Detective and mystery stories; English fiction -- 19th century
_Dec._ 5.--Just going to the theatre again when news came of poor Harry
Morton's illness. My own dear William, how good he is to every one. And
so prompt, too. Touch his heart or his honour, and the Duke himself
could not be more quick and decided. The news only came as we were
dressing, and to-morrow we are off to Naples to meet poor Mr. Morton,
and nurse him.
_Dec._ 6.--There is no one like Willie. After all the scramble we have
had to get ready, he would not take me across when it was so rough. So
we have taken two dear little rooms, from day to day, because Willie
cannot bear the publicity of an hotel, and I am sure I hate it too, and
we are to wait till it is fine enough to cross.
_Dec._ 9.--Still here; but the wind has gone down almost suddenly
within the last three hours, and to-morrow morning I hope we really
shall cross. Dear William getting quite worried; I persuaded him to
take me to a lecture that was going on, and while we were there the
wind went down, and we have been packing up ever since. Twelve o'clock!
and William calling to me. I _must_ just put down about Mr.... Good
Heaven! What is the matter? I feel so ill--quite--
2.--_Statement of Dr. Watson._
My name is James Watson, and I am a physician of about thirty years'
standing. In 1854, I was practising at Dover. On the night of the 9th
of December in that year, I was sent for hurriedly to see a lady, of
the name of Anderton, who had been taken suddenly ill immediately after
her return from a lecture at the Town-hall, which she had attended with
her husband. The message was brought by the servant from the lodgings
where they were living. On our way to the house she told me that "the
lady was dying, and the poor gentleman quite distracted." On arriving
at the house I found Mr. Anderton supporting his wife in his arms.
He seemed greatly agitated, and cried, "For God's sake be quick--I
think she has got the cholera!" Mrs. Anderton was on the couch in her
dressing-room, partially undressed, but with two or three blankets
thrown over her, as she seemed shivering with the cold. There was a
good fire in the room, but notwithstanding this and the blankets, her
hands and feet were both quite chilly.[2] I asked Mr. Anderton why
she had not been got to bed, to which he replied, that she had been
vomiting, until within a very few moments, so violently, that they had
been unable to move her. Almost immediately on my arrival the vomiting
re-commenced, though there appeared to be now hardly anything left in
the stomach to come away. The retching continued with unabated violence
for more than an hour after the stomach had been evidently completely
emptied, and was accompanied with great purging and severe cramps both
in the stomach and the extremities. I at once sent to my house for a
portable bath I happened to have hired for my own wife's use, and,
on its arrival, placed Mrs. Anderton in it at a temperature of 98°,
having previously added 3/4lb. of mustard.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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