Jim MortimerBell, R. S. Warren (Robert Stanley Warren)
General
Jim Mortimer
Bell, R. S. Warren (Robert Stanley Warren)
London (England) -- Fiction; Physicians -- Fiction
Sir Savile concurring, Mr Maybury was obliged to submit, although he
himself could not help thinking that the intelligence would banish that
brooding expression for ever from Jim’s eyes. For Dora’s father sitting
by the bedside, could see that Jim was suffering from something more
than the physical injuries he had sustained in the Silent House.
Mr Maybury spoke to Koko about it.
"Yes," said Koko, promptly; "I have a good mind to tell Jim, and let the
doctors go hang. They only take a scientific view of his case. _Shall_
I?"
"We must obey orders," said Mr Maybury.
"Well I don’t believe it would do him all that harm--and it might do him
an awful lot of good."
"I think with you," said Mr Maybury, "but the doctors probably know
best."
"All the same, doctors don’t know everything," grumbled Koko.
Jim did not make a single inquiry on the subject. He presumed Dora was
away honey-mooning under the fair blue skies of the Mediterranean. He
had no idea she was still at No. 9, seriously considering the question
of taking a business situation of some sort, since she could not return
to the post-office. Her father did not encourage the idea, nor did he
oppose it. If Dora would be happier going to a city office every day,
well--she had better go. But, on the other hand, he was quite content
that she should remain at home, now that he was so much better off.
So stood matters when old Doctor Mortimer stole a couple of days from
his wealthy and, in many cases, hypochondriacal patients down at
Threeways, and, running up to town to see Jim, pitched his tent in a
quiet Arundel Street hotel. In order to reach Mount Street he had only
to make his way along the Embankment to Blackfriars Bridge, whence to
Derby Crescent was a smart fifteen minutes’ walk. For the Doctor always
walked if it was fine weather. "It keeps a man alive--walking," the old
gentleman told Koko, who lunched with him on the day of his arrival in
town. And, to be sure, it was good to see the Doctor’s stalwart form
striding briskly along the crowded pavements, his fine, clean-cut face
ruddy and wholesome showing up refreshingly against the pallid cheeks of
London wayfarers.
"We must get Jim away to the seaside as soon as possible," he said to
Koko, as the latter with some difficulty kept step for step with his big
companion; "what he wants is oxygen--oxygen."
During lunch Koko had given Jim’s grandfather a complete history of the
Jefferson episode. He also mentioned that Jim was being kept in
ignorance of the closing incident. So, after a short silence, Dr
Mortimer slackened his pace, and said: "She’s a nice girl, then, Mr
Somers?"
"She’s as nice a girl as you could meet, Doctor."
"Doesn’t spend all her time reading silly novels, I trust?"
"Hardly _all_ her time, Doctor. She reads a certain number, I suppose."
"She’s a good girl--I mean, a girl with religion? I don’t believe in
your modern young lady who strums waltzes on the piano instead of going
to church!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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