ah.thefinaldiagnosis-第81章

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ll；　experience　counted　for　something；　and　the　situation　being　what　it　was；　it　was　understandable　that　Pearson　should　want　to　rise　to　it　well。
　But　it　was　his　own　total　view　of　Pearson　that　was　less　clear…cut；　less　firm。　A　week　ago　he　had　classified　the　old　pathologist…whatever　his　achievements　of　the　past…among　the　intellectual　〃havenots。〃　Now　David　Coleman　was　no　longer　sure。　He　suspected　that　in　time　to　e　he　would　be　unsure　about　a　good　deal　more。
　The　sleeplessness　had　brought　him　early　to　the　hospital；　and　it　was　a　little　after　8　A。M。　when　he　entered　the　pathology　office。　Roger　McNeil；　the　resident；　was　at　Pearson's　desk。
　〃Good　morning；〃　McNeil　said。　〃You're　the　first。　I　guess　the　others　are　sleeping　in。〃
　David　Coleman　asked；　〃Did　we　get　very　far　behind…with　other　work？〃
　〃It　isn't　too　bad；〃　McNeil　said。　〃There's　quite　a　bit　of　non…urgent　stuff；　but　I　kept　pace　with　all　the　rest。〃　He　added；　〃Seddons　helped　a　lot。　I've　told　him　he　should　stick　with　pathology　instead　of　going　back　to　surgery。〃
　Another　thought　had　been　troubling　Coleman。　He　asked　the　resident；　〃That　student　nurse…the　one　who　had　the　amputation。　Has　the　leg　been　dissected　yet？〃　He　was　remembering　that　this　was　the　diagnosis　on　which　Pearson　and　himself　had　differed。
　〃No。〃　McNeil　selected　a　case　file　from　several　on　the　desk。　〃Vivian　Loburton；〃　he　read　out；　〃that's　the　girl's　name。　It　wasn't　urgent；　so　I　left　it。　The　leg　is　still　in　the　refrigerator。　Do　you　want　to　do　it　yourself？〃
　〃Yes；〃　Coleman　said。　〃I　think　I　will。〃
　He　took　the　file　and　went　to　the　autopsy…room　annex。　From　the　morgue　refrigerator　he　obtained　the　leg　and　began　to　remove　the　gauze　wrappings。　Exposed；　the　flesh　was　cold　and　white；　the　blood　coagulated　where　the　limb　had　been　severed　halfway　up　the　thigh。　He　felt　for　the　area　of　tumor　and　encountered　it　at　once…a　hard　lumpish　mass　on　the　medial　side；　just　below　the　knee。　Taking　a　knife；　he　cut　down　deeply；　his　interest　mounting　at　what　he　saw。
　
　The　manservant　took　Kent　O'Donnell's　topcoat　and　hat；　hanging　them　in　a　closet　of　the　gloomy；　lofty　hallway。　Looking　about　him；　O'Donnell　wondered　why　anyone…wealthy　or　not…would　choose　to　live　in　such　surroundings。　Then　he　reflected　that　perhaps　to　someone　like　Eustace　Swayne　the　gaunt　spaciousness；　the　beamed　and　paneled　opulence；　the　walls　of　cold　chiseled　stone；　conveyed　a　feudal　sense　of　power；　linked　through　history　to　older　days　and　places。　O'Donnell　speculated　on　what　would　happen　to　this　house　when　the　old　man　died。　More　than　likely　it　would　bee　a　museum　or　an　art　gallery　or　perhaps　merely　stand　empty　and　decay　as　so　many　of　these　places　had。　The　notion　that　someone　else　would　take　it　as　a　home　seemed　inconceivable。　This　was　a　place　which；　logic　said；　should　close　its　doors　at　five　until　next　morning。　Then　he　remembered　that　within　these　austere　walls　Denise　must　have　spent　her　childhood。　He　wondered　if　she　had　been　happy　here。
　〃Mr。　Swayne　is　a　little　tired　today；　sir；〃　the　manservant　said。　〃He　asked　if　you　would　mind　if　he　received　you　in　his　bedroom。〃
　〃I　don't　mind；〃　O'Donnell　said。　It　occurred　to　him　that　perhaps　the　bedroom　might　be　an　appropriate　place　for　what　he　had　to　say。　If　Eustace　Swayne　had　apoplexy　as　a　result；　at　least　there　would　be　a　handy　place　to　lie　him　down。　He　followed　the　manservant　up　the　wide；　curved　stairway；　then　down　a　corridor；　their　footsteps　silenced　by　deep　broadloom。　At　a　heavy；　studded　door　the　man　tapped　lightly　and　lifted　a　wrought…iron　latch。　He　ushered　O'Donnell　into　the　spacious　room　beyond。
　At　first　O'Donnell　failed　to　see　Eustace　Swayne。　Instead　his　eyes　were　caught　by　a　massive　fireplace　framing　a　roaring　log　fire。　The　heat　from　the　fire　was　like　an　impact；　the　room　almost　unbearably　hot　on　the　already　mild　late…August　morning。　Then　he　saw　Swayne；　propped　up　by　pillows　in　a　huge　four…poster　bed；　a　monogrammed　robe　draped　around　his　shoulders。　As　he　approached　O'Donnell　noticed　with　shock　how　frail　the　old　man　had　bee　since　their　last　meeting…the　night　of　the　dinner　with　Orden　Brown　and　Denise。
