LITERATURE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4788, 4 September 1883, Page 4

LITERATURE.

♦ M 133 GAB9ION"8 OABB. (EnflJwh itagarins.) (Continued.) Ohaptbb IV. Aj the shook of the disoovery of Mi*s -4hrtton*B critical situation began to subside, -Other expedients for meeting the difficulties "besetting her and myself arose in my mind. Why should I continue a singlo combat; witn Mr Lamport P If the phial contained the deadly drug I suspeoted, my relationship to the young lady was no longer the same. I WM not merely dealing with disease, -but: wioh | villainy of a most atrocious kind. Was it not right, for my patient's sake, that I should immediately obtain the opinion of an abler physician P Supposing my skill to be conawmmate, was I calm encn?' for safeguarding •n imperilled life? _ I determined to call upo Dr Dawson. He was a kindly, though haugtv r old gentleman, •f I knew from some slight intercourse I had ttfil with him. His no'isTi« of professional etiquette were extreme. ~3iul> he was the moat eminent physician of the town, and one of the social magnates. Ha received me more graciously than I had koped for ; and had no sooner heard of the j phla], and my opinion of its contents, than j Jie entered into the natter with ths greatest interest. He had recently been made a Borough Magistrate, and that; perhaps influenced him. "If you are not mistaken, Mr Leighford," mid Dr Dawson, when I had finished my Story, "this affair is indeed serious. You are young, and therefore liable to draw distorted conclusions from obscure symptoms. X don't say that you are under erroneous impressions. You may be right. Bat you may also ba wrong. I have been young, and I reoall with humiliation the many silly, 4ro.de notions I had when I first began to practise. I thought t knew more than those who examined me : and wa», in short, puffed up with my own vanity and self-oonfidenoe. I have read that artiole of yours upon fhthisif, with your \bvn on whioh I cannot •free. Your ideas are 'ml anarchical. You -defy all exparianoo. He i*n .you rushed to eoaolusioas with similar hj.te in the case of MusG&rston?" I rose indignantly from my seat. II Do not be offended, Mr Leighford," continued Dr Daweon, with a complacent shrug. " 1 do not mean to offend you in tho least. You kave aßkfd me to visit your patient, and, aa an older man, I think I am not trespassing the bounds of professional decorum when I aak if yau have not come to a precipitate con«lHsion. Remember, Mr Lamport occupies a most respectable position ; and if you should htmg a ftdfe charge against Mm, you will not ; only blight your own career at its beg^nnicg, but will bring a certain odinm upon th« profession. Ido not wish to be mixed up in a atupid fiasco." " Then you dooline to meet me in consultsiaoH P" I demanded, taking my hat from the table. "On the contrary, I feel it my duty, as • magistrate, to see thie My," returned the old gentleman with rom e huutgur. "But I must ask you, as your BCDior, to defer to my advice, and to follow my counsel, if suoh he needed. You are necr-'airily ignorant of many things, profession! And other ; and I think it only right that you should submit to My guidance. A hasty nad ill adyisetl step OB your part may involve moit .respectable people in a web of infamous scandal. Your own ruin will follow, and every medical man in the town would be injured. Will you bo guided by me P " "Certain'y," I replied, confused and irritated by the pompous old stiokler who sought to dominate me. "I am hero to ask your assistance in a most momentous difficulty, and must perforce be oubjeoted to your opinion. But I beg you not to delay. lam fully impressed by the gravity of the position lam plaoed in. At what hour will you meet me at Mr Lamport's house P " Dr Dawson consulted bis diary, and after • pause, fixed upon two o'clock. - I hurried back to Mias Garaton to prepare liar for the interview, and also to get together my noteß of the case, bo that I could meet the inquiries and criticism s of my pragmationl colleague. I found my ;>»tient much refreshed by the Bleep sh.:- had enjoyed, and | ahe consented, though wu!i great reluctance, ! to receive Dr Dawaon. Punotual to tb.3 moment-, that gentleman arrived) and it was with no little anxiety that I retired with him after his examination of Miss Garston. He paoed Mr Lamport's long diningroom for several minutes before he spoke; then ■topping abruptly before me, he said: "Mr Zieighford, you have made a serious mistake in allowing this matter to reach its present -eriiii. Although .1 doubt your opinion as to the extreme danger of your patient, I agree with you that she is under the influence of the insidious poison whioh the p"hial undoubtedly contains. Had you called upon me several days ago, the lady and yourself might have been spired muoh, and the perpetrator of the crime might have been arrested." I was annoyed by Dr Pawion's manner. **I have done my best for Miss Garston," I jaid, "and you could not have done more." The old gentleman bowed sarcastically; tjien, resuming his magisterial air, he went on: "Pray, keep your temper, and also keep your promise. Bemember, you are pledged to follow my counsel." I cannot express the vexation I endured -while my senior ipoke Bitterly did I regret that I had not gona to another of my pro* fessional brethren. My unfortunate treatise on Phthisis had mortally offended Dr Dawson, I afterwards learned, as it was opposed to a theory of his own. (Thus, his kindliness was •uppressed, and all my doings were seen through a prejudiced medium. "And now, Mr Leighford," said Dr Dawson, "I must presoribe a oourse of action «utside of medicine. Miss Garston will rapidly recover when the cause of her illness Turn been removed. You must go henco and take rack measures as will lead to the arrest of the cause." I started and grew suddenly palo. A mirror opposite showed me a ghastly refleotion of myself. " What is the matter P" cried the old gentleman. - " I do not like bringing the police upon the scene," I faltered. "You know that I have no direot proofs against Mr Lamport. The phial has come into my hards in a roundabout ■way. Would ib not ba well to have it carefully analysed, and— and— do all that is necosaarybefore taking extreme measures ?" Dr Dawson's faoe grew more lowering with each word I uttered, and the form of his "Visage was wholly changed from the pedantio .superciliousness it had borne during the earlier part of our consultation. I felt alarmed, though I could not tall why. I' Mr Leighford, your hesitation to bring this dangerous man to justioe places you in a most invidious position."- The dootor spoke -with severity. I was quite abashed. " You are young," he continued in a more kindly tone, " and know nothing of the exceeding gravity of the oiroumstanoes of this case. If you refuse to put the police to work, I ohall take the matter in hand at onoe, and that will probably lead to your arrest, Mr Leigh.- --" Good heavens !" I cried in an agony of dread, " what have I done P" " That would be determined by a judge and jury," returned the dootor with epigrammatio promptness. # I was confounded by this view of my position | and yet I was annoyed. I had, perhaps, seen over-confident, but I had not acted like • fooL I therefore oould sot help retorting : ■"I think I could prove that I have neither been an idiot nor a hemioide in Misa Gar•ton's case." "Pooh! " snapped the old doctor. #Prove that you have nout enough to get our of tho affair without compromising youiself further. You ought to have had a consultation long ago. Go to the head-constable at onco." I looked at the hard red faoe before me almost beseechingly. The idea of being mixed up in a police-court trial was almost revolting. I had a horror of publioity; and then I thought of its effect upon Miss Garston. But the hard red faoe was relentless, and I felt that I must submit. "I am going into town," said Dr D&vrron, pulling on his gloves with graceful deliberation, " and I will drop you down at the headconstable's offioe. Get your hat; I must be off." (To be oontinued.)