He Knew He Was Right by Anthony Trollope

Author:Anthony Trollope [Trollope, Anthony]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Unread
Publisher: Project Gutenberg
Published: 2004-01-31T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER LI

SHEWING WHAT HAPPENED DURING MISS STANBURY'S ILLNESS

It was on Christmas-day that Sir Peter Mancrudy, the highest authority on such matters in the west of England, was sent for to see Miss Stanbury; and Sir Peter had acknowledged that things were very serious. He took Dorothy on one side, and told her that Mr Martin, the ordinary practitioner, had treated the case, no doubt, quite wisely throughout; that there was not a word to be said against Mr Martin, whose experience was great, and whose discretion was undeniable; but, nevertheless, at least it seemed to Dorothy, that this was the only meaning to be attributed to Sir Peter's words: Mr Martin had in this case taken one line of treatment, when he ought to have taken another. The plan of action was undoubtedly changed, and Mr Martin became very fidgety, and ordered nothing without Sir Peter's sanction. Miss Stanbury was suffering from bronchitis, and a complication of diseases about her throat and chest. Barty Burgess declared to more than one acquaintance in the little parlour behind the bank, that she would go on drinking four or five glasses of new port wine every day, in direct opposition to Martin's request. Camilla French heard the report, and repeated it to her lover, and perhaps another person or two, with an expression of her assured conviction that it must be false at any rate, as regarded the fifth glass. Mrs MacHugh, who saw Martha daily, was much frightened. The peril of such a friend disturbed equally the repose and the pleasures of her life. Mrs Clifford was often at Miss Stanbury's bedside and would have sat there reading for hours together, had she not been made to understand by Martha that Miss Stanbury preferred that Miss Dorothy should read to her. The sick woman received the Sacrament weekly not from Mr Gibson, but from the hands of another minor canon; and, though she never would admit her own danger, or allow others to talk to her of it, it was known to them all that she admitted it to herself because she had, with much personal annoyance, caused a codicil to be added to her will. 'As you didn't marry that man,' she said to Dorothy, 'I must change it again.' It was in vain that Dorothy begged her not to trouble herself with such thoughts. 'That's trash,' said Miss Stanbury, angrily. 'A person who has it is bound to trouble himself about it. You don't suppose I'm afraid of dying do you?' she added. Dorothy answered her with some commonplace declaring how strongly they all expected to see her as well as ever. 'I'm not a bit afraid to die,' said the old woman, wheezing, struggling with such voice as she possessed; 'I'm not afraid of it, and I don't think I shall die this time; but I'm not going to have mistakes when I'm gone.' This was on the eve of the new year, and on the same night she asked Dorothy to write to Brooke Burgess, and request him to come to Exeter.

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