the brotherhood of consolation-第47章
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uneasy； therefore you need not be surprised at my method of
proceeding。 Here are your two hundred francs； and here； too； are three
notes of a thousand francs each；〃 he added； drawing from his pocket…
book the money Madame de la Chanterie had given him to release
Monsieur Bernard's book； but in case you still feel doubtful of my
solvency I offer you as reference Messrs。 Mongenod； bankers； rue de la
Victoire。〃
〃I know them；〃 said Halpersohn； putting the ten gold pieces into his
pocket。
〃He'll inquire of them；〃 thought Godefroid。
〃Where is the patient？〃 asked the doctor； rising like a man who knows
the value of time。
〃This way； monsieur；〃 said Godefroid； preceding him to show the way。
The Jew examined with a shrewd and suspicious eye the places he passed
through； giving them the keen； rapid glance of a spy； he saw all the
horrors of poverty through the door of the room in which the
grandfather and the grandson lived； for； unfortunately； Monsieur
Bernard had gone in to change his clothes before entering his
daughter's room； and in his haste to open the outer door to the
doctor； he had forgotten to close that of his lair。
He bowed in a stately manner to Halpersohn； and opened the door of his
daughter's room cautiously。
〃Vanda； my child； here is the doctor；〃 he said。
Then he stood aside to allow Halpersohn； who kept on his bear…skin
pelisse； to pass him。 The Jew was evidently surprised at the luxury of
the room； which in this quarter； and more especially in this house；
was an anomaly； but his surprise only lasted for an instant； for he
had seen among German and Russian Jews many instances of the same
contrast between apparent misery and hoarded wealth。 As he walked from
the door to the bed he kept his eye on the patient； and the moment he
reached her he said in Polish：
〃You are a Pole？〃
〃No； I am not； my mother was。〃
〃Whom did your grandfather； Colonel Tarlowski； marry？〃
〃A Pole。〃
〃From what province？〃
〃A Soboleska； of Pinsk。〃
〃Very good； monsieur is your father？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Monsieur；〃 he said； turning to the old man； 〃your wife〃
〃Is dead；〃 said Monsieur Bernard。
〃Was she very fair？〃 said Halpersohn； showing a slight impatience at
being interrupted。
〃Here is her portrait；〃 said Monsieur Bernard； unhooking from the wall
a handsome frame which enclosed several fine miniatures。
Halpersohn felt the head and handled the hair of the patient while he
looked at the portrait of Vanda Tarlowska； born Countess Sobolewska。
〃Relate to me the symptoms of your illness；〃 he said； placing himself
on the sofa and looking fixedly at Vanda during the twenty minutes the
history； given alternately by the father and daughter； lasted。
〃How old are you？〃
〃Thirty…eight。〃
〃Ah！ good！〃 he cried； rising； 〃I will answer for the cure。 Mind； I do
not say that I can restore the use of her legs； but cured of the
disease； that she shall be。 Only； I must have her in a private
hospital under my own eye。〃
〃But； monsieur； my daughter cannot be moved！〃
〃I will answer for her；〃 said Halpersohn； curtly； 〃but I will answer
for her only on those conditions。 She will have to exchange her
present malady for another still more terrible； which may last a year；
six months at the very least。 You may come and see her at the
hospital； since you are her father。〃
〃Are you certain of curing her？〃 said Monsieur Bernard。
〃Certain；〃 repeated the Jew。 〃Madame has in her body an element； a
vitiated fluid； the national disease； and it must be eliminated。 You
must bring her to me at Challot； rue Basse…Saint…Pierre； private
hospital of Doctor Halpersohn。〃
〃How can I？〃
〃On a stretcher； just as all sick persons are carried to hospitals。〃
〃But the removal will kill her！〃
〃No。〃
As he said the word in a curt tone he was already at the door；
Godefroid rejoined him on the staircase。 The Jew； who was stifling
with heat； said in his ear：
〃Besides the three thousand francs； the cost will be fifteen francs a
day； payable three months in advance。〃