　〃Thank　you　for　ing；〃　Swayne　said。　His　voice；　too；　was　weaker　than　before。　He　motioned　his　visitor　to　a　chair　beside　the　bed。
　As　he　seated　himself　O'Donnell　said；　〃I　heard　you　wanted　to　see　me。〃　In　his　own　mind　he　was　already　revising　some　of　the　forthright　statements　which　earlier　he　had　planned　to　make。　Nothing　would　change　his　own　stand；　of　course；　concerning　Joe　Pearson；　but　at　least　he　could　be　gentle。　O'Donnell　had　no　wish　now　to　tangle　with　this　ailing　old　man；　any　contest　between　them　would　be　too　uneven。
　〃Joe　Pearson　has　been　to　see　me；〃　Swayne　said。　〃Three　days　ago；　I　think　it　was。〃
　So　that　was　where　Pearson　had　been　those　missing　hours　when　they　were　trying　to　locate　him。　〃Yes；〃　O'Donnell　answered；　〃I　imagined　he　would。〃
　〃He　told　me　that　he's　leaving　the　hospital。〃　The　old　man's　voice　sounded　weary；　there　was　no　hint　so　far　of　the　denunciation　of　O'Donnell　which　the　chief　of　surgery　had　expected。
　Curious　about　what　was　ing　next；　he　answered；　〃Yes；　that's　true。〃
　The　old　man　was　silent。　Then　he　said；　〃I　suppose　there　are　some　things　no　one　can　control。〃　There　was　a　trace　of　bitterness　now。　Or　was　it　resignation？　It　was　hard　to　be　sure。
　〃I　think　there　are；〃　O'Donnell　answered　gently。
　〃When　Joe　Pearson　came　to　see　me；〃　Eustace　Swayne　said；　〃he　made　two　requests。　The　first　was　that　my　donation　to　the　hospital　building　fund　should　have　no　stipulations　attached。　I　have　agreed。〃
　There　was　a　pause；　O'Donnell　silent；　as　the　significance　of　the　words　sank　in。　The　old　man　went　on；　〃The　second　request　was　a　personal　one。　You　have　an　employee　at　the　hospital…his　name　is　Alexander；　I　believe。〃
　〃Yes；〃　O'Donnell　said　wonderingly。　〃John　Alexander…he's　a　laboratory　technologist。〃
　〃They　lost　a　child？〃
　O'Donnell　nodded。
　〃Joe　Pearson　asked　that　I　pay　the　boy's　way　through　medical　school。　I　can　do　it；　of　course…quite　easily。　Money　at　least　has　a　few　remaining　uses。〃　Swayne　reached　for　a　thick　manila　envelope　which　had　been　lying　on　the　quilt。　〃I　have　already　instructed　my　lawyers。　There　will　be　a　fund…enough　to　take　care　of　fees　and　for　him　and　his　wife　to　live　fortably。　Afterward；　if　he　chooses　to　specialize；　there　will　be　money　for　that　too。〃　The　old　man　paused；　as　if　tired　by　speaking。　Then　he　continued；　〃What　I　have　in　mind　now　is　something　more　permanent。　Later　there　will　be　others…I　suppose　equally　deserving。　I　would　like　the　fund　to　continue　and　to　be　administered　by　the　Three　Counties'　medical　board。　I　shall　insist　on　only　one　condition。〃
　Eustace　Swayne　looked　squarely　at　O'Donnell。　He　said　defiantly；　〃The　fund　will　be　named　the　Joseph　Pearson　Medical　Endowment。　Do　you　object？〃
　Moved　and　ashamed；　O'Donnell　answered；　〃Sir；　far　from　objecting；　in　my　opinion　it　will　be　one　of　the　finest　things　you　have　ever　done。〃
　
　〃Please　tell　me　the　truth；　Mike；〃　Vivian　said。　〃I　want　to　know。〃
　They　faced　each　other…Vivian　in　the　hospital　bed；　Mike　Seddons　standing；　apprehensively；　beside　it。
　It　was　their　first　meeting　following　their　time　apart。　Last　night；　after　cancellation　of　Vivian's　transfer　order；　she　had　tried　a　second　time　to　reach　Mike　by　telephone；　but　without　success。　This　morning　he　had　e；　without　her　calling；　as　they　had　arranged　six　days　ago。　Now　her　eyes　searched　his　face；　fear　nudging　her；　instinct　telling　what　her　mind　refused　to　know。
　〃Vivian；〃　Mike　said；　and　she　could　see　him　trembling；　〃I've　got　to　talk　to　you。〃
　There　was　no　answer；　only　Vivian's　steady　gaze　meeting　his　own。　His　lips　were　dry；　he　moistened　them　with　his　tongue。　He　knew　that　his　face　was　flushed；　felt　his　heart　pounding。　His　instinct　was　to　turn　and　run。　Instead　he　stood；　hesitating；　groping　for　words　which　refused　to　e。
　〃I　think　I　know　what　you　want　to　say；　Mike。〃　Vivian's　voice　was　flat；　it　seemed　drained　of　emotion。　〃You　don't　want　to　marry　me。　I'd　be　a　burden　to　you…now；　like　this。〃
　〃Oh；　Vivian　darling〃
　〃Don't；　Mike！〃　she　said。　〃Please　don't！〃
　He　said　urgently；　imploringly；　〃Please　listen　to　me；　Vivian…hear　me　out！　It　isn't　that　simple　。　。　。〃　Again　his　speech　faltered。
　For　three　days　he　had　sought　the　right　words　and　phrases　to　meet　this　moment；　yet　knowing　whatever　form　they　took　the　effe