CHAPTER XXI — A MODEL WIFE

 Colonel Preston, returning from a trip to Boston, in which, probably, he had been unconsciously exposed to the terrible disease referred to, was taken sick, and his wife, wholly unsuspicious of her husband's malady¹, sent for the doctor.

 

The latter examined his patient and, on leaving the sick-chamber², beckoned³ Mrs. Preston to follow him.

 

"What is the matter with him, doctor?" asked Mrs. Preston. The physician looked grave.

 

"I regret to say, Mrs. Preston, that he has the smallpox⁴."

 

"The smallpox!" almost shrieked⁵ Mrs. Preston. "Oh! what will become of me?"

 

Dr. Townley was rather disgusted to find her first thought was about herself, not about her stricken husband.

 

"It's catching⁶, isn't it, doctor?" she asked, in great agitation⁷.

 

"I am sorry to say that it is, madam."

 

"Do you think I will take it?"

 

"I cannot take it upon myself to say."

 

"And I was in the same room with him," wailed⁸ Mrs. Preston, "and never knew the awful danger! Oh, I wouldn't have the smallpox for this world! If I didn't die, I should be all marked up for life."

 

"You haven't much beauty to spoil," thought the doctor; but this thought he prudently⁹ kept to himself.

 

"I must leave the house at once. I will go to my brother's house till he has recovered," said Mrs. Preston, in agitation.

 

"What!" exclaimed the doctor, in surprise, "and leave your husband alone!"

 

"I can't take care of him—you must see that I can't," said Mrs. Preston, fretfully. "I can't expose my life without doing him any good."

 

"I expose myself every time I visit him," said the doctor. "I never had the smallpox. Have you been vaccinated¹⁰?"

 

"Yes, I believe so—I'm sure I don't know. But people sometimes take the smallpox even after they have been vaccinated. I should be so frightened that I could do no good."

 

"Then," said the doctor, gravely, "you have decided¹¹ to leave your husband?"

 

"Yes, doctor, I must. It is my duty—to my boy," answered Mrs. Preston, catching at this excuse with eagerness. "I must live for him, you know. Of course, if I could do any good, it would be different. But what would Godfrey do if both his father and mother should die?"

 

She looked up into his face, hoping that he would express approval of her intentions; but the doctor was too honest for this. In truth, he was disgusted with the woman's selfishness, and would like to have said so; but this politeness forbade. At any rate, he was not going to be trapped into any approval of her selfish and cowardly determination.

 

"What do you wish to be done, Mrs. Preston?" he asked. "Of course, your husband must be taken care of."

 

"Hire a nurse, doctor. A nurse will do much more good than I could. She will know just what to do. Most of them have had the smallpox. It is really much better for my husband that it should be so. Of course, you can pay high wages—anything she asks," added Mrs. Preston, whose great fear made her, for once in her life, liberal.

 

"I suppose that will be the best thing to do. You wish me, then, to engage a nurse?"

 

"Yes, doctor, if you will be so kind."

 

"When do you go away?"

 

"At once. I shall pack up my clothes immediately. On the whole, I think I will go to the town where Godfrey is at school, and board there for the present. I must see him, and prevent him from coming home."

 

"You will go into your husband's chamber and bid him good-by?"

 

"No; I cannot think of it. It would only be useless exposure."

 

"What will he think?"

 

"Explain it to him, doctor. Tell him that I hope he will get well very soon, and that I feel it my duty to go away now on Godfrey's account. I am sure he will see that it is my duty."

 

"I wonder what excuse she would have if she had no son for a pretext¹³?" thought the doctor.

 

"Well," he said, "I will do as you request."

 

"See that he has the best of care. Get him two nurses, if you think best. Don't spare expense."

 

"What extraordinary liberality in Mrs. Preston," thought the physician.

 

He went back into the chamber of his patient.

 

"Doctor," said Colonel Preston, "you didn't tell me what was the matter with me. Am I seriously sick?"

 

"I am sorry to say that you are."

 

"Dangerously?"

 

"Not necessarily. You have the smallpox."

 

"Have I?" said the patient, thoughtfully.

