按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
propitious moment when the fee is ready； and consists in a
general recommendation to you to keep your mind easy。 That
excellent advice given； your doctor leaves you to spare yourself
all earthly annoyances by your own unaided efforts； until he
calls again。 Here my System steps in and helps you！ When _I_ see
the necessity of keeping your mind easy； I take the bull by the
horns and do it for you。 I place you in a sphere of action in
which the ten thousand trifles which must； and do； irritate
nervous people at home are expressly considered and provided
against。 I throw up impregnable moral intrenchments between Worry
and You。 Find a door banging in _this_ house； if you can！ Catch a
servant in _this_ house rattling the tea…things when he takes
away the tray！ Discover barking dogs； crowing cocks； hammering
workmen； screeching children _here_and I engage to close My
Sanitarium to…morrow！ Are these nuisances laughing matters to
nervous people？ Ask them！ Can they escape these nuisances at
home？ Ask them！ Will ten minutes' irritation from a barking dog
or a screeching child undo every atom of good done to a nervous
sufferer by a month's medical treatment？ There isn't a competent
doctor in England who will venture to deny it！ On those plain
grounds my System is based。 I assert the medical treatment of
nervous suffering to be entirely subsidiary to the moral
treatment of it。 That moral treatment of it you find here。 That
moral treatment； sedulously pursued throughout the day； follows
the sufferer into his room at night； and soothes； helps and cures
him； without his own knowledgeyou shall see how。〃
The doctor paused to take breath and looked； for the first time
since the visitors had entered the house； at Miss Gwilt。 For the
first time； on her side； she stepped forward among the audience；
and looked at him in return。 After a momentary obstruction in the
shape of a cough； the doctor went on。
〃Say； ladies and gentlemen；〃 he proceeded； 〃that my patient has
just come in。 His mind is one mass of nervous fancies and
caprices； which his friends （with the best possible intentions）
have been ignorantly irritating at home。 They have been afraid of
him； for instance； at night。 They have forced him to have
somebody to sleep in the room with him； or they have forbidden
him； in case of accidents； to lock his door。 He comes to me the
first night； and says： 'Mind； I won't have anybody in my
room！''Certainly not！''I insist on locking my door。''By all
means！' In he goes； and locks his door； and there he is； soothed
and quieted； predisposed to confidence； predisposed to sleep； by
having his own way。 'This is all very well；' you may say； 'but
suppose something happens； suppose he has a fit in the night；
what then？' You shall see！ Hallo； my young friend！〃 cried the
doctor； suddenly addressing the sleepy little boy。 〃Let's have a
game。 You shall be the poor sick man； and I'll be the good
doctor。 Go into that room and lock the door。 There's a brave boy！
Have you locked it？ Very good！ Do you think I can't get at you if
I like？ I wait till you're asleepI press this little white
button； hidden here in the stencilled pattern of the outer
wallthe mortise of the lock inside falls back silently against
the door…postand I walk into the room whenever I like。 The same
plan is pursued with the window。 My capricious patient won't open
it at night； when he ought。 I humor him again。 'Shut it； dear
sir； by all means！' As soon as he is asleep； I pull the black
handle hidden here； in the corner of the wall。 The window of the
room inside noiselessly opens； as you see。 Say the patient's
caprice is the other wayhe persists in opening the window when
he ought to shut it。 Let him！ by all means； let him！ I pull a
second handle when he is snug in his bed； and the window
noiselessly closes in a moment。 Nothing to irritate him； ladies
and gentlemenabsolutely nothing to irritate him！ But I haven't
done with him yet。 Epidemic disease； in spite of all my
precautions； may enter this Sanitarium； and may render the
purifying of the sick…room necessary。 Or the patient's case may
be complicated by other than nervous maladysay； for instance；
asthmatic difficulty of breathing。 In the one case； fumigation is
necessary； in the other； additional oxygen in the air will give
relief。 The epidemic nervous patient says； 'I won't be smoked
under my own nose！' The asthmatic nervous patient gasps with
terror at the idea of a chemical explosion in his room。 I
noiselessly fumigate one of them； I noiselessly oxygenize the
