None Other Gods eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 378 pages of information about None Other Gods.

None Other Gods eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 378 pages of information about None Other Gods.

“If you’d step down, sir, an instant—­”

The doctor returned from soaring through a Toxined universe.

“Nonsense,” he said sharply.  “Tell them I’m not practicing.  What do they want?”

“Please, sir, it’s a young man as ’as poisoned ’is foot, ’e says.  ’E looks very bad, and—­”

“Eh?  Poison?”

“Yes, sir.”

The doctor appeared to reflect a moment (that mouse, you know—­); then he recovered.

“I’ll be down directly,” he said almost mechanically.  “Take ’em all into the study.”

(II)

Dr. Whitty could hardly explain to me, even when he tried, exactly why he had made an exception in this particular instance.  Of course, I understand perfectly myself why he did; but, for himself, all he could say was that he supposed the word Poison happened to meet his mood.  He had honestly done with the mouse just now; he had no other very critical case, and he thought he might as well look at the poisoned young man for an instant, before finally despatching him to Dr. Foster, six miles further on.

When he came into the study ten minutes later he found the party ranged to meet him.  A girl was sitting on a box in the corner by the window, and stood up to receive him; a young man was sitting back in a Windsor chair, with one boot off, jerking spasmodically; his eyes stared unmeaningly before him.  A tallish, lean man of a particularly unprepossessing appearance was leaning over him with an air of immense solicitude.  They were all three evidently of the tramp-class.

What they saw—­with the exception of Frank, I expect, who was too far gone to notice anything—­was a benignant-looking old man, very shabby, in an alpaca jacket, with a rusty velvet cap on his head, and very bright short-sighted eyes behind round spectacles.  This figure appeared in the doorway, stood looking at them a moment, as if bewildered as to why he or they were there at all; and then, with a hasty shuffling movement, darted across the floor and down on his knees.

The following colloquy was held as soon as the last roll of defiled bandage had dropped to the floor, and Frank’s foot was disclosed.

“How long’s this been going on?” asked the doctor sharply, holding the discolored thing carefully in his two hands.

“Well, sir,” said the Major reflectively, “he began to limp about—­let’s see—­four days ago.  We were coming through—­”

The doctor, watching Frank’s face curiously (the spasm was over for the present), cut the Major short by a question to the patient.

“Now, my boy, how d’you feel now?”

Frank’s lips moved; he seemed to be trying to lick them; but he said nothing, and his eyes closed, and he grinned once or twice, as if sardonically.

“When did these spasms begin?” went on the doctor, abruptly turning to the Major again.

“Well, sir—­if you mean that jerking—­Frankie began to jerk about half an hour ago when we were sitting down a bit; but he’s seemed queer since breakfast.  And he didn’t seem to be able to eat properly.”

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None Other Gods from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.