 

"It's an awkward thing to tell him that his wife is going to leave him," the doctor said to himself. "However, it must be done."

 

"Have you told my wife, doctor?"

 

"I just told her."

 

"What does she say?"

 

"She is very much startled, and (now for it), thinks, under the circumstances, she ought not to run the risk of taking care of you on account of Godfrey."

 

"Perhaps she is right," said Colonel Preston, slowly.

 

He was not surprised to hear it, but it gave him a pang¹⁴, nevertheless.

 

"She wants me to engage a nurse for you."

 

"Yes, that will be necessary."

 

There was a pause.

 

"When is she going?" he asked, a little later.

 

"As soon as possible. She is going to board near the school where Godfrey is placed."

 

"Shall I see her?"

 

"She thinks it best not to risk coming into the chamber, lest she should carry the infection to Godfrey."

 

"I suppose that is only prudent," returned the sick man, but in his heart he wished that his wife had shown less prudence¹⁵, and a little more feeling for him.

 

"Have you thought of any nurse?" he asked.

 

"I have thought of the widow Burke."

 

"She might not dare to come."

 

"She has had the disease. I know this from a few slight marks still left on her face. Of course, you would be willing to pay a liberal price?"

 

"Any price," said Colonel Preston, energetically. "It is a service which, I assure you, I shall not soon forget."

 

"I must see her at once, for your wife will leave directly."

 

"Pray, do so," said Colonel Preston. "Tell my wife," he said, after a pause, "that I hope soon to have recovered, so that it may be safe for her to come back."

 

There was a subdued¹⁶ bitterness in his voice, which the doctor detected, and did not wonder at. He gave the message, as requested.

 

"I am sure I hope so, Dr. Townley," said Mrs. Preston. "I shall be tortured with anxiety. I hope you will write me daily how my poor husband is getting along?"

 

"Perhaps the paper might carry the infection," said the doctor, testing the real extent of her solicitude¹⁷.

 

"I didn't think of that," answered Mrs. Preston, hastily. "On the whole, you needn't write, then. It might communicate the disease to Godfrey."

 

"She finds Godfrey very useful," the doctor thought.

 

"I will bear my anxiety as I can," she continued. "Have you thought of anyone for a nurse?"

 

"I have thought of Mrs. Burke."

 

"She is poor, and will come if you offer her a good price. Try to get her."

 

"I think she will come. I must go at once, for your husband needs immediate¹² attention."

 

"Get her to come at once, Dr. Townley! Oh, do! My husband may want something, and I can't go into the room. My duty to my dear, only son will not permit me. I hope Mr. Preston understands my motives¹⁸ in going away?"

 

"I presume he does," said the doctor, rather equivocally.

 

"Tell him how great a sacrifice it is for me to leave his bedside. It is a terrible trial for me, but my duty to my son makes it imperative¹⁹."

 

The doctor bowed.

 

He drove at once to the humble²⁰ dwelling²¹ of Mrs. Burke.

 

His errand was briefly²² explained.

 

"Can you come?" he asked. "I am authorized²³ to offer you ten dollars a week for the time you spend there."

 

"I would come in a minute, doctor, but what shall I do with Mary?"

 

"She shall stay at my house. I will gladly take charge of her."

 

"You are very kind, doctor. I wouldn't want to expose her, but I don't mind myself. I don't think I am in danger, for I've had the smallpoX — already."

 

"Can you be ready in five minutes? Tell Mary to pack up her things, and go to my house at once. We'll take good care of her."

 

In less than an hour Mrs. Burke was installed at the bedside of the sick man as his nurse. As she entered the house, Mrs. Preston left it, bound for the railway depot²⁴.

 

"I'm so glad you're here," she said, greeting the widow Burke with unwonted cordiality. "I am sure you will take the best care of my husband. I have told the doctor to pay you whatever you ask."

 

"I'll do my best, Mrs. Preston, but not for the money," answered Mrs. Burke. "Your husband shall get well, if good care can cure him."

 

"I've no doubt of it; but the carriage is here, and I must go. Tell my husband how sorry I am to leave him."