other； by means of a simple Apparatus fixed outside in the corner
here。 It is protected by this wooden casing； it is locked with my
own key； and it communicates by means of a tube with the interior
of the room。 Look at it！〃
With a preliminary glance at Miss Gwilt； the doctor unlocked the
lid of the wooden casing； and disclosed inside nothing more
remarkable than a large stone jar； having a glass funnel； and a
pipe communicating with the wall； inserted in the cork which
closed the mouth of it。 With another look at Miss Gwilt； the
doctor locked the lid again； and asked； in the blandest manner；
whether his System was intelligible now？
〃I might introduce you to all sorts of other contrivances of the
same kind；〃 he resumed； leading the way downstairs； 〃but it would
be only the same thing over and over again。 A nervous patient who
always has his own way is a nervous patient who is never worried；
and a nervous patient who is never worried is a nervous patient
cured。 There it is in a nutshell！ Come and see the Dispensary；
ladies； the Dispensary and the kitchen next！〃
Once more； Miss Gwilt dropped behind the visitors； and waited
alonelooking steadfastly at the Room which the doctor had
opened； and at the apparatus which the doctor had unlocked。
Again； without a word passing between them； she had understood
him。 She knew； as well as if he had confessed it； that he was
craftily putting the necessary temptation in her way； before
witnesses who could speak to the superficially innocent acts
which they had seen； if anything serious happened。 The apparatus；
originally constructed to serve the purpose of the doctor's
medical crotchets； was evidently to be put to some other use； of
which the doctor himself had probably never dreamed till now。 And
the chances were that； before the day was over； that other use
would be privately revealed to her at the right moment； in the
presence of the right witness。 〃Armadale will die this time；〃 she
said to herself； as she went slowly down the stairs。 〃The doctor
will kill him； by my hands。〃
The visitors were in the Dispensary when she joined them。 All the
ladies were admiring the beauty of the antique cabinet； and； as a
necessary consequence； all the ladies were desirous of seeing
what was inside。 The doctorafter a preliminary look at Miss
Gwiltgood…humoredly shook his head。 〃There is nothing to
interest you inside；〃 he said。 〃Nothing but rows of little shabby
bottles containing the poisons used in medicine which I keep
under lock and key。 Come to the kitchen； ladies； and honor me
with your advice on domestic matters below stairs。〃 He glanced
again at Miss Gwilt as the company crossed the hall； with a look
which said plainly； 〃Wait here。〃
In another quarter of an hour the doctor had expounded his views
on cookery and diet； and the visitors （duly furnished with
prospectuses） were taking leave of him at the door。 〃Quite an
intellectual treat！〃 they said to each other； as they streamed
out again in neatly dressed procession through the iron gates。
〃And what a very superior man！〃
The doctor turned back to the Dispensary； humming absently to
himself； and failing entirely to observe the corner of the hall
in which Miss Gwilt stood retired。 After an instant's hesitation；
she followed him。 The as sistant was in the room when she entered
itsummoned by his employer the moment before。
〃Doctor；〃 she said； coldly and mechanically； as if she was
repeating a lesson； 〃I am as curious as the other ladies about
that pretty cabinet of yours。 Now they are all gone； won't you
show the inside of it to _me？_〃
The doctor laughed in his pleasantest manner。
〃The old story；〃 he said。 〃Blue…Beard's locked chamber； and
female curiosity！ （Don't go； Benjamin； don't go。） My dear lady；
what interest can you possibly have in looking at a medical
bottle； simply because it happens to be a bottle of poison？〃
She repeated her lesson for the second time。
〃I have the interest of looking at it；〃 she said； 〃and of
thinking； if it got into some people's hands； of the terrible
things it might do。〃
The doctor glanced at his assistant with a compassionate smile。
〃Curious； Benjamin；〃 he said； 〃the romantic view taken of these
drugs of ours by the unscientific mind！ My dear lady；〃 he added；
turning to Miss Gwilt； 〃if _that_ is the interest you attach to
looking at poisons； you needn't ask me to unlock my cabinetyou
need only look about you round the shelves of this room。 There
are all sorts of medical liquids and substances in those
bottlesmost innocent； most useful in themselveswhich； in
combination with other substances and other liquids； become
poiso