a simpleton-第23章

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little　couch；　while　he　went　through　his　accounts。

When　he　had　examined　all　the　bills　carefully　he　looked　very　grave；
and　said；　〃Who　would　believe　this？　　We　began　with　three　thousand
pounds。　　It　was　to　last　us　several　yearstill　I　got　a　good
practice。　　Rosa；　there　is　only　fourteen　hundred　and　forty　pounds
left。〃

〃Oh；　impossible！〃　said　Rosa。　　〃Oh；　dear！　why　did　I　ever　enter　a
saleroom？〃

〃No；　no；　my　darling；　you　were　bitten　once　or　twice；　but　you　made
some　good　bargains　too。　　Remember　there　was　four　hundred　pounds　set
apart　for　my　life　policy。〃

〃What　a　waste　of　money！〃

〃Your　father　did　not　think　so。　　Then　the　lease；　the　premium；
repairs　of　the　drains　that　would　have　poisoned　my　Rosa；　turning　the
coach…house　into　a　dispensary；　painting；　papering；　and　furnishing；
china；　and　linen；　and　everything　to　buy。　　We　must　look　at　this
seriously。　　Only　fourteen　hundred　and　forty　pounds　left。　　A　slow
profession。　　No　friends。　　I　have　quarrelled　with　Uncle　Philip：　you
with　Mrs。　Cole；　and　her　husband　would　have　launched　me。〃

〃And　it　was　to　please　her　we　settled　here。　　Oh；　I　could　kill　her：
nasty　cat！〃

〃Never　mind；　it　is　not　a　case　for　despondency；　but　it　is　for
prudence。　　All　we　have　to　do　is　to　look　the　thing　in　the　face；　and
be　very　economical　in　everything。　　I　had　better　give　you　an
allowance　for　housekeeping；　and　I　earnestly　beg　you　to　buy　things
yourself　whilst　you　are　a　poor　man's　wife；　and　pay　ready　money　for
everything。　　My　mother　was　a　great　manager；　and　she　always　said；
'There　is　but　one　way：　be　your　own　market…woman；　and　pay　on　the
spot；　never　let　the　tradesmen　get　you　on　their　books；　or；　what　with
false　weight；　double　charges；　and　the　things　your　servants　order
that　never　enter　the　house；　you　lose　more　than　a　hundred　a　year　by
cheating。'〃

Rosa　yielded　a　languid　assent　to　this　part　of　his　discourse；　and　it
hardly　seemed　to　enter　her　mind；　but　she　raised　no　objection；　and
in　due　course　he　made　her　a　special　allowance　for　housekeeping。

It　soon　transpired　that　medical　advice　was　to　be　had；　gratis；　at
the　Bijou；　from　eight　till　ten：　and　there　was　generally　a　good
attendance。　　But　a　week　passed；　and　not　one　patient　came　of　the
class　this　couple　must　live　by。　　Christopher　set　this　down　to　what
people　call　〃the　transition　period：〃　his　Kent　patients　had　lost
him；　his　London　patients　not　found　him。　　He　wrote　to　all　his
patients　in　the　country；　and　many　of　his　pupils　at　the　university；
to　let　them　know　where　he　was　settled：　and　then　he　waited。

Not　a　creature　came。

Rosa　bore　this　very　well　for　a　time；　so　long　as　the　house　was　a
novelty；　but　when　that　excitement　was　worn　out；　she　began　to　be
very　dull；　and　used　to　come　and　entice　him　out　to　walk　with　her：　he
would　look　wistfully　at　her；　but　object　that；　if　he　left　the　house；
he　should　be　sure　to　lose　a　patient。

〃Oh；　they　won't　come　any　more　for　our　staying　intiresome　things！〃
said　Rosa。

But　Christopher　would　kiss　her；　and　remain　firm。　　〃My　love；〃　said
he；　〃you　do　not　realize　how　hard　a　fight　there　is　before　us。　　How
should　you？　　You　are　very　young。　　No；　for　your　sake；　I　must　not
throw　a　chance　away。　　Write　to　your　female　friends：　that　will　while
away　an　hour　or　two。〃

〃What；　after　that　Florence　Cole？〃

〃Write　to　those　who　have　not　made　such　violent　professions。〃

〃So　I　will；　dear。　　Especially　to　those　that　are　married　and　come　to
London。　　Oh；　and　I'll　write　to　that　cold…blooded　thing；　Lady　Cicely
Treherne。　　Why　do　you　shake　your　head？〃

〃Did　I？　　I　was　not　aware。　　Well；　dear；　if　ladies　of　rank　were　to
come　here；　I　fear　they　might　make　you　discontented　with　your　lot。〃

〃All　the　women　on　earth　could　not　do　that。　　However；　the　chances
are　she　will　not　come　near　me：　she　left　the　school　quite　a　big
girl；　an　immense　girl；　when　I　was　only　twelve。　　She　used　to　smile
at　my　capriccios；　and　once　she　kissed　meactually。　　She　was　an
awful　Sawny；　though；　and　so　affected：　I　think　I　will　write　to　her。〃

