ah.thefinaldiagnosis-第24章

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rniture；　the　cavernous　fireplace　laid　with　great　logs…not　burning　now；　this　warm　July　evening；　but　ready　to　blaze　to　life　at　the　touch　of　a　servant's　torch；　and；　across　from　O'Donnell；　Eustace　Swayne；　seated　kinglike　in　a　straight…backed；　stuffed　wing　chair；　the　other　four…almost　as　courtiers…formed　in　a　semicircle；　facing　the　old　tycoon。
　〃I　am　serious。〃　Swayne　put　down　his　brandy　glass　and　leaned　forward　to　make　his　point。　〃Oh；　I　admit…show　me　a　child　in　leg　braces　and　I'll　cringe　with　the　rest　and　reach　for　my　checkbook。　But　I'm　talking　of　the　grand　design。　The　fact　is…and　I　challenge　anyone　to　deny　it…we're　busily　engaged　in　weakening　the　human　race。〃
　It　was　a　familiar　argument。　O'Donnell　said　courteously；　〃Would　you　suggest　that　we　should　stop　medical　research；　freeze　our　knowledge　and　techniques；　not　try　to　conquer　any　more　diseases？〃
　〃You　couldn't　do　it；〃　Swayne　said。　〃You　couldn't　do　it　any　more　than　you　could　have　stopped　the　Gadarene　swine　jumping　off　their　cliff。〃
　O'Donnell　laughed。　〃I'm　not　sure　I　like　the　analogy。　But　if　that　is　so；　then　why　the　argument？〃
　〃Why？〃　Swayne　banged　a　fist　on　the　arm　of　his　chair。　〃Because　you　can　still　deplore　something；　even　though　there's　nothing　you　can　do　to　force　a　change。〃
　〃I　see。〃　O'Donnell　was　not　sure　he　wanted　to　get　deeper　into　this　discussion。　Besides；　it　might　not　help　relations　with　Swayne；　either　for　himself　or　Orden　Brown；　which　was　really　why　they　had　e　here。　He　glanced　around　at　the　others　in　the　room。　Amelia　Brown；　whom　he　had　e　to　know　well　through　his　visits　to　the　chairman's　home；　caught　his　eye　and　smiled。　As　a　wife　who　kept　herself　posted　on　all　her　husband's　activities；　she　was　well　informed　about　hospital　politics。
　Swayne's　married　daughter；　Denise　Quantz；　was　sitting　forward；　listening　intently。
　At　dinner　O'Donnell　had　several　times　found　his　eyes　traveling；　almost　involuntarily；　in　Mrs。　Quantz's　direction。　He　had　found　it　difficult　to　reconcile　her　as　the　daughter　of　the　rugged；　hard…bitten　man　who　sat　at　the　table's　head。　At　seventy…eight　Eustace　Swayne　still　exhibited　much　of　the　toughness　he　had　learned　in　the　petitive　maelstrom　of　large…scale　retail　merchandising。　At　times　he　took　advantage　of　his　age　to　toss　out　barbed　remarks　to　his　guests；　though　O'Donnell　suspected　that　most　times　their　host　was　merely　angling　for　an　argument。　O'Donnell　had　found　himself　thinking：　The　old　boy　still　likes　a　fight；　even　if　it's　only　in　words。　In　the　same　way　he　had　an　instinct　now　that　Swayne　was　overstating　his　feelings　about　medicine；　though　perhaps　in　this　case　merely　for　the　sake　of　being　ornery。　Watching　the　old　man　covertly；　O'Donnell　had　suspected　gout　and　rheumatism　might　be　factors　here。
　But；　in　contrast；　Denise　Quantz　was　gentle　and　softly　spoken。　She　had　a　trick　of　taking　the　edge　from　a　remark　of　her　father's　by　adding　a　word　or　two　to　what　he　had　said。　She　was　beautiful　too；　O'Donnell　thought；　with　the　rare　mature　loveliness　which　sometimes　es　to　a　woman　at　forty。　He　gathered　that　she　was　visiting　Eustace　Swayne　and　came　to　Burlington　fairly　frequently。　Probably　this　was　to　keep　an　eye　on　her　father；　he　knew　that　Swayne's　own　wife　had　died　many　years　before。　It　was　evident　from　conversation；　though；　that　most　of　the　time　Denise　Quantz　lived　in　New　York。　There　were　a　couple　of　references　made　to　children；　but　a　husband　was　not　mentioned。　He　gained　the　impression　that　she　was　either　separated　or　divorced。　Mentally　O'Donnell　found　himself　paring　Denise　Quantz　with　Lucy　Grainger。　There　was　a　world　of　difference；　he　thought；　between　the　two　women：　Lucy　with　her　professional　career；　at　ease　in　the　environment　of　medicine　and　the　hospital；　able　to　meet　someone　like　himself　on　ground　familiar　to　them　both；　and　Denise　Quantz；　a　woman　of　leisure　and　independence；　a　figure　in　society　no　doubt；　and　yet…he　had　the　feeling…someone　who　would　make　a　home　a　place　of　warmth　and　serenity。　O'Donnell　wondered　which　kind　of　woman　was　better　for　a　man：　one　who　was　close　to　his　working　life；　or　someone　separate　and　detached；　with　other　interests　beyond　the　daily　round。
