Delphi Works of Ford Madox Ford (Illustrated) (62 page)

A terrible thought flashed across his brain. He had seized the wrong interpretation.

Mr Kasker-Ryves appeared, leaning on the arm of his servant.

‘I am very weak again,’ he said. ‘I had another seizure of some sort a minute ago. I hope it was no new development. What do you think on the subject, from what I have told you?’

‘I — oh, yes, I am afraid it is another development,’ said Hollebone, like one awakening from a dream into a state of sudden activity of mind, ‘and it might prove very serious. If you will allow me I will go back and make you up an antidote — that is, a prescription; but I must not conceal from you the fact that there is a very grave danger.’

It was a long speech, but he needed to make it to recover himself sufficiently to trust to his legs. Mr Kasker-Ryves sank into his chair with a groan.

‘You will do what you can to save me?’ he said, with a ghastly face. ‘I know I am past hope, but you will do what you can?’ and the sweat stood out over his face in great beads that sparkled in the brilliant candle-light.

‘I will do my best,’ Hollebone said in all sincerity.

The old man eyed him keenly, and with a sigh of relief, having finished his inspection, sank back.

‘Thank you,’ he said, ‘do what you can. I know I sha’n’t live long anyhow,’ and the two men knew that they understood each other. ‘Paton,’ the old man continued, ‘go with my friend Dr Hollebone, and bring his prescription back with you.’

And Hollebone left the house, not daring to look at Edith again — he was afraid of her face. On the staircase the servant stopped him.

‘Wait a minute, sir, please,’ he said. ‘Is there
no
hope for the master? Sir James Ditchett told me before we left town that it was simple madness on the master’s part to come here, and that, even as it was, there was very little hope for him. But the master
would
come, although Sir James as good as told him it was suicide.’

Hollebone hesitated a moment.

‘I — I have not seen Sir James’s diagnosis yet,’ he said. ‘When I have I will tell you what I think about the matter.’

The man thanked him, and
 
they proceeded on in silence until they reached the house.

‘Just come into this room a minute while I read Sir James’s letter,’ he said.

It was a strange list of diseases that Hollebone read, and in spite of his agitation of mind he could not help marvelling how one body could have borne them all.

‘Good Heavens! what a life the man must have led, and yet most of them have only appeared during the last six months or so, according to Sir James. That means that they have been in his system and something has occurred to bring them out. Oh, well—’ And, addressing himself to the servant, he said, —

‘I am afraid there is very little hope for your master. He may die at any moment, even during the night. You are his body-servant, are you not?’

The man assented huskily.

‘Well, look here, Mrs Kasker-Ryves must not be allowed to nurse him. She is far too — too indisposed herself. You must prepare all the food he eats yourself, that no impurities may get into it. Be very careful about that, and let his food be of the simplest — nothing mixed. Milk or eggs. Do not let him touch anything else, as you value his life.’

The man burst into tears.

Hollebone looked at him in surprise.

‘I can’t help it, sir,’ the man said. ‘I don’t think I ever shed a tear in my life before. But, somehow, to lose Mr Ryves, it seems like losing the whole world. I’ve been with him, boy and man, these twenty-five years, and in the whole of that time he’s never done an unkind action or said a rough word to anyone.’ In fact Paton seemed quite broken down, and Hollebone said to him kindly, —

‘Perhaps you had better go back to your master now, and I will send my prescription in by one of the servants. I may be some time before I make it up. Give it him immediately before eating anything, and for the rest, you may go on giving him the medicines Sir James and Dr Hammond have prescribed for him.’ The man said gratefully, —

‘Thank you, sir,’ and left the house. Hollebone sat for a long time with his head bowed on the table. The suspicion was growing stronger within him. At last he raised his head.

‘I don’t see what else I can do, to-night at least. If I send him in the mixture, it
may
act as an antidote, and, on the other hand, there’s not enough chlorodyne in it to act on his heart injuriously, and there’s nothing else that could by any means have an ill effect. If I only get him safe out of this I’ll never have anything to do with this cursed pharmaceutical side again. Why, in God’s name, did I ever meddle in medicine at all? That damned girl will be the end of me. How could I have been such a fool as to give her that poison? Even if she
does
it, I don’t think I shall be able to let her be hung. But, of course, it is only a suspicion of mine. I must be going mad ever to entertain such an idea of little Edie, How is it possible? And yet it’s best to be on the safe side. I’ll send the antidote in and let him take it. What on earth have I done with the prescription? Oh, yes, it’s in the drawer,’ and he proceeded to make up the prescription.

It was, however, a matter that took some time, for his private dispensary was locked up at the bottom of the garden. Hither he took a lamp, and little Maud, perceiving the light, speedily joined him.

‘Hullo, Maud,’ he said as cheerfully as he could, ‘come to look on? You must be quiet a minute or two until I’ve finished. Here are some black currant lozenges for you.’

Maud took the proffered lozenges, and proceeded to discuss them leisurely in silence. He finished mixing the ingredients, and having done so, he took up the lamp.

‘Come along, Maud,’ he said, ‘I’m going into the house to label it. It’s for the old gentleman next door — he’s very, very ill.’

‘As bad as papa?’ she asked.

‘Yes, yes, dear. Now, look here, run and give this to Mary Ann, and tell her to take it in next door.’

‘Mayn’t I take it in? ‘asked the little girl eagerly.

‘Why, yes, dear, if you like,’ he answered; ‘it will save Mary Ann the trouble.’

