登陆注册
4907500000055

第55章

For five minutes more he walked up and down, calculating no longer the value of the furniture, but rather that of his own importance. He was not wont to be kept waiting in this way; and though Sir Roger Scatcherd was at present a great and rich man, Dr Fillgrave had remembered him a very small and a very poor man. He now began to think of Sir Roger as the stone-mason, and to chafe somewhat more violently at being so kept by such a man.

When one is impatient, five minutes is as the duration of all time, and a quarter of an hour is eternity. At the end of twenty minutes the step of Dr Fillgrave up and down the room had become very quick, and he had just made up his mind that he would not stay there all day to the serious detriment, perhaps fatal injury, of his other expectant patients. His hand was again on the bell, and was about to be used with vigour, when the door opened and Lady Scatcherd entered.

'Oh, laws!' Such had been her first exclamation on hearing that the doctor was in the dining-room. She was standing at the time with her housekeeper in a small room in which she kept her linen and jam, and in which, in company with the same housekeeper, she spent the happiest moments of her life.

'Oh laws! now, Hannah, what shall we do?'

'Send 'un up at once to master, my lady! let John take 'un up.'

'There'll be such a row in the house, Hannah; I know there will.'

'But surely didn't he send for 'un? Let the master have the row himself, then; that's what I'd do, my lady,' added Hannah, seeing that her ladyship still stood trembling in doubt, biting her thumb-nail.

'You couldn't go up to the master yourself, could now, Hannah?' said Lady Scatcherd in her most persuasive tone.

'Why no,' said Hannah, after a little deliberation; 'no, I'm afeard I couldn't.'

'Then I must just face it myself.' And up went the wife to tell her lord that the physician for whom he had sent had come to attend his bidding.

In the interview which then took place the baronet had not indeed been violent, but he had been very determined. Nothing on earth, he said, should induce him to see Dr Fillgrave and offend his dear old friend Dr Thorne.

'But Roger,' said her ladyship, half crying, or rather pretending to cry in vexation, 'what shall I do with the man? How shall I get him out of the house?'

'Put him under the pump,' said the baronet; and he laughed his peculiar low guttural laugh, which told so plainly of the havoc which brandy had made in his throat.

'That's nonsense, Roger; you know I can't put him under the pump. Now you are ill, and you'd better see him just for five minutes. I'll make it right with Dr Thorne.'

'I'll be d--- if I do, my lady.' All the people about Boxall Hill called poor Lady Scatcherd 'my lady' as if there was some excellent joke in it; and, so, indeed, there was.

'You know you needn't mind nothing he says, nor yet take nothing he sends: and I'll tell him not to come no more. Now do 'ee see him, Roger.'

But there was not coaxing Roger over now, indeed ever: he was a wilful, headstrong, masterful man; a tyrant always though never a cruel one; and accustomed to rule his wife and household as despotically as he did his gangs of workmen. Such men it is not easy to coax over.

'You go down and tell him I don't want him, and won't see him, and that's an end of it. If he chose to earn his money, why didn't he come yesterday when he was sent for? I'm well now, and don't want him; and what's more, I won't have him. Winterbones, lock the door.'

So Winterbones, who during this interview had been at work at his little table, got up to lock the door, and Lady Scatcherd had no alternative but to pass through it before the last edict was obeyed.

Lady Scatcherd, with slow step, went downstairs and again sought counsel with Hannah, and the two, putting their heads together, agreed that the only cure for the present evil was to found in a good fee. So Lady Scatcherd, with a five-pound note in her hand, and trembling in every limb, went forth to encounter the august presence of Dr Fillgrave.

As the door opened, Dr Fillgrave dropped the bell-rope which was in his hand, and bowed low to the lady. Those who knew the doctor well, would have known from his bow that he was not well pleased; it was as much as though he said, 'Lady Scatcherd, I am your most obedient servant; at any rate it appears that it is your pleasure to treat me as such.'

Lady Scatcherd did not understand all this; but she perceived at once that he was angry.

'I hope Sir Roger does not find himself worse,' said the doctor. 'The morning is getting on; shall I step up and see him?'

'Hem! ha! oh! Why, you see, Dr Fillgrave, Sir Roger finds hisself vastly better this morning, vastly so.'

'I'm very glad to hear it; but as the morning is getting on, shall I step up to see Sir Roger?'

'Why, Dr Fillgrave, sir, you see, he finds hisself so much hisself this morning, that he a'most thinks it would be a shame to trouble you.'

'A shame to trouble me!' This was the sort of shame which Dr Fillgrave did not at all comprehend. 'A shame to trouble me! Why Lady Scatcherd--'

Lady Scatcherd saw that she had nothing for it but to make the whole matter intelligible. Moreover, seeing that she appreciated more thoroughly the smallness of Dr Fillgrave's person more thoroughly than she did the peculiar greatness of his demeanour, she began to be a shade less afraid of him than she had thought she should have been.

'Yes, Dr Fillgrave; you see, when a man like he gets well, he can't abide the idea of doctors: now, yesterday, he was all for sending for you; but to-day he comes to hisself, and don't seem to want no doctor at all.'

Then did Dr Fillgrave seem to grow out of his boots, so suddenly did he take upon himself sundry modes of expansive attitude;--to grow out of his boots and to swell upwards, till his angry eyes almost looked down on Lady Scatcherd, and each erect hair bristled up towards the heavens.