 

So Mrs. Preston went away, leaving a stranger to fulfill²⁵ her own duties at the bedside of her husband.

 

Thus it happened that, when Andy came home, he found his mother already gone, and his sister on the point of starting for the doctor's house. His idea had already been carried out.

1 malady   

n.病，疾病(通常做比喻)

参考例句：

• There is no specific remedy for the malady.没有医治这种病的特效药。
• They are managing to control the malady into a small range.他们设法将疾病控制在小范围之内。

2 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

3 beckoned   

v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He beckoned to the waiter to bring the bill. 他招手示意服务生把账单送过来。
• The seated figure in the corner beckoned me over. 那个坐在角落里的人向我招手让我过去。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 smallpox   

n.天花

参考例句：

• In 1742 he suffered a fatal attack of smallpox.1742年，他染上了致命的天花。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child?你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

5 shrieked   

v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She shrieked in fright. 她吓得尖叫起来。
• Li Mei-t'ing gave a shout, and Lu Tzu-hsiao shrieked, "Tell what? 李梅亭大声叫，陆子潇尖声叫：“告诉什么？ 来自汉英文学 - 围城

6 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

7 agitation   

n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动

参考例句：

• Small shopkeepers carried on a long agitation against the big department stores.小店主们长期以来一直在煽动人们反对大型百货商店。
• These materials require constant agitation to keep them in suspension.这些药剂要经常搅动以保持悬浮状态。

8 wailed   

v.哭叫，哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She wailed over her father's remains. 她对着父亲的遗体嚎啕大哭。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The women of the town wailed over the war victims. 城里的妇女为战争的死难者们痛哭。 来自辞典例句

9 prudently   

adv. 谨慎地，慎重地

参考例句：

• He prudently pursued his plan. 他谨慎地实行他那计划。
• They had prudently withdrawn as soon as the van had got fairly under way. 他们在蓬车安全上路后立即谨慎地离去了。

10 vaccinated   

[医]已接种的，种痘的，接种过疫菌的

参考例句：

• I was vaccinated against tetanus. 我接种了破伤风疫苗。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child? 你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

11 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

12 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

13 pretext   

n.借口，托词

参考例句：

• He used his headache as a pretext for not going to school.他借口头疼而不去上学。
• He didn't attend that meeting under the pretext of sickness.他以生病为借口，没参加那个会议。

14 pang   

n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷

参考例句：

• She experienced a sharp pang of disappointment.她经历了失望的巨大痛苦。
• She was beginning to know the pang of disappointed love.她开始尝到了失恋的痛苦。

15 prudence   

n.谨慎，精明，节俭

参考例句：

• A lack of prudence may lead to financial problems.不够谨慎可能会导致财政上出现问题。
• The happy impute all their success to prudence or merit.幸运者都把他们的成功归因于谨慎或功德。

16 subdued   

adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He seemed a bit subdued to me. 我觉得他当时有点闷闷不乐。
• I felt strangely subdued when it was all over. 一切都结束的时候，我却有一种奇怪的压抑感。

17 solicitude   

n.焦虑

参考例句：

• Your solicitude was a great consolation to me.你对我的关怀给了我莫大的安慰。
• He is full of tender solicitude towards my sister.他对我妹妹满心牵挂。

18 motives   

n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• to impeach sb's motives 怀疑某人的动机
• His motives are unclear. 他的用意不明。

19 imperative   

n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的

参考例句：

• He always speaks in an imperative tone of voice.他老是用命令的口吻讲话。
• The events of the past few days make it imperative for her to act.过去这几天发生的事迫使她不得不立即行动。

20 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

21 dwelling   

n.住宅，住所，寓所

参考例句：

• Those two men are dwelling with us.那两个人跟我们住在一起。
• He occupies a three-story dwelling place on the Park Street.他在派克街上有一幢3层楼的寓所。

22 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

23 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

24 depot   

n.仓库，储藏处；公共汽车站；火车站

参考例句：

• The depot is only a few blocks from here.公共汽车站离这儿只有几个街区。
• They leased the building as a depot.他们租用这栋大楼作仓库。

25 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。