‘He — he giv’d Gandon sixpence ve ovah day, an’ so pwaps he’ll give me one too. Me and Rose didn’t see him or he might have done.’

‘Avaricious little wretch!’ Hollebone said, with a smile. ‘Here you are — what do you say for it?’

‘Fank you,’ she answered.

‘No, you don’t. You’ve forgotten all I told you about your “th’s.” Gandon’s got over that by this time. You’re a baby. Now run in with the medicine, and give me half the sixpence when you get it.’

‘No,
tank
you,’ she answered and ran off.

Hollebone set about putting the room in order and reading up the day book for the morrow.

‘Same old round,’ he said to himself. ‘I’m tired to death of it before beginning. Oh Lord! I wish I’d had the courage to finish it at the hill to-day. The bother of the thing would have been over then. I’ve a good mind when poor old Hammond dies to leave all my money to the children, and borrow just enough of my poison to finish myself with. I daresay Edie would lend it me — it would tickle her vanity to begin with. I gave her nearly an ounce, and half a grain would finish anyone. It wasn’t a bad present to give a girl — like her, at least. If she finishes off old Ryves with it it will stand her in about three millions of hard cash. And of course if she does it I’m morally responsible. I wish to God I had never seen her. This last development is really too much. For, even if she does murder him, I
can’t
let her be hung for it. Not that I care for her the least in the world — not the least shadow; but still, I gave her the poison — and it’s opportunity makes the thief, they say, and so I ought in right to hang for it. By Jove! it wouldn’t be a bad idea to go out of the world that way. I might just as well confess I’d poisoned him, and then be hung for it.

I would do it too, only they might say I was mad, and only shut me up for it. Besides, I don’t think I could stand being in the dock on a murder charge, the strain would be too much for my nerves — not but what they’re strong enough too. I wonder how many other fellows would have borne having Edith in their arms as I did this evening and not kissed her, in spite of her husband and conventional morality. However, I must get on with this cursed day book. Hullo! here’s Mrs Waters got something wrong with her — pulmonary phthisis. H’m, that means a through bill for her. Poor old lady, she must be near eighty by this time. She’s had a bad time of it too — four sons drowned at sea, and her husband too. Poor old Dr Hammond’s wife was the only one of her family that died in her bed, and she was the youngest — and the eldest daughter went to the devil, and died God knows where and how, but she’s bound to be dead by this time. They can’t stand
that
life long — consumption, and God knows what then. Wonder what sort of a fellow the father was to have turned her out of doors — must have been a bit of a brute.
He’s
gone to Davy Jones’s locker, rest his soul. And Mrs Waters outlives the lot of them, poor old creature. What a life! I wouldn’t like to live to eighty myself, more especially if it’s to be eighty such years as this has been with me; but that isn’t likely, because I don’t care for her any more — not two pins.’ He heaved a deep sigh, not so much from sorrow as to clear his lungs, and said aloud, ‘Heigho!
Sic Vita!’

‘Hope you don’t mean you’re sick of your life already, Hollebone?’ came a voice from the doorway. ‘Excuse my intruding. I would have knocked at the door if it hadn’t been open.’

‘Oh, is that you, Jenkins? Come in. I didn’t hear you.’

‘No, you seemed to be in a brown study, I’ve been upstairs and seen poor old Hammond. I can’t do anything for him. I don’t know whether you can. If you can, I’ll gladly hand him over to you again. It’s a long way out of my track to come out here.’

‘Well, you won’t have to do it very long. He’s sure to go during the night.’

‘No, d’you think so? I gave him a week at least.’

Hollebone shook his head.

‘I should like you just to look over some time to-morrow as you’ve begun the case. He might last a week if he gets over the next fifteen hours, but he won’t do that, I’m afraid.’

‘I s’pose you’re right,’ the rival practitioner answered. He was a young man, but in spite of that he had a great veneration for Hollebone’s knowledge and capabilities. ‘How is the old man next door?’ he said suddenly, after a moment’s pause. ‘I never knew such complications as he’s got in various parts. He’s about ten times less chance of life than Dr Hammond, and yet he lives. Some men have all the luck in this life.’

‘I’m afraid his luck’s come to an end by now,’ Hollebone said gravely.

‘About time too,’ the other answered.

‘But is he as bad as that?’

Hollebone nodded.

‘You see he must have been living the life of an over-fed rhinoceros for eighty years or so, and in these last six months about a score of mortal diseases have showed up, and it’s just a race which of them coils him up.’

‘That’s something like a life,’ the other said enthusiastically, ‘to live like a pig in clover up to six months of one’s death and then crumble up fast. How long d’you give
him?
’

Hollebone laughed.

‘Forty-eight hours is about half a hundred more than is possible, and so I s’pose he might take that. He’s about half a hundred times more lucky than anyone else.’

‘You’re very liberal to him. Everyone in the town here thinks he must be dead now. Didn’t he have a fit or something this afternoon?’

‘It wasn’t a fit. Only a momentary failure of the heart’s action.
That
ought to have polished him off.’

‘Well, well. I must be trotting. Then I will look in to-morrow morning early to see how poor Hammond is. I tell you what it is, Hollebone, I wouldn’t mind changing with him, though he
has
only got two days to live. From what one hears, he’s booked through to the good place — and then to have such a wife as he’s got a fellow would be lucky to have her for two hours, let alone days, and she’s killing herself over that old beggar.’