That I should be sent for again I had not the slightest expectation. If what I so strongly suspected was true, Weiss would call in some other doctor, in the hope of better luck, and it was imperative2 that he should be stopped before it was too late. This was my view, but I meant to have Thorndyke's opinion, and act under his direction, but
"The best laid plans of mice and men
Gang aft agley."
When I came downstairs and took a preliminary glance at the rough memorandum-book, kept by the bottle-boy, or, in his absence, by the housemaid, I stood aghast. The morning's entries looked already like a sample page of the Post Office directory. The new calls alone were more than equal to an ordinary day's work, and the routine visits remained to be added. Gloomily wondering whether the Black Death had made a sudden reappearance in England, I hurried to the dining-room and made a hasty breakfast, interrupted at intervals3 by the apparition4 of the bottle-boy to announce new messages.
The first two or three visits solved the mystery. An epidemic5 of influenza6 had descended7 on the neighbourhood, and I was getting not only our own normal work but a certain amount of overflow8 from other practices. Further, it appeared that a strike in the building trade had been followed immediately by a widespread failure of health among the bricklayers who were members of a certain benefit club; which accounted for the remarkable9 suddenness of the outbreak.
Of course, my contemplated10 visit to Thorndyke was out of the question. I should have to act on my own responsibility. But in the hurry and rush and anxiety of the work—for some of the cases were severe and even critical—I had no opportunity to consider any course of action, nor time to carry it out. Even with the aid of a hansom which I chartered, as Stillbury kept no carriage, I had not finished my last visit until near on midnight, and was then so spent with fatigue11 that I fell asleep over my postponed12 supper.
As the next day opened with a further increase of work, I sent a telegram to Dr. Stillbury at Hastings, whither he had gone, like a wise man, to recruit after a slight illness. I asked for authority to engage an assistant, but the reply informed me that Stillbury himself was on his way to town; and to my relief, when I dropped in at the surgery for a cup of tea, I found him rubbing his hands over the open day-book.
"It's an ill wind that blows nobody good," he remarked cheerfully as we shook hands. "This will pay the expenses of my holiday, including you. By the way, you are not anxious to be off, I suppose?"
As a matter of fact, I was; for I had decided13 to accept Thorndyke's offer, and was now eager to take up my duties with him. But it would have been shabby to leave Stillbury to battle alone with this rush of work or to seek the services of a strange assistant.
"I should like to get off as soon as you can spare me," I replied, "but I'm not going to leave you in the lurch14."
"That's a good fellow," said Stillbury. "I knew you wouldn't. Let us have some tea and divide up the work. Anything of interest going?"
There were one or two unusual cases on the list, and, as we marked off our respective patients, I gave him the histories in brief synopsis15. And then I opened the subject of my mysterious experiences at the house of Mr. Weiss.
"There's another affair that I want to tell you about; rather an unpleasant business."
"Oh, dear!" exclaimed Stillbury. He put down his cup and regarded me with quite painful anxiety.
"It looks to me like an undoubted case of criminal poisoning," I continued.
Stillbury's face cleared instantly. "Oh, I'm glad it's nothing more than that," he said with an air of relief. "I was afraid, it was some confounded woman. There's always that danger, you know, when a locum is young and happens—if I may say so, Jervis—to be a good-looking fellow. Let us hear about this case."
I gave him a condensed narrative16 of my connection with the mysterious patient, omitting any reference to Thorndyke, and passing lightly over my efforts to fix the position of the house, and wound up with the remark that the facts ought certainly to be communicated to the police.
"Yes," he admitted reluctantly, "I suppose you're right. Deuced unpleasant though. Police cases don't do a practice any good. They waste a lot of time, too; keep you hanging about to give evidence. Still, you are quite right. We can't stand by and see the poor devil poisoned without making some effort. But I don't believe the police will do anything in the matter."
"Don't you really?"
"No, I don't. They like to have things pretty well cut and dried before they act. A prosecution17 is an expensive affair, so they don't care to prosecute18 unless they are fairly sure of a conviction. If they fail they get hauled over the coals."
"But don't you think they would get a conviction in this case?"
"Not on your evidence, Jervis. They might pick up something fresh, but, if they didn't they would fail. You haven't got enough hard-baked facts to upset a capable defence. Still, that isn't our affair. You want to put the responsibility on the police and I entirely19 agree with you."
"There ought not to be any delay," said I.
"There needn't be. I shall look in on Mrs. Wackford and you have to see the Rummel children; we shall pass the station on our way. Why shouldn't we drop in and see the inspector20 or superintendent21?"
