ItistruethatthedoctorwasonlyoncewithinthewallsofCloomberduringitstenancybyGeneralHeatherstone,butthereweresomecircumstancesconnectedwiththisvisitwhichmadeitvaluable,especiallywhenconsideredasasupplementtotheexperienceswhichIhavejustsubmittedtothereader.
Thedoctorhasfoundtimeamidthecallsofabusycountrypracticetojotdownhisrecollections,andIfeelthatIcannotdobetterthansubjointhemexactlyastheystand.
IhaveverymuchpleasureinfurnishingMr.FothergillWestwithanaccountofmysolitaryvisittoCloomberHall,notonlyonaccountoftheesteemwhichIhaveformedforthatgentlemaneversincehisresidenceatBranksome,butalsobecauseitismyconvictionthatthefactsinthecaseofGeneralHeatherstoneareofsuchasingularnaturethatitisofthehighestimportancethattheyshouldbeplacedbeforethepublicinatrustworthymanner.
ItwasaboutthebeginningofSeptemberoflastyearthatIreceivedanotefromMrs.Heatherstone,ofCloomberHall,desiringmetomakeaprofessionalcalluponherhusband,whosehealth,shesaid,hadbeenforsometimeinaveryunsatisfactorystate.
IhadheardsomethingoftheHeatherstonesandofthestrangeseclusioninwhichtheylived,sothatIwasverymuchpleasedatthisopportunityofmakingtheircloseracquaintance,andlostnotimeincomplyingwithherrequest.
IhadknowntheHallintheolddaysofMr.McVittie,theoriginalproprietor,andIwasastonishedonarrivingattheavenuegatetoobservethechangeswhichhadtakenplace.
Thegateitself,whichusedtoyawnsohospitablyupontheroad,wasnowbarredandlocked,andahighwoodenfence,withnailsuponthetop,encircledthewholegrounds.
Ihadtoknocktwicebeforeaservant-maidopenedthedoorandshowedmethroughadingyhallintoasmallroom,wheresatanelderly,carewornlady,whointroducedherselfasMrs.Heatherstone.
Withherpaleface,hergreyhair,hersad,colourlesseyes,andherfadedsilkdress,shewasinperfectkeepingwithhermelancholysurroundings.
Insteadofimproving,however,hehasseemedtogrowweaker,andthismorningheisinahighfeverandalittleinclinedtobedelirious.
Sheledthewaydownaseriesofcorridorstothechamberofthesickman,whichwassituatedintheextremewingofthebuilding.
Itwasacarpetless,bleak-lookingroom,scantilyfurnishedwithasmalltrucklebed,acampaigningchair,andaplaindealtable,onwhichwerescatterednumerouspapersandbooks.
Inthecentreofthistabletherestoodalargeobjectofirregularoutline,whichwascoveredoverwithasheetoflinen.
Allroundthewallsandinthecornerswerearrangedaverychoiceandvariedcollectionofarms,principallyswords,someofwhichwereofthestraightpatternincommonuseintheBritishArmy,whileamongtheotherswerescimitars,tulwars,cuchurries,andascoreofotherspecimensofOrientalworkmanship.
Manyofthesewererichlymounted,withinlaidsheathsandhiltssparklingwithpreciousstones,sothattherewasapiquantcontrastbetweenthesimplicityoftheapartmentandthewealthwhichglitteredonthewalls.
Ihadlittletime,however,toobservethegeneral’scollection,sincethegeneralhimselflayuponthecouchandwasevidentlyinsoreneedofmyservices.
Iadvancedtothebedside,and,stoopingoverhim,Iplacedmyfingersuponhispulse,whenimmediatelyhesprangupintothesittingpositionandstruckatmefrenziedlywithhisclenchedhands.
Ihaveneverseensuchintensityoffearandhorrorstampeduponahumanfaceasappeareduponthatthatwhichwasnowglaringupatme.
