<h2><SPAN name="CHAPTER_IX" id="CHAPTER_IX"></SPAN>CHAPTER IX</h2>
<p>With a heart as heavy as lead I made my
way down-stairs, and having chartered a gondola,
bade the man take me to the Palace Revecce with
all possible haste. Old Galaghetti, who stood
upon the steps, nodded vehement approval, and
rubbed his hands with delight as he thought
of the triumph his great doctor must inevitably
achieve. As I left the hotel I looked back at
it with a feeling of genuine sorrow. Only a
few days before our party had all been so
happy together, and now one was stricken down
with a mysterious malady that, so far as I could
see, was likely to end in her death. Whether
the gondolier had been admonished by Galaghetti
to make haste, and was anxious to do so in
sympathy with my trouble, I cannot say; the
fact, however, remains that we accomplished the
distance that separated the hotel from the palace
in what could have been little more than half
the time usually taken. My star was still in the
ascendant when we reached the palace, for when<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</SPAN></span>
I had disembarked at the steps, the old man who
did menial service for Nikola, had just opened it
and looked out. I inquired whether his master
was at home, and, if so, whether I could see him?
He evidently realized that my Italian was of the
most rudimentary description, for it was necessary
for me to repeat my question three or four
times before he could comprehend my meaning.
When at last he did so, he pointed up the stairs
to signify that Nikola <i>was</i> at home, and also
that, if I desired to see him, I had better go in
search of him. I immediately did so, and hastened
up the stairs to the room I have already
described, and of which I entertained such ghastly
recollections. I knocked upon the door, and a
well-known voice bade me in English to "come in."
I was in too great a haste to fulfil my mission to
observe at the time the significance these words
contained. It was not until afterwards that I
remembered the fact that, as we approached the
palace, I had looked up at Nikola's window and
had seen no sign of him there. As I had not
rung the bell, but had been admitted by the old
man-servant, how could he have become aware
of my presence? But, as I say, I thought of
all that afterwards. For the moment the only
desire I had was to inform Nikola of my errand.</p>
<p>Upon my entering the room I found Nikola
standing before a table on which were glasses,<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</SPAN></span>
test-tubes, and various chemical paraphernalia.
He was engaged in pouring some dark-coloured
liquid into a graduating glass, and when he
spoke it was without looking round at me.</p>
<p>"I am very glad to see you, my dear Hatteras,"
he said. "It is kind of you to take pity on my
loneliness. If you don't mind sitting down for
a few moments, and lighting a cigar—you'll find
the box on the table—I shall have finished this,
and then we can talk."</p>
<p>"But I am afraid I can't wait," I answered.
"I have come on the most important business.
There is not a moment to lose."</p>
<p>"In that case I am to suppose that Miss
Trevor is worse," he said, putting down the
bottle from which he had been pouring, and
afterwards replacing the glass stopper with the
same hand. "I was afraid it might be so."</p>
<p>"How do you know that she is ill?" I asked,
not a little surprised to hear that he was aware
of our trouble.</p>
<p>"I manage to know a good many things," he
replied. "I was aware that she was ill, and
have been wondering how long it would be before
I was called in. The other doctors don't like
my interference, I suppose?"</p>
<p>"They certainly do not," I answered. "But
they have done no good for her."</p>
<p>"And you think I may be able to help you?"<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</SPAN></span>
he inquired, looking at me over the graduating
glass with his strange, dark eyes.</p>
<p>"I certainly do," I replied.</p>
<p>"I am your debtor for the compliment."</p>
<p>"And you will come?"</p>
<p>"You really wish it?"</p>
<p>"I believe it is the only thing that will save
her life," I answered. "But you must come
quickly, or it will be too late. She was sinking
when I left the hotel."</p>
<p>With a hand that never shook he poured the
contents of the glass into a small phial, and then
placed the latter in his pocket.</p>
<p>"I am at your disposal now," he answered.