〃Very good； monsieur。 And；〃 continued Godefroid； putting one foot on
the step of the cabriolet； into which the doctor had sprung； 〃you say
you will answer for the cure？〃
〃I will answer for it；〃 said the Jewish doctor。 〃Are you in love with
the lady？〃
〃No；〃 replied Godefroid。
〃You must not repeat what I am about to say to you； I only say it to
prove to you that I am certain of a cure。 If you are guilty of the
slightest indiscretion you will kill her。〃
Godefroid replied with a gesture only。
〃For the last seventeen years she has been a victim to the element in
her system called /plica polonica/；＇*＇ which has produced all these
ravages。 I have seen more terrible cases than this。 Now； I alone in
the present day know how to bring this disease to a crisis； and force
it outward so as to obtain a chance to cure itfor it cannot always
be cured。 You see； monsieur； that I am disinterested。 If this lady
were of great importance； a Baronne de Nucingen； or any other wife or
daughter of a modern Croesus； this cure would bring me one hundredtwo
hundred thousand francs； in short； anything I chose to ask for it。
However； it is only a trifling loss to me。〃
＇*＇ Balzac's description of /plica polonica/ does not agree with that
given in English medical dictionaries and cyclopedias。 But as the
book was written at Wierschovnia； Poland； in 1847； when he was
attended by a celebrated Polish physician； and as； moreover； he
was always so scrupulously accurate in his descriptions； it is
fair to suppose that he knew of some form of the disease other
than that given in the books。 His account probably applies to the
period before it takes the visible form described in the books。
〃About conveying her？〃
〃Bah！ she'll seem to be dying； but she won't die。 There's life enough
in her to last a hundred years； when the disease is out of her system。
Come； Jacques； drive on！ quick；rue de Monsieur！ quick！〃 he said to
his man。
Godefroid was left on the boulevard gazing stupidly after the
cabriolet。
〃Who is that queer man in a bearskin？〃 asked Madame Vauthier； whom
nothing escaped； 〃is it true； what the man in the cabriolet told me；
that he is one of the greatest doctors in Paris？〃
〃What is that to you？〃
〃Oh！ nothing at all；〃 she replied； making a face。
〃You made a great mistake in not putting yourself on my side；〃 said
Godefroid； returning slowly to the house； 〃you would have made more
out of me than you will ever get from Barbet and Metivier； from whom；
mark my words； you'll get nothing。〃
〃I am not for them particularly；〃 said Madame Vauthier； shrugging her
shoulders； 〃Monsieur Barbet is my proprietor； that's all！〃
It required two days' persuasion to induce Monsieur Bernard to
separate from his daughter and take her to Chaillot。 Godefroid and the
old man made the trip walking on each side of the litter； canopied
with blue and white striped linen； in which was the dear patient；
partly bound to a mattress； so much did her father dread the possible
convulsions of a nervous attack。 They started at three o'clock and
reached their destination at five just as evening was coming on。
Godefroid paid the sum demanded for three months' board in advance；
being careful to obtain a receipt for the money。 When he went back to
pay the bearers of the litter； he was followed by Monsieur Bernard；
who took from beneath the mattress a bulky package carefully sealed
up； and gave it to Godefroid。
〃One of these men will fetch you a cab；〃 said the old man； 〃for you
cannot carry these four volumes under your arm。 That is my book； give
it to your reader； he may keep it the whole of the coming week。 I
shall stay at least that time in this quarter； for I cannot leave my
daughter in such total abandonment。 I trust my grandson； he can take
care of our rooms； especially if you keep an eye on him。 If I were
what I once was I would ask you the name of my critic； the former
magistrate you spoke of； there were but few of them whom I did not
know。〃
〃Oh； there's no mystery about it！〃 said Godefroid； interrupting
Monsieur Bernard。 〃Now that you have shown this entire confidence in
tr