The suggestion met my views exactly. As soon as we had finished tea, we set forth22, and in about ten minutes found ourselves in the bare and forbidding office attached to the station.
The presiding officer descended from a high stool, and, carefully laying down his pen, shook hands cordially.
"And what can I do for you gentlemen?" he asked, with an affable smile.
Stillbury proceeded to open our business.
"My friend here, Dr. Jervis, who has very kindly23 been looking after my work for a week or two, has had a most remarkable experience, and he wants to tell you about it."
"Something in my line of business?" the officer inquired.
"That," said I, "is for you to judge. I think it is, but you may think otherwise"; and hereupon, without further preamble24, I plunged25 into the history of the case, giving him a condensed statement similar to that which I had already made to Stillbury.
He listened with close attention, jotting26 down from time to time a brief note on a sheet of paper; and, when I had finished, he wrote out in a black-covered notebook a short précis of my statement.
"I have written down here," he said, "the substance of what you have told me. I will read the deposition27 over to you, and, if it is correct, I will ask you to sign it."
He did so, and, when I had signed the document, I asked him what was likely to be done in the matter.
"I am afraid," he replied, "that we can't take any active measures. You have put us on our guard and we shall keep our eyes open. But I think that is all we can do, unless we hear something further."
"But," I exclaimed, "don't you think that it is a very suspicious affair?"
"I do," he replied. "A very fishy28 business indeed, and you were quite right to come and tell us about it."
"It seems a pity not to take some measures," I said. "While you are waiting to hear something further, they may give the poor wretch29 a fresh dose and kill him."
"In which case we should hear something further, unless some fool of a doctor were to give a death certificate."
"But that is very unsatisfactory. The man ought not to be allowed to die."
"I quite agree with you, sir. But we've no evidence that he is going to die. His friends sent for you, and you treated him skilfully30 and left him in a fair way to recovery. That's all that we really know about it. Yes, I know," the officer continued as I made signs of disagreement, "you think that a crime is possibly going to be committed and that we ought to prevent it. But you overrate our powers. We can only act on evidence that a crime has actually been committed or is actually being attempted. Now we have no such evidence. Look at your statement, and tell me what you can swear to."
"I think I could swear that Mr. Graves had taken a poisonous dose of morphine."
"And who gave him that poisonous dose?"
"I very strongly suspect—"
"That's no good, sir," interrupted the officer. "Suspicion isn't evidence. We should want you to swear an information and give us enough facts to make out a primâ facie case against some definite person. And you couldn't do it. Your information amounts to this: that a certain person has taken a poisonous dose of morphine and apparently31 recovered. That's all. You can't swear that the names given to you are real names, and you can't give us any address or even any locality."
"I took some compass bearings in the carriage," I said. "You could locate the house, I think, without much difficulty."
"You could, sir," he replied. "I have no doubt whatever that you could. I couldn't. But, in any case, we haven't enough to go upon. If you learn anything fresh, I hope you will let me know; and I am very much obliged to you for taking so much trouble in the matter. Good evening sir. Good evening, Dr. Stillbury."
He shook hands with us both genially33, and, accepting perforce this very polite but unmistakable dismissal, we took our departure.
Outside the station, Stillbury heaved a comfortable sigh. He was evidently relieved to find that no upheavals34 were to take place in his domain35.
"I thought that would be their attitude," he said, "and they are quite right, you know. The function of law is to prevent crime, it is true; but prophylaxis in the sense in which we understand it is not possible in legal practice."
I assented36 without enthusiasm. It was disappointing to find that no precautionary measures were to be taken. However, I had done all that I could in the matter. No further responsibility lay upon me, and, as it was practically certain that I had seen and heard the last of Mr. Graves and his mysterious household, I dismissed the case from my mind. At the next corner Stillbury and I parted to go our respective ways; and my attention was soon transferred from the romance of crime to the realities of epidemic influenza.
The plethora37 of work in Dr. Stillbury's practice continued longer than I had bargained for. Day after day went by and still found me tramping the dingy38 streets of Kennington or scrambling39 up and down narrow stairways; turning in at night dead tired, or turning out half awake to the hideous40 jangle of the night bell.
It was very provoking. For months I had resisted Thorndyke's persuasion41 to give up general practice and join him. Not from lack of inclination42, but from a deep suspicion that he was thinking of my wants rather than his own; that his was a charitable rather than a business proposal. Now that I knew this not to be the case, I was impatient to join him; and, as I trudged43 through the dreary44 thoroughfares of this superannuated45 suburb, with its once rustic46 villas47 and its faded gardens, my thoughts would turn enviously48 to the quiet dignity of the Temple and my friend's chambers49 in King's Bench Walk.