"We will set off as soon as you like. As you say,
we must lose no time."</p>
<p>"But will it not be necessary for you to take
some drugs with you?" I asked.</p>
<p>"I am taking this one," he replied, placing
his hat upon his head as he spoke.</p>
<p>I remembered that he had been making his
prescription up as I entered the room. Had he
then intended calling to see her, even supposing
I had not come to ask his assistance? I had no
chance of putting the question to him, however.</p>
<p>"Have you a gondola below?" he asked, as
we went down the stairs.</p>
<p>I replied in the affirmative; and when we
gained the hall door we descended the steps and<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</SPAN></span>
took our places in it. On reaching the hotel I
conducted him to the drawing-room, where we
found the Dean and Glenbarth eagerly awaiting
our coming. I presented the former to Nikola,
and then went off to inform my wife of his
arrival. She accompanied me back to the drawing-room,
and when she entered the room Nikola
crossed it to receive her. Though she looked at
him in a frightened way I thought his manner
soon put her at her ease.</p>
<p>"Perhaps you will be kind enough to take me
to my patient," he said, when they had greeted
each other. "As the case is so serious, I had
better lose no time in seeing her."</p>
<p>He followed my wife from the room, and then
we sat down to await his verdict, with what
anxiety you may imagine.</p>
<div class="figcenter"><SPAN name="i005" name="i005"></SPAN> <ANTIMG src="images/i005.jpg" alt="i005" /> <p class="caption">"He laid his hand upon her forehead."</p> </div>
<p>Of all that transpired during his stay with Miss
Trevor I can only speak from hearsay. My
wife, however, was unfortunately too agitated to
remember everything that occurred. She informed
me that on entering the room he advanced
very quietly towards the bed, and for a few
moments stood looking down at the frail burden
it supported. Then he felt her pulse, lifted the
lids of her eyes, and for a space during which a
man might have counted fifty slowly, laid his
hand upon her forehead. Then, turning to the
nurse, who had of course heard of the withdrawal<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</SPAN></span>
of the other doctors, he bade her bring him a
wine-glass of iced water. She disappeared, and
while she was absent Nikola sat by the bedside
holding the sick girl's hand, and never for a
moment taking his eyes from her face. Presently
the woman returned, bringing the water as
directed. He took it from her, and going to the
window poured from a phial, which he had taken
from his pocket, some twenty drops of the dark
liquid it contained. Then with a spoon he gave
her nearly half of the contents of the glass.
This done he once more seated himself beside the
bed, and waited patiently for the result. Several
times within the next half-hour he bent over the
recumbent figure, and was evidently surprised at
not seeing some change which he expected would
take place. At the end of that time he gave her
another spoonful of the liquid, and once more sat
down to watch. When an hour had passed he
permitted a sigh of satisfaction to escape him,
then, turning to my wife, whose anxiety was
plainly expressed upon her face, he said—</p>
<p>"I think, Lady Hatteras, that you may tell
them that she will not die. There is still much
to be done, but I pledge my word that she will
live."</p>
<p>The reaction was too much for my wife; she
felt as if she were choking, then she turned
giddy, and at last was possessed with a frantic<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</SPAN></span>
desire to cry. Softly leaving the room, she
came in search of us. The moment that she
opened the door of the drawing-room, and I
looked upon her face, I knew that there was good
news for us.</p>
<p>"What does he say about her?" cried the
Duke, forgetting the Dean's presence, while the
latter rose and drew a step nearer, without
speaking a word.</p>
<p>"There is good news," she said, fumbling with
her handkerchief in a suspicious manner.
"Doctor Nikola says she will live."</p>
<p>"Thank God," we all said in one breath. And
Glenbarth murmured something more that I did
not catch.</p>
<p>So implicit was our belief in Nikola that, as
you have doubtless observed, we accepted his
verdict without a second thought. I kissed my
wife, and then shook hands solemnly with the
Dean. The Duke had meanwhile vanished,
presumably to his own apartment, where he
could meditate on certain matters undisturbed.
After that Phyllis left us and returned to the
sick-room, where she found Nikola still seated
beside the bed, just as she had left him. So far
as she could judge, Miss Trevor did not appear
to be any different, though perhaps she did not
breathe as heavily as she had hitherto done.