同类推荐
  • 眼科奇书

    眼科奇书

    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。
  • 明伦汇编人事典目部

    明伦汇编人事典目部

    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。
  • 女科精要

    女科精要

    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。
  • 上清金匮玉镜修真指玄妙经

    上清金匮玉镜修真指玄妙经

    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。
  • 新世说

    新世说

    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
  • 穿越从这开始

    穿越从这开始

    当穿越降临到韩云头上时,改变这一切的主角,改变世界的主角,意外获得了系统,到各个位面改变世界
  • 烽火燃尽

    烽火燃尽

    她是组织安插在他身边十年之余的卧底,从并肩作战的生死之交到事事分明的上下级,从当时的深陷营围,到而今的骑虎难下,她一步步攻城掠地,俘获他的信任,成为他身边唯一的红人。然而,背道而驰的信仰,战火纷飞的乱世,她从未想过对他动真情。当昔日赴德留学时的旧爱带着神秘身份和重重疑点惊鸿照影般归来之时,她竟开始左右为难。
  • 绝世狂妃狠嚣张

    绝世狂妃狠嚣张

    穿越异世,还成为一国公主,她只想混吃。不料有人把她惦记上了,她只好奋起。谁知一不小心,她就名垂青史了!
  • 虎门销烟

    虎门销烟

    李玉敏编著的《虎门销烟》为丛书之一,介绍了虎门销烟的有关内容。 《虎门销烟》中优美生动的文字、简明通俗的语言、图文并茂的形式,把中国文化中的物态文化、制度文化、行为文化、精神文化等知识要点全面展示给读者。点点滴滴的文化知识仿佛颗颗繁星,组成了灿烂辉煌的中国文化的天穹。能为弘扬中华五千年优秀传统文化、增强各民族团结、构建社会主义和谐社会尽一份绵薄之力。
  • 穿越五十年代之养殖大户

    穿越五十年代之养殖大户

    高科技位面的某饲养员一不小心穿越到了一本年代文小说中。到了后发现,这里缺吃少穿的,条件非常艰苦。不过,不怕不怕,咱能力强着呢,本事大着呢,性格乐观着呢。啥?太穷?不是事,咱有手有脚的,多赚点就是了呗。啥?吃不饱?那更是扯淡,赚来的钱是干啥用的,不买粮把自己喂饱饱的还留着下崽儿啊!老公公:“老大媳妇,你娘病了,住院钱你们拿了呗!”老婆婆:“老大媳妇,娘心口疼,你给我买点好东西补补身子呗!”二叔子:“大嫂,你侄子娶媳妇差点彩礼,你给掏点呗!”小叔子:“大嫂,我买房子差点钱,你给凑凑呗!”小姑子:“大嫂,我出嫁还没嫁妆呢,你给出点呗!”……某大嫂瞪大眼睛看着伸到自己眼前的几只爪子,抄起她的杀猪刀,狂吼一声:“都给我滚,哪凉快哪待着去,再敢到我面前伸手,把爪子都给你们剁了。”本文架空!本文慢热!本文男主中间才会出现!
  • 癌症楼(诺贝尔文学奖经典)

    癌症楼(诺贝尔文学奖经典)

    科斯托格洛托夫经过二十几年的军队、劳改营、流放地的生活后,得了癌症,直至奄奄一息才好不容易住进了癌症楼。接受放射治疗后,他的病情渐渐好转。但是下一个疗程的“激素疗法”将使他失去性能力。在多年沉冤蒙难的日子中他已淡忘了女人,但他来到癌症楼治疗的时候,性意识在他身上猛然苏醒,强烈的情欲,本能的欲望,成为生命力的一种标志。在展示他追求精神自由的同时,作者还描写了科斯托格洛托夫及其同室病友的不同命运和经历,他们的性格形成和人格扭曲,如向上爬的官僚鲁萨诺夫、青年地质学家瓦吉姆、女医生薇拉等等。《癌症楼》是一部呼唤人性的人道主义作品,同时又是剖析社会“毒瘤”,思考社会悲剧之根源,反思时代和历史的作品。
  • 青青子衿悠悠我玺

    青青子衿悠悠我玺

    慕子衿从五岁就被寄养在易家,不过他老是处处和她作对是怎么回事?没关系,她忍;整天没事就损她是怎么回事?慕子衿实在是忍不了了,找到某人兴师问罪,某人笑的一脸无辜......新人新书,不喜勿喷(切勿上升真人)
  • 虚拟融合

    虚拟融合

    虚拟和现实融合,各种各样的幻想生物都出现在了现实世界中,只要杀死这些生物,就能开启虚拟面板,在游戏一样的世界中活下来。
  • 洪荒记事

    洪荒记事

    许沟穿越回到了洪荒,发现了一个和仙侠小说不太一样的洪荒,三足金乌是由野鸡变成的。且看他如何在高手如云的洪荒中一步步的成长……
  • 追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    青涩蜕变,如今她是能独当一面的女boss,爱了冷泽聿七年,也同样花了七年时间去忘记他。以为是陌路,他突然向他表白,扬言要娶她,她只当他是脑子抽风,他的殷勤她也全都无视。他帮她查她父母的死因,赶走身边情敌,解释当初拒绝她的告别,和故意对她冷漠都是无奈之举。突然爆出她父母的死居然和冷家有丝毫联系,还莫名跳出个公爵未婚夫,扬言要与她履行婚约。峰回路转,破镜还能重圆吗? PS:我又开新文了,每逢假期必书荒,新文《有你的世界遇到爱》,喜欢我的文的朋友可以来看看,这是重生类现言,对这个题材感兴趣的一定要收藏起来。