These　letters　brought　just　one　lady；　a　Mrs。　Turner；　who　talked　to
Rosa　very　glibly　about　herself；　and　amused　Rosa　twice：　at　the　third
visit；　Rosa　tried　to　change　the　conversation。　　Mrs。　Turner
instantly　got　up；　and　went　away。　　She　could　not　bear　the　sound　of
the　human　voice；　unless　it　was　talking　about　her　and　her　affairs。

And　now　Staines　began　to　feel　downright　uneasy。　　Income　was　going
steadily　out：　not　a　shilling　coming　in。　　The　lame；　the　blind；　and
the　sick　frequented　his　dispensary；　and　got　his　skill　out　of　him
gratis；　and　sometimes　a　little　physic；　a　little　wine；　and　other
things　that　cost　him　money：　but　of　the　patients　that　pay；　not　one
came　to　his　front　door。

He　walked　round　and　round　his　little　yard；　like　a　hyena　in　its
cage；　waiting；　waiting；　waiting：　and　oh！　how　he　envied　the　lot　of
those　who　can　hunt　for　work；　instead　of　having　to　stay　at　home　and
wait　for　others　to　come；　whose　will　they　cannot　influence。　　His
heart　began　to　sicken　with　hope　deferred；　and　dim　forebodings　of
the　future；　and　he　saw；　with　grief；　that　his　wife　was　getting
duller　and　duller；　and　that　her　days　dragged　more　heavily；　far　than
his　own；　for　he　could　study。

At　last　his　knocker　began　to　show　signs　of　life：　his　visitors　were
physicians。　　His　lectures　on　〃Diagnosis〃　were　well　known　to　them；
and　one　after　another　found　him　out。　　They　were　polite；　kind；　even
friendly；　but　here　it　ended：　these　gentlemen；　of　course；　did　not
resign　their　patients　to　him；　and　the　inferior　class　of
practitioners　avoided　his　door　like　a　pestilence。

Mrs。　Staines；　who　had　always　lived　for　amusement；　could　strike　out
no　fixed　occupation；　her　time　hung　like　lead；　the　house　was　small；
and　in　small　houses　the　faults　of　servants　run　against　the
mistress；　and　she　can't　help　seeing　them；　and　all　the　worse　for
her。　　It　is　easier　to　keep　things　clean　in　the　country；　and　Rosa
had　a　high　standard；　which　her　two　servants　could　never　quite
attain。　　This　annoyed　her；　and　she　began　to　scold　a　little。　　They
answered　civilly；　but　in　other　respects　remained　imperfect　beings；
they　laid　out　every　shilling　they　earned　in　finery；　and；　this；　I　am
ashamed　to　say；　irritated　Mrs。　Staines；　who　was　wearing　out　her
wedding　garments；　and　had　no　excuse　for　buying；　and　Staines　had
begged　her　to　be　economical。　　The　more　they　dressed；　the　more　she
scolded；　they　began　to　answer。　　She　gave　the　cook　warning；　the
other；　though　not　on　good　terms　with　the　cook；　had　a　gush　of　esprit
de　corps　directly；　and　gave　Mrs。　Staines　warning。

Mrs。　Staines　told　her　husband　all　this：　he　took　her　part；　though
without　openly　interfering；　and　they　had　two　new　servants；　not　so
good　as　the　last。

This　worried　Rosa　sadly；　but　it　was　a　flea…bite　to　the　deeper
nature；　and　more　forecasting　mind　of　her　husband；　still　doomed　to
pace　that　miserable　yard；　like　a　hyena；　chafing；　seeking；　longing
for　the　patient　that　never　came。

Rosa　used　to　look　out　of　his　dressing…room　window；　and　see　him　pace
the　yard。　　At　first；　tears　of　pity　stood　in　her　eyes。　　By　and　by
she　got　angry　with　the　world；　and　at　last；　strange　to　say；　a　little
irritated　with　him。　　It　is　hard　for　a　weak　woman　to　keep　up　all　her
respect　for　the　man　that　fails。

One　day；　after　watching　him　a　long　time　unseen；　she　got　excited；
put　on　her　shawl　and　bonnet；　and　ran　down　to　him：　she　took　him　by
the　arm：　〃If　you　love　me；　come　out　of　this　prison；　and　walk　with
me；　we　are　too　miserable。　　I　shall　be　your　first　patient　if　this
goes　on　much　longer。〃　　He　looked　at　her；　saw　she　was　very　excited；
and　had　better　be　humored；　so　he　kissed　her　and　just　said；　with　a
melancholy　smile；　〃How　poor　are　they　that　have　not　patience！〃　　Then
he　put　on　his　hat；　and　walked　in　the　Park　and　Kensington　Gardens
with　her。　　The　season　was　just　beginning。　　There　were　carriages
enough；　and　gay　Amazons　enough；　to　make　poor　Rosa　sigh　more　than
once。

Christopher　heard　the　sigh；　and　pressed　her　arm；　and　said；
〃Courage；　love；　I　hope　to　see　you　among　them　yet。〃

〃The　sooner　the　better；〃　said　she；　a　little　hardly。

〃And；　meantime；　which　of　them　all　is　as　beautiful　as　you？〃

〃All　I　know　is；　they　are　more　attractive。　　Who　looks　at　me；　walking
tamely　by？〃

Christopher　said　nothing：　but　these　words　seemed　to　imply　a　thirst
for　admirati