Nikola, however, appeared to be well satisfied.<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</SPAN></span>
He nodded approvingly to Phyllis as she entered,
and then returned to his contemplation of his
patient once more. In this fashion hour after hour
went by. Once during each my wife would come
to me with reassuring bulletins. "Miss Trevor
was, if anything, a little better, she did not seem
so restless as before." "The fever seemed to be
abating;" and then, towards nine o'clock that
night, "at last Gertrude was sleeping peacefully."
It was not, however, until nearly
midnight that Nikola himself made his appearance.</p>
<p>"The worst is over," he said, approaching the
Dean; "your daughter is now asleep, and will
only require watching for the next two hours.
At the end of that time I shall return, and shall
hope to find a decided improvement in her
condition."</p>
<p>"I can never thank you enough, my dear sir,"
said the worthy old clergyman, shaking the
other by the hand while the tears ran down his
wrinkled cheeks. "But for your wonderful
skill there can be no sort of doubt that she would
be lost to us now. She is my only child, my
ewe lamb, and may Heaven bless you for your
goodness to me."</p>
<p>I thought that Nikola looked at him rather
curiously as he said this. It was the first time I
had seen Nikola brought into the society of a<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</SPAN></span>
dignitary of the English Church, and I was
anxious to see how the pair comported themselves
under the circumstances. A couple more diametrically
opposite could be scarcely imagined.
They were as oil and water, and could scarcely
be expected to assimilate.</p>
<p>"Sir, I should have been less than human if I
had not done everything possible to save that
beautiful young life," said Nikola, with what
was to me the suggestion of a double meaning in
his speech. "And now you must permit me to
bid you good-bye for the present. In two hours
I shall return again."</p>
<p>Thinking he might prefer to remain near his
patient, I pressed him to stay at the hotel,
offering to do all that lay in my power to make
him comfortable. But he would not hear of such
a thing.</p>
<p>"As you should be aware by this time, I never
rest away from my own house," he answered, in
a tone that settled the matter once and for all.
"If anything should occur in the meantime, send
for me and I will come at once. I do not
apprehend any change, however."</p>
<p>When he had gone I went in search of the
Duke and found him in his own room.</p>
<p>"Dick," he said, "look at me and tell me if
you can see any difference. I feel as though I
had passed through years of suffering. Another<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</SPAN></span>
week would have made an old man of me. How
is she now?"</p>
<p>"Progressing famously," I answered. "You
need not look so sceptical, for this must surely
be the case, since Nikola has gone home to take
some rest and will not return for two hours."</p>
<p>He wrung my hand on hearing this.</p>
<p>"How little I dreamt," he said, "when we
were confined in that wretched room in Port
Said, and when he played that trick upon me
in Sydney, that some day he was destined to do
me the greatest service any man has ever done
me in my life. Didn't I tell you that those
other medicos did not know what they were
doing, and that Nikola is the greatest doctor in
the world?"</p>
<p>I admitted that he had given me the first
assurance, but I was not quite so certain about
the latter. Then, realizing how he must be
feeling, I proposed that we should row down the
canal for a breath of fresh sea air. At first the
Duke was for refusing the invitation, eventually
however he assented, and when we had induced
the Dean to accompany us we set off. When we
reached the hotel once more it was to discover
that Nikola had returned, and that he had again
taken up his watch in the sick-room. He
remained there all night, passing hour after hour
at the bedside, without, so my wife asserted,<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</SPAN></span>
moving, save to give the medicine, and without
apparently feeling the least fatigue.</p>
<p>It was not until between seven and eight
o'clock next morning that I caught a glimpse
of him. He was in the dining-room then,
partaking of a small cup of black coffee, into
which he had poured some curious decoction of
his own. For my part I have never yet been
able to discover how Nikola managed to keep
body and soul together on his frugal fare.</p>
<p>"How is the patient this morning?" I asked,
when we had greeted each other.</p>
