with lee in virginia-第54章

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〃You　don't　think　my　patient　would　ill…treat　his　slaves？〃　the　doctor

asked　with　a　little　smile。



〃I　am　sure　he　wouldn't；〃　the　girl　said　indignantly。　〃Why；　the　boy

behind　you　is　one　of　his　slaves；　and　I　am　sure　be　would　give　his

life　for　his　master。〃



Dan　had　overheard　the　doctor's　story；　and　now　exclaimed：



〃No；　sah。　　Massa　Vincent　do　kindest　of　masters。　　If　all　like　him；　do

slaves　eberywbere　contented　and　happy。



What　was　de　name　of　dat　man；　sah；　you　was　speaking　of？〃



〃His　name　was　Jackson；〃　the　doctor　answered。



〃I　tought　so；〃　Dan　exclaimed　in　excitement。　　〃Massa　never

mentioned　de　names　of　de　two　officers　who　got　out　wid　him；　and　it

war　too　dark　for　me　to　see　their　faces；　but　dat　story　made　me　tink

it　must　be　him。　　Berry　bad　man　that；　he　libs　close　to　us；　and　Massa

Vincent　one　day　pretty　nigh　kill　him　because　he　beat　dat　bery　man

who　has　catched　him　now　on　de　street　of　Washington。　　When　dat

man　sell　him　wife　Massa　Vincent　buy　her　so　as　to　prevent　her

falling　into　bad　hands。　　She　safe　now　wid　his　mother　at　de

Orangery…dat's　the　name　of　her　plantation。〃



〃My　patient　must　be　quite　an　interesting　fellow；　young　lady；〃　the

doctor　said；　with　a　rather　slight　twinkle　of　his　eye。　　〃A　very

knight…errant。　　But　there　is　the　house　now；　we　shall　soon　see　all

about　him。〃



Taking　with　him　the　case　of　instruments　and　medicines　he　had

brought；　the　doctor　entered　Vincent's　room。　　Lucy　entered　first；

and　although　surprised　to　see　a　stranger　with　her；　Vincent　saw　by

her　face　that　there　was　no　cause　for　alarm。



〃I　have　brought　you　a　doctor；〃　she　said。　　〃You　could　not　go　on　as

you　were；　you　know。　　So　Dan　and　I　have　been　to　fetch　one。〃



The　doctor　now　advanced　and　took　Vincent's　hand。



〃Fererish；〃　he　said；　looking　at　his　cheeks；　which　were　now　flushed。　

〃You　have　been　doing　too　much；　I　fancy。　Now　let　us　look　at　this

wound　of　yours。　　Has　your　servant　got　any　warm　water？〃　he　asked

Lucy。



Lucy　left　the　room；　and　returned　in　a　minute　with　a　kettleful　of

warm　water　and　a　basin；　which　was　among　the　purchases　she　had

made　at　Mount　Pleasant。



〃That　is　right；〃　the　doctor　said；　taking　it　from　her。　〃Now　we　will

cut　open　the　shirt　sleeve。　　I　think；　young　lady；　you　had　better　leave

us；　unless　you　are　accustomed　to　the　sight　of　wounds。〃



〃I　am　not　accustomed　to　them；　sir；　but　as　thousands　of　women

have　been　nursing　the　wounded　in　the　hospitals；　I　suppose　I　can　do

so　now。〃



Taking　a　knife　from　the　case；　the　doctor　cut　open　the　shirt　from　the

neck　to　the　elbow。　　The　shoulder　was　terribly　swollen　and

inflamed；　and　a　little　exclamation　of　pain　broke　from　Lucy。



〃That　is　the　effect　of　walking　and　inattention；〃　the　doctor　said。　　〃If

I　could　have　taken　him　in　hand　within　an　hour　of　his　being　hit　the

matter　would　have　been　simple　enough；　but　I　cannot　search　for　the

ball；　or　in　fact　do　anything；　till　we　have　reduced　the　swelling。　　You

must　put　warm　poultices　on　every　half…hour；　and　by　to…morrow　I

hope　the　inflammation　will　have　subsided；　and　I　can　then　see

about　the　ball。　　It　evidently　is　somewhere　there　still；　for　there　is　no

sign　of　its　having　made　its　exit　anywhere。　In　the　meantime　you

must　give　him　two　tablespoonfuls　of　this　cooling　draught　every

two　hours；　and　to…night　give　him　this　sleeping　draught。　　I　will　be

over　to…morrow　morning　to　see　him。　　Do　not　be　uneasy　about　him；

the　wound　itself　is　not　serious；　and　when　we　have　got　rid　of　the

fever　and　inflammation　I　have　no　doubt　we　shall　pull　him　round

before　long。〃



〃I　know　the　wound　is　nothing；〃　Vincent　said；　〃I　have　told　Miss

Kingston　so　all　along。　　It　is　nothing　at　all　to　one　I　got　at　the　first

battle　of　Bull　Run；　where　I　had　three　ribs　badly　broken　by　a　shell。　

I　was　laid　up　a　long　time　over　that　business。　　Now　I　hope　in　a　week

I　shall　he　fit　to　travel。〃



The　doctor　shook　his　head。　　〃Not　as　soon　as　that。　Still　we　will　hope

it　may　not　be　long。　　Now　all　you　have　to　do　is　to　lie　quiet　and　not

