He thrust the needle beneath the skin of his arm and pressed the plunger almost home; then, as he withdrew the syringe, a tiny drop of clear liquid appeared on the end of the needle, and a further compression of the plunger caused the globule to drop on his arm under the puncture1.
“There, that ought to convince any man, sane2 or insane,” the cool voice resumed. “Had this been a deadly culture, you will admit that I would hardly be so mad as to run even the slightest risk of being infected by it.”
There was a chair close to the desk, and the tall figure collapsed4 into it. Stone stretched his arms out across the desk, dropped his head between them, and gave vent5 to a hoarse6 sob7.
“Thank Heaven! Oh, thank Heaven!” he said, in a choked voice. “I’ve been in torment8 these last few months, but it was all for the best. You’ve saved me from myself, doctor, and I don’t know how to thank you!”
The hawklike9 face above him creased10 with satisfaction, and the thin lips curled back from the sharp teeth.
“I ask no thanks,” was the reply. “And allow me to remind you that I hold your check for a substantial sum. That is the best thanks to a man who needs all the money he can lay hands on in order to carry on costly11 experiments. I trust you will not regret having given it to me, although you did so under a misapprehension. You’ll remember, however, that I did not promise, at that time, to do away with Crawford. I merely promised that he would not trouble you after the twenty-seventh, and I have kept to the agreement. He will not trouble you, because all your differences will have vanished by that time—have vanished now, in fact. Later, of course, I felt compelled to fall in more nearly with your misguided desires, but that was nothing more than professional tact12. If you had called yourself the King of Mexico, I would have humored you in that belief, and bowed down to you.”
“I understand, of course—now,” Stone replied gravely. “As for your fee, it’s by no means too much for what you’ve done. Your skill has given me back my sanity13 and my old friend. Say nothing more about it.”
Follansbee was not looking to drop the subject, however.
“I won’t after this,” he said, “but that reminds me that the check is for a rather large amount, and it has occurred to me that your bank may make some difficulty about cashing it. I won’t present it before Monday, the twenty-seventh, of course, but if you would write a note to the bank now, it might help matters.”
Gratitude14 and relief made James Stone less cautious than he might otherwise have been. “Certainly,” he said, without hesitation15. “I’ll be glad to do so.”
“Thank you. I think I have some of your hotel stationery16 here in my pocket. Yes, here it is. I remember picking some up in the writing room the other day when I was waiting for you, and wished to make some notes.”
He produced several sheets of paper engraved17 with the name of the Hotel Windermere, and, selecting one of them, spread it out on the desk before his visitor.
His explanation of the possession of the paper was sufficiently18 plausible19, and Stone was not in a critical mood. The result was that the miner scrawled20 a brief letter of introduction for Follansbee, accompanied with a request that the check be cashed without question.
If he had only ventured to look up as he signed the note, he might have been warned that all was not well, but he did not think of doing so. Follansbee rose to his feet, and, taking the letter, slipped it into a plain envelope. Evidently he had not thought best to provide a hotel envelope in addition to the paper, for that thorough preparation might have seemed a little suspicious.
“And now,” he said, “before you go, I’d like to offer you a little refreshment21, if I may. I have some very good brandy, and a bit of it would tone you up. You need it after all you’ve gone through to-night. After that you can go back to the hotel.”
He did not know that Nick’s ruse22 in regard to the bell had spoiled Stone’s alibi23. Had he been aware of the fact, it would have given him much food for thought, but it would not have affected24 his words to Stone, for they were spoken merely for effect.
“And in the morning,” he added, “you will find Mr. Crawford as well as he ever was in his life.”
“You are sure of that?” Stone asked eagerly. “The drug can’t possibly do him any permanent harm?”
“On my professional honor, it cannot,” Follansbee assured him. “He won’t know anything about it when you see him again.”
He had reached the sideboard now, and he picked up two glasses which stood beside the decanter containing the brandy. Stone was by his side as he poured the liquor, but the ex-miner did not see a suspicious move. Perhaps it was because he was not in a suspicious mood. At any rate, there can be no doubt that it was something more than brandy that he drank.
Little more than five minutes later Doctor Follansbee accompanied Stone to the door, shook hands with him, and watched him depart. Stone had suggested the use of the doctor’s phone to call a taxi, but Follansbee had advised against it.
“If you’re wise, you’ll walk; at least, a part of the way,” he had said. “You’ve been through a great deal to-night, and the exercise will be good for you. If you can get physically25 tired, so much the better.[136] You’ll be more apt to sleep when you reach your room.”
Stone had taken the advice, and started off on foot. After lingering at the door for a few minutes, the specialist closed it and disappeared into the house. Very shortly the lights went out, and he reappeared on the steps.
Seemingly, he, too, was going for a stroll, although it was nearly four o’clock in the morning by that time.
Curiously26 enough, Follansbee headed in the same direction which Stone had taken, and, more curious still, a slouching figure emerged from an areaway, crossed the street, and flitted along behind the head physician of St. Swithin’s.
The night had been full enough, but it looked as if other things were still to be crammed27 into it.
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1
puncture
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| n.刺孔，穿孔；v.刺穿，刺破 | |
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sane
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| adj.心智健全的，神志清醒的，明智的，稳健的 | |
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perturbed
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| adj.烦燥不安的v.使（某人）烦恼，不安( perturb的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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collapsed
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| adj.倒塌的 | |
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vent
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| n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄 | |
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hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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sob
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| n.空间轨道的轰炸机；呜咽，哭泣 | |
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torment
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| n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠 | |
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hawklike
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10
creased
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| （使…）起折痕，弄皱( crease的过去式和过去分词 )； （皮肤）皱起，使起皱纹； 皱皱巴巴 | |
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11
costly
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| adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的 | |
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12
tact
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| n.机敏，圆滑，得体 | |
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sanity
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| n.心智健全，神智正常，判断正确 | |
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14
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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16
stationery
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| n.文具；(配套的)信笺信封 | |
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17
engraved
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| v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的过去式和过去分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中） | |
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18
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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19
plausible
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| adj.似真实的，似乎有理的，似乎可信的 | |
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scrawled
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| 乱涂，潦草地写( scrawl的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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21
refreshment
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| n.恢复，精神爽快，提神之事物；（复数）refreshments:点心，茶点 | |
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22
ruse
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| n.诡计，计策；诡计 | |
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23
alibi
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| n.某人当时不在犯罪现场的申辩或证明；借口 | |
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24
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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physically
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| adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律 | |
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curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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27
crammed
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| adj.塞满的，挤满的；大口地吃；快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满；填入；临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式) | |
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