　His　thoughts　were　interrupted　by　Denise。　Leaning　toward　him；　she　said；　〃Surely　you're　not　going　to　give　up　so　easily；　Dr。　O'Donnell。　Please　don't　let　my　father　get　away　with　that。〃
　The　old　man　snorted。　〃There's　nothing　to　get　away　with。　It's　a　perfectly　clear　situation。　For　years　the　natural　balance　of　nature　kept　populations　in　check。　When　the　birth　rate　became　too　great　there　were　famines　to　offset　it。〃
　Orden　Brown　put　in；　〃But　surely　some　of　that　was　political。　It　wasn't　always　a　force　of　nature。〃
　〃I'll　grant　you　that　in　some　cases。〃　Eustace　Swayne　waved　his　hand　airily。　〃But　there　was　nothing　political　in　the　elimination　of　the　weak。〃
　〃Do　you　mean　the　weak　or　the　unfortunate？〃　Very　well；　O'Donnell　thought；　if　you　want　an　argument　I'll　give　you　one。
　〃I　mean　what　I　say…the　weak。〃　The　old　man's　voice　had　a　sharper　tone；　but　O'Donnell　sensed　he　was　enjoying　this。　〃When　there　was　a　plague　or　an　epidemic；　it　was　the　weak　who　were　wiped　out　and　the　strong　survived。　Other　illnesses　did　the　same　thing；　there　was　a　level　maintained…nature's　level。　And　because　of　this　it　was　the　strong　who　perpetuated　themselves。　They　were　the　ones　who　sired　the　next　generation。〃
　〃Do　you　really　think；　Eustace；　that　mankind　is　so　degenerate　now？〃　Amelia　Brown　had　asked　the　question；　and　O'Donnell　saw　she　was　smiling。　She　knows　that　Swayne's　enjoying　this；　he　thought。
　〃We're　moving　toward　degeneracy；〃　the　old　man　answered　her；　〃at　least　in　the　Western　world。　We're　preserving　the　cripples；　the　weaklings；　and　the　disease…ridden。　We're　accumulating　burdens　on　society；　non…producers…the　unfit；　unable　to　contribute　anything　to　the　mon　good。　Tell　me…what　purpose　does　a　sanatorium　or　a　home　for　incurables　serve？　I　tell　you；　medicine　today　is　preserving　people　who　should　be　allowed　to　die。　But　we're　helping　them　to　live；　then　letting　them　spawn　and　multiply；　passing　along　their　uselessness　to　their　children　and　their　children's　children。〃
　O'Donnell　reminded　him；　〃The　relationship　between　disease　and　heredity　is　far　from　clear。〃
　〃Strength　is　of　the　mind　as　well　as　the　body；〃　Eustace　Swayne　snapped　back。　〃Don't　children　inherit　the　mental　characteristics　of　their　parents…and　their　weaknesses？〃
　〃Not　all　of　the　time。〃　This　was　between　the　old　tycoon　and　O'Donnell　now。　The　others　sat　back；　listening。
　〃But　a　lot　of　the　time　they　do。　Well；　don't　they？〃
　O'Donnell　smiled。　〃There's　some　evidence　that　way；　yes。〃
　Swayne　snorted。　〃It's　one　of　the　reasons　we've　so　many　mental　hospitals。　And　patients　in　them。　And　people　running　to　psychiatrists。〃
　〃It　could　also　be　that　we're　more　aware　of　mental　health。〃
　Swayne　mimicked　him。　〃It　could　also　be　that　we're　breeding　people　who　are　weak；　weak；　weak！〃
　The　old　man　had　almost　shouted　the　last　words。　Now　a　bout　of　coughing　seized　him。　I'd　better　go　easily；　O'Donnell　thought。　He　probably　has　high　blood　pressure。
　Just　as　if　O'Donnell　had　spoken；　Eustace　Swayne　glared　across　at　him。　The　old　man　took　a　sip　of　brandy。　Then；　almost　malevolently；　he　said；　〃Don't　try　to　spare　me；　my　young　medical　friend。　I　can　handle　all　your　arguments　and　more。〃
　O'Donnell　decided　he　would　go　on　but　more　moderately。　He　said；　quietly　and　reasonably；　〃I　think　there's　one　thing　you're　overlooking；　Mr。　Swayne。　You　say　that　illness　and　disease　are　nature's　levelers。　But　many　of　these　things　haven't　e　to　us　in　the　natural　course　of　nature。　They're　the　result　of　man's　own　environment；　conditions　he's　created　himself。　Bad　sanitation；　lack　of　hygiene；　slums；　air　pollution…those　aren't　natural　things；　they're　man's　creation。〃
　〃They're　part　of　evolution　and　evolution　is　a　part　of　nature。　It　all　adds　up　to　the　balancing　process。〃
　Admiringly　O'Donnell　thought：　You　can't　shake　the　old　son　of　a　gun　easily。　But　he　saw　the　chink　in　the　other's　argument。　He　said；　〃If　you're　right；　then　medicine　is　a　part　of　the　balancing　process　too。〃
　Swayne　snapped　back；　〃How　do　you　reason　that？〃
　〃Because　medicine　is　a　part　of　evolution。〃　Despite　his　good　resolution　O'Donnell　felt　his　voice　grow　more　intense。　〃Because　every　change　of　environment　that　man　has　had　produced　its　problems　for　medici