worry；　and　to　get　to　sleep　as　quick　as　you　can。　　You　must　not　let

your　patient　talk；　Miss　Kingston。　　It　will　be　satisfactory　to　you；　no

doubt；〃　he　went　on　turning　to　Vincent；　〃to　know　that　there　is　no

fear　whatever　of　your　being　disturbed　here。　　The　road　leads

nowhere；　and　is　entirely　out　of　the　way　of　traffic。　I　should　say　you

might　be　here　six　months　without　even　a　chance　of　a　visitor。　

Every　one　knows　the　house　is　shut　up；　and　as　you　have　no　neighbor

within　half　a　mile　no　one　is　likely　to　call　in。　　Even　if　any　one　did

by　accident　come　here　you　would　be　in　no　danger；　we　are　all　one

way　of　thinking　about　here。〃



〃Shall　we　make　some　broth　for　him？〃　Lucy　asked　after　they　had

left　the　room。



〃No；　he　had　best　take　nothing　whatever　during　the　next

twenty…four　hours　except　his　medicine　and　cooling　drinks。　　The

great　thing　is　to　get　down　the　fever。　　We　can　soon　build　him　up

afterward。〃



By　nightfall　the　exertions　of　Dan；　Lucy；　and　Chloe　had　made　the

house　tidy。　　Beds　of　rushes　and　grass　had　been　made　in　the　room

upstairs　for　the　women；　and　Dan　had　no　occasion　for　one　for

himself；　as　he　was　going　to　stop　up　with　his　master。　　He；　however；

brought　a　bundle　of　rushes　into　the　kitchen；　and　when　it　became

dark　threw　himself　down　upon　them　for　a　few　hours'　sleep；　Lucy

and　her　old　nurse　taking　their　place　in　Vincent's　room；　aLd

promising　to　rouse　Dan　at　twelve　o'clock。



During　the　easy　part　of　the　night　Vincent　was　restless　and　uneasy；

but　toward　morning　he　became　more　quiet　and　dozed　off；　and　had

hut　just　awoke　when　the　doctor　drove　up　at　ten　o'clock。　　He　found

the　inflammation　and　swelling　so　much　abated　that　he　was　able　at

once　to　proceed　to　search　for　the　ball。　　Chloe　was　his　assistant。　

Lucy　felt　that　her　nerves　would　not　be　equal　to　it；　and　Dan's　hand

shook　so　that　be　could　not　hold　the　basin。　　In　a　quarter　of　an　hour；

which　seemed　to　Lucy　to　be　an　age；　the　doctor　came　out　of　the

room。



〃There　is　the　bullet；　Miss　Kingston。〃



〃And　is　he　much　hurt；　sir？〃



〃It　is　a　nasty　wound；〃　the　doctor　replied。　　〃The　collarbone　is　badly

broken；　and　I　fancy　the　head　of　the　bone　of　the　upper　arm；　to　put　it

in　language　you　will　understand；　is　fractured；　but　of　that　I　cannot

be　quite　sure。　　I　will　examine　it　again　tomorrow；　and　will　then

bandage　it　in　its　proper　position。　　At　present　I　have　only　put　a

bandage　round　the　arm　and　body　to　prevent　movement。　　I　should

bathe　it　occasionally　with　warm　water；　and　you　can　give　him　a

little　weak　broth　to…day。　　I　think；　on　the　whole；　he　is　doing　very

well。　　The　feeling　that　you　are　all　for　the　present　safe　from

detection　has　had　as　much　to　do　with　the　abatement　of　the　fever　as

my　medicine。〃



The　next　morning　the　report　was　still　satisfactory。　　The　fever　had

almost　disappeared；　and　Vincent　was　in　good　spirits。　　The　doctor

applied　the　splints　to　keep　the　shoulder　up　in　its　proper　position；

and　then　tightly　bandaged　it。



〃It　depends　upon　yourself　now；〃　he　said；　〃whether　your　shoulders

are　both　of　the　same　width　as　before　or　not。　　If　you　will　lie　quiet；

and　give　the　broken　bones　time　to　reunite；　I　think　I　can　promise

you　that　you　will　be　as　straight　as　before；　but　if　not…putting　aside

the　chances　of　inflammation…that　shoulder　will　be　lower　than　the

other；　and　you　will　never　get　your　full　strength　in　it　again。　Quiet

and　patience　are　the　only　medicines　you　require；　and　as　there　can

be　no　particular　hurry　for　you　to　get　south；　and　as　your　company

here　is　pleasant　and　you　have　two　good　nurses；　there　is　no　excuse

for　your　not　being　quiet　and　contented。〃



〃Very　well；　doctor。　　I　promise　that　unless　there　is　a　risk　of　our

being　discovered　I　will　be　as　patient　as　you　can　wish。　As　you　say；　I

have　everything　to　make　me　contented　and　comfortable。〃



The　doctor　had　a　chat　with　Lucy；　and　agreed　with　her　that　perhaps

it　would　be　better　to　inform　the　mistress　of　the　house　that　there

were　strangers　there。　　Some　of　the　people　living　along　the　road

might　notice　him　goi