“Bloodhound!”heyelled;“letmego—letmego,Isay!Keepyourhandsoffme!Isitnotenoughthatmylifehasbeenruined?Whenisitalltoend?HowlongamItoendureit?”
“Hush,dear,hush!”saidhiswifeinasoothingvoice,passinghercoolhandoverhisheatedforehead.“ThisisDoctorEasterling,fromStranraer.Hehasnotcometoharmyou,buttodoyougood.”
Thegeneraldroppedwearilybackuponhispillow,andIcouldseebythechangedexpressionofhisfacethathisdeliriumhadlefthim,andthatheunderstoodwhathadbeensaid.
“Thereisnodanger,”Iremarked.“Withalittlequinineandarsenicweshallverysoonovercometheattackandrestorehishealth.”
“Nodanger,eh?”hesaid.“Thereneverisanydangerforme.IamashardtokillastheWanderingJew.Iamquiteclearintheheadnow,Mary;soyoumayleavemewiththedoctor.”
Mrs.Heatherstonelefttheroom-ratherunwillingly,asIthought—andIsatdownbythebedsidetolistentoanythingwhichmypatientmighthavetocommunicate.
“Icanfindtheplace,”saidI,aftermakingacarefulexamination;“butIamhappytotellyouthattheabscesshaseitherbeenentirelyabsorbed,orhasturnedcalcareous,asthesesolitaryabscesseswill.
“Now,ifanotherfellowwasfeverishanddelirioushewouldsurelybeinsomedanger,andyetyouwilltellmethatIaminnone.Lookatthis,now.”
Youwouldthinkthatwasintherightspottosettleaman,andyetwhatdoesitdobutglanceuponarib,andgocleanroundandoutattheback,withoutsomuchaspenetratingwhatyoumedicoscallthepleura.Dideveryouhearofsuchathing?”
“Deathhasnoterrorsforme,ifitwillbutcomeinsomefamiliarform,butIconfessthattheanticipationofsomestrange,somepreternaturalformofdeathisveryterribleandunnerving”
“No,Idon’tmeanthatexactly,”heanswered.“Iamtoofamiliarwithcoldsteelandleadtobeafraidofeither.Doyouknowanythingaboutodyllicforce,doctor?”
“No,Idonot,”Ireplied,glancingsharplyathimtoseeiftherewereanysignsofhisdeliriumreturning.Hisexpressionwasintelligent,however,andthefeverishflushhadfadedfromhischeeks.
“Inallthatismaterialandconducivetothecomfortofthebodyyouarepre-eminent,butinwhatconcernsthesubtleforcesofNatureandthelatentpowersofthehumanspirityourbestmenarecenturiesbehindthehumblestcooliesofIndia.
Countlessgenerationsofbeef-eating,comfortlovingancestorshavegivenouranimalinstinctsthecommandoverourspiritualones.
Thebody,whichshouldhavebeenameretoolfortheuseofthesoul,hasnowbecomeadegradingprisoninwhichitisconfined.
“IfyouweretogotoIndia,probablytheveryfirstthingyouwouldseeinthewayofamusementwouldbeanativedoingwhatiscalledthemangotrick.Ofcourseyouhaveheardorreadofit.
Thefellowplantsamangoseed,andmakespassesoverituntilitsproutsandbearsleavesandfruit—allinthespaceofhalf-an-hour.
ThesemenknowmorethanyourTyndallsorHuxleysdoaboutNature’sprocesses,andtheycanaccelerateorretardherworkingsbysubtlemeansofwhichwehavenoconception.
Theselow-casteconjurers—astheyarecalled—aremerevulgardabblers,butthemenwhohavetrodthehigherpathareasfarsuperiortousinknowledgeaswearetotheHottentotsorPatagonians.”
“Tomycost,Iam,”heanswered.“IhavebeenbroughtincontactwiththeminawayinwhichItrustnootherpoorchapeverwillbe.
But,really,asregardsodyllicforce,yououghttoknowsomethingofit,forithasagreatfuturebeforeitinyourprofession.
