to　the　fumes　and　became　insensible。

Then　the　arched　body　subsided　and　the　rigid　muscles　relaxed　and　turned　supple。　Sampson　kneaded　the　man　like　dough　by　way　of　comment。

〃It　is　really　very　extraordinary；〃　said　Osmond。

〃Maidearrsirr；　nothing's　extraornary　t'　a　man　that　knows　the　reason　of　iverything。〃

He　then　inquired　if　any　one　in　the　room　had　noticed　at　what　intervals　of　time　the　pains　came　on。

〃I　am　sorry　to　say　it　is　continuous；〃　said　Osmond。

〃Maidearrsirr；　nothing　on　airth　is　continuous：　iverything　has　paroxysms　and　remissionsfrom　a　toothache　t'　a　cancer。〃

He　repeated　his　query　in　various　forms；　till　at　last　a　little　girl　squeaked　out；　〃If_you_…please；　sir；　the　throes　do　come　about　every　ten　minutes；　for　I　was　a　looking　at　the　clock；　I　carries　father　his　dinner　at　twelve。〃

〃If　you　please；　ma'am；　there's　half　a　guinea　for　you　for　not　being　such　an'　ijjit　as　the　rest　of　the　world；　especially　the　Dockers。〃　And　he　jerked　her　half　a　sovereign。

A　stupor　fell　on　the　assembly。　They　awoke　from　it　to　examine　the　coin；　and　see　if　it　was　real；　or　only　yellow　air。

Maxley　came　to　and　gave　a　sigh　of　relief。　When　he　had　been　insensible；　yet　out　of　pain；　nearly　eight　minutes　by　the　clock；　Sampson　chloroformed　him　again。　〃I'll　puzzle　ye；　my　friend　strych；〃　said　he。　〃How　will　ye　get　your　perriodical　paroxysms　when　the　man　is　insensible？　The　Dox　say　y'　act　direct　on　the　spinal　marrow。　Well；　there's　the　spinal　marrow　where　you　found　it　just　now。　Act　on　it　again；　my　lad！　I　give　ye　leaveif　ye　can。　Ye　can't；　bekase　ye　must　pass　through　the　Brain　to　get　there：　and　I　occupy　the　Brain　with　a　swifter　ajint　than　y'　are；　and　mean　to　keep　y'　out　of　it　till　your　power　to　kill　evaporates；　being　a　vigitable。〃

With　this　his　spirits　mounted；　and　he　indulged　in　a　harmless　and　favourite　fiction：　he　feigned　the　company　were　all　males　and　medical　students；　Osmond　included；　and　he　the　lecturer。　〃Now；　jintlemen；〃　said　he；　〃obsairve　the　great　Therey　of　the　Perriodeecity　and　Remitteney　of　all　disease；　in　conjunckshin　with　its　practice。　All　diseases　have　paroxysms　and　remissions；　which　occur　at　intervals；　sometimes　it's　a　year；　sometimes　a　day；　an　hour；　ten　minutes；　but　whatever　th'　interval；　they　are　true　to　it：　they　keep　time。　Only　when　the　disease　is　retirin；　the　remissions　become　longer；　the　paroxysms　return　at　a　greater　interval；　and　just　the　revairse　when　the　pashint　is　to　die。　This；　jintlemen；　is　man's　life　from　the　womb　to　the　grave：　the　throes　that　precede　his　birth　are　remittent　like　ivery　thing　else；　but　come　at　diminished　intervals　when　he　has　really　made　up　his　mind　to　be　born　（his　first　mistake；　sirs；　but　not　his　last）；　and　the　paroxysms　of　his　mortal　disease　come　at　shorter　intervals　when　he　is　really　goon　off　the　hooks：　but　still　chronometrically；　just　as　watches　keep　time　whether　they　go　fast　or　slow。　Now；　jintlemen；　isn't　this　a　beautiful　Therey？〃

〃Oh；　mercy！　Oh；　good　people　help　me！　Oh；　Jesus　Christ　have　pity　on　me！〃　And　the　sufferer's　body　was　bent　like　a　bow；　and　his　eyes　filled　with　horror；　and　his　toes　pointed　at　his　chin。

The　Doctor　hurled　himself　on　the　foe。　〃Come；〃　said　he；　〃smell　to　this；　lad！　That's　right！　He　is　better　already；　jintlemen；　or　he　couldn't　howl；　ye　know。　Deevil　a　howl　in　um　before　I　gave　um　puff　chlorofm。　Ah！　would　ye？　would　ye？〃

〃Oh！　oh！　oh！　oh！　ugh！ah！〃

The　Doctor　got　off　the　insensible　body；　and　resumed　his　lecture　calmly；　like　one　who　has　disposed　of　some　childish　interruption。　〃And　now　to　th'　application　of　the　Therey：　If　the　poison　can　reduce　the　tin　minutes'　interval　to　five　minutes；　this　pashint　will　die；　and　if　I　can　get　the　tin　minutes　u