<p>"Out of danger," he replied, slowly stirring
his coffee as he spoke. "She will continue to
progress now. I hope you are satisfied that I
have done all I can in her interests?"</p>
<p>"I am more than satisfied," I answered. "I
am deeply grateful. As her father said yesterday,
if it had not been for you, Nikola, she
must inevitably have succumbed. She will
have cause to bless your name for the remainder
of her existence."</p>
<p>He looked at me very curiously as I said
this.</p>
<p>"Do you think she will do that?" he
asked, with unusual emphasis. "Do you think
it will please her to remember that she owes her
life to <i>me</i>?"</p>
<p>"I am sure she will always be deeply grate<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[Pg 215]</SPAN></span>ful,"
I replied, somewhat ambiguously. "I
fancy you know that yourself."</p>
<p>"And your wife? What does she say?"</p>
<p>"She thinks you are certainly the greatest of
all doctors," I answered, with a laugh. "I feel
that I ought to be jealous, but strangely enough
I'm not."</p>
<p>"And yet I have done nothing so very
wonderful," he continued, almost as if he
were talking to himself. "But that those other
blind worms are content to go on digging in
their mud, when they should be seeking the
light in another direction, they could do as
much as I have done. By the way, have you
seen our friend, Don Martinos, since you dined
together at my house?"</p>
<p>I replied to the effect that I had not done so,
but reported that the Don had sent repeated
messages of sympathy to us during Miss Trevor's
illness. I then inquired whether Nikola had
seen him?</p>
<p>"I saw him yesterday morning," he replied.
"We devoted upwards of four hours to exploring
the city together."</p>
<p>I could not help wondering how the Don had
enjoyed the excursion, but, needless to remark,
I did not say anything on this score to my
companion.</p>
<p>That night Nikola was again in attendance<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[Pg 216]</SPAN></span>
upon his patient. Next day she was decidedly
better; she recognized her father and my wife,
and every hour was becoming more and more like
her former self.</p>
<p>"Was she surprised when she regained consciousness
to find Nikola at her bedside?" I
inquired of Phyllis when the great news was
reported to me.</p>
<p>"Strangely enough she was not," Phyllis
replied. "I fully expected, remembering my
previous suspicions, that it would have a bad
effect upon her, but it did nothing of the kind.
It was just as if she had expected to find him
there."</p>
<p>"And what were his first words to her?"</p>
<p>"'I hope you are feeling better, Miss Trevor,'
he said, and she replied, 'Much better,' that
was all. It was as commonplace as could be."</p>
<p>Next day Nikola only looked in twice, the
day after once, and at the end of the week
informed me that she stood in no further need
of his attention.</p>
<p>"How shall we ever be able to reward you,
Nikola?" I asked, for about the hundredth
time, as we stood together in the corridor outside
the sick-room.</p>
<p>"I have no desire to be rewarded," he
answered. "It is enough for me to see Miss
Trevor restored to health. Endeavour, if you<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[Pg 217]</SPAN></span>
can, to recall a certain conversation we had
together respecting the lady in question on the
evening that I narrated to you the story concerning
the boy, who was so badly treated
by the Spanish Governor. Did I not tell you
then that our Destinies were inextricably woven
together? I informed you that it had been
revealed to me many years ago that we should
meet; should you feel surprised, therefore, if I
told you that I had also been warned of this
illness?"</p>
<p>Once more I found myself staring at him in
amazement.</p>
<p>"You are surprised? Believe me, however
astonishing it may seem, it is quite true. I
knew that Miss Trevor would come into my
life; I knew also that it would be my lot to
save her from death. What is more, I know
that in the end the one thing, which has seemed
to me most desirable in life, will be taken from
me by her hands."</p>
<p>"I am afraid I cannot follow you," I said.</p>
<p>"Perhaps not, but you will be able to some
day," he answered. "That moment has not yet
arrived. In the meantime watch and wait, for
before we know it it will be upon us."</p>
<p>Then, with a look that was destined to haunt
me for many a long day, he bade me farewell,
and left the hotel.<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[Pg 218]</SPAN></span></p>
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