YoushouldreadReichcnbach’s‘ResearchesonMagnetismandVitalForce,’andGregory’s‘LettersonAnimalMagnetism.’
These,supplementedbythetwenty-sevenAphorismsofMesmer,andtheworksofDr.JustinusKerner,ofWeinsberg,wouldenlargeyourideas.”
Ididnotparticularlyrelishhavingacourseofreadingprescribedformeonasubjectconnectedwithmyownprofession,soImadenocomment,butrosetotakemydeparture.
BeforedoingsoIfelthispulseoncemore,andfoundthatthefeverhadentirelylefthiminthesudden,unaccountablefashionwhichispeculiartothesemalarioustypesofdisease.
Iturnedmyfacetowardshimtocongratulatehimuponhisimprovement,andstretchedoutmyhandatthesametimetopickmyglovesfromthetable,withtheresultthatIraisednotonlymyownproperty,butalsothelinenclothwhichwasarrangedoversomeobjectinthecentre.
ImightnothavenoticedwhatIhaddonehadInotseenanangrylookupontheinvalid’sfaceandheardhimutteranimpatientexclamation.
Iatonceturned,andreplacedtheclothsopromptlythatIshouldhavebeenunabletosaywhatwasunderneathit,beyondhavingageneralimpressionthatitlookedlikeabride-cake.
“Thereisnoreasonwhyyoushouldnotseeit,”andstretchingouthishand,hepulledawaythelinencoveringforthesecondtime.
IthenperceivedthatwhatIhadtakenforabride-cakewasreallyanadmirablyexecutedmodelofaloftyrangeofmountains,whosesnow-cladpeakswerenotunlikethefamiliarsugarpinnaclesandminarets.
“ThesearetheHimalayas,oratleasttheSurinambranchofthem,”heremarked,“showingtheprincipalpassesbetweenIndiaandAfghanistan.Itisanexcellentmodel.
ThereisthepassoppositeKalabaghandtheThulvalley,whereIwasengagedduringthesummerof1841inprotectingtheconvoysandkeepingtheAfridisinorder.Itwasn’tasinecure,Ipromiseyou.”
“Andthis,”saidI,indicatingablood-redspotwhichhadbeenmarkedononesideofthepasswhichhehadpointedout—”thisisthesceneofsomefightinwhichyouwereengaged.”
Atthismomenthefellbackuponhispillowasifhehadbeenshot,whilethesamelookofhorrorcameoverhisfacewhichIhadobservedwhenIfirstenteredtheroom.
Atthesameinstanttherecame,apparentlyfromtheairimmediatelyabovehisbed,asharp,ringing,tinklingsound,whichIcanonlycomparewiththenoisemadebyabicyclealarm,thoughitdifferedfromthisinhavingadistinctlythrobbingcharacter.
Istaredroundinastonishment,wonderingwhereitcouldhavecomefrom,butwithoutperceivinganythingtowhichitcouldbeascribed.
“It’sallright,doctor,”thegeneralsaidwithaghastlysmile.“It’sonlymyprivategong.Perhapsyouhadbetterstepdownstairsandwritemyprescriptioninthedining-room.”
Hewasevidentlyanxioustogetridofme,soIwasforcedtotakemydeparture,thoughIwouldgladlyhavestayedalittlelonger,inthehopeoflearningsomethingastotheoriginofthemysterioussound.
Idroveawayfromthehousewiththefulldeterminationofcallingagainuponmyinterestingpatient,andendeavouringtoelicitsomefurtherparticularsastohispastlifeandhispresentcircumstances.
Iwasdestined,however,tobedisappointed,forIreceivedthatveryeveninganotefromthegeneralhimself,enclosingahandsomefeeformysinglevisit,andinformingmethatmytreatmenthaddonehimsomuchgoodthatheconsideredhimselftobeconvalescent,andwouldnottroublemetoseehimagain.
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