The closed carriage appeared no more; nor did any whisper either of good or evil reach me in connection with the mysterious house from which it had come. Mr. Graves had apparently gone out of my life for ever.
But if he had gone out of my life, he had not gone out of my memory. Often, as I walked my rounds, would the picture of that dimly-lit room rise unbidden. Often would I find myself looking once more into that ghastly face, so worn, so wasted and haggard, and yet so far from repellent. All the incidents of that last night would reconstitute themselves with a vividness that showed the intensity50 of the impression that they had made at the time. I would have gladly forgotten the whole affair, for every incident of it was fraught51 with discomfort52. But it clung to my memory; it haunted me; and ever as it returned it bore with it the disquieting53 questions: Was Mr. Graves still alive? And, if he was not, was there really nothing which could have been done to save him?
Nearly a month passed before the practice began to show signs of returning to its normal condition. Then the daily lists became more and more contracted and the day's work proportionately shorter. And thus the term of my servitude came to an end. One evening, as we were writing up the day-book, Stillbury remarked:
"I almost think, Jervis, I could manage by myself now. I know you are only staying on for my sake."
"I am staying on to finish my engagement, but I shan't be sorry to clear out if you can do without me."
"I think I can. When would you like to be off?"
"As soon as possible. Say to-morrow morning, after I have made a few visits and transferred the patients to you."
"Very well," said Stillbury. "Then I will give you your cheque and settle up everything to-night, so that you shall be free to go off when you like to-morrow morning."
Thus ended my connection with Kennington Lane. On the following day at about noon, I found myself strolling across Waterloo Bridge with the sensations of a newly liberated54 convict and a cheque for twenty-five guineas in my pocket. My luggage was to follow when I sent for it. Now, unhampered even by a hand-bag, I joyfully55 descended the steps at the north end of the bridge and headed for King's Bench Walk by way of the Embankment and Middle Temple Lane.
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1
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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imperative
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| n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的 | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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apparition
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| n.幽灵，神奇的现象 | |
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epidemic
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| n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的 | |
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influenza
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| n.流行性感冒，流感 | |
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7
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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8
overflow
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| v.(使)外溢，(使)溢出；溢出，流出，漫出 | |
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9
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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10
contemplated
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| adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式 | |
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11
fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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12
postponed
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| vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发） | |
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13
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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14
lurch
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| n.突然向前或旁边倒；v.蹒跚而行 | |
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15
synopsis
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| n.提要，梗概 | |
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narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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17
prosecution
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| n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营 | |
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prosecute
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| vt.告发；进行；vi.告发，起诉，作检察官 | |
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19
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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inspector
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| n.检查员，监察员，视察员 | |
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superintendent
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| n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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23
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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24
preamble
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| n.前言；序文 | |
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25
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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26
jotting
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| n.简短的笔记，略记v.匆忙记下( jot的现在分词 )；草草记下，匆匆记下 | |
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27
deposition
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| n.免职，罢官；作证；沉淀；沉淀物 | |
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fishy
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| adj. 值得怀疑的 | |
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wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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skilfully
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| adv. (美skillfully)熟练地 | |
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31
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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32
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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genially
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| adv.亲切地，和蔼地；快活地 | |
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34
upheavals
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| 突然的巨变( upheaval的名词复数 )； 大动荡； 大变动； 胀起 | |
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35
domain
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| n.(活动等)领域，范围；领地，势力范围 | |
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36
assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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plethora
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| n.过量，过剩 | |
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dingy
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| adj.昏暗的，肮脏的 | |
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39
scrambling
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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40
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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41
persuasion
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| n.劝说；说服；持有某种信仰的宗派 | |
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42
inclination
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| n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好 | |
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43
trudged
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| vt.& vi.跋涉，吃力地走（trudge的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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44
dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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45
superannuated
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| adj.老朽的，退休的；v.因落后于时代而废除，勒令退学 | |
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46
rustic
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| adj.乡村的，有乡村特色的；n.乡下人，乡巴佬 | |
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47
villas
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| 别墅，公馆( villa的名词复数 )； （城郊）住宅 | |
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48
enviously
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| adv.满怀嫉妒地 | |
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49
chambers
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| n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅 | |
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50
intensity
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| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
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51
fraught
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| adj.充满…的，伴有(危险等)的；忧虑的 | |
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52
discomfort
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| n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便 | |
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53
disquieting
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| adj.令人不安的，令人不平静的v.使不安，使忧虑，使烦恼( disquiet的现在分词 ) | |
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54
liberated
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| a.无拘束的，放纵的 | |
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55
joyfully
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| adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地 | |
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