Chapter114

thethreeweekswhichtheappointmentlasteddrewtoanend.philiphadattendedsixty-twocases,andhewastiredout.whenhecamehomeaboutteno’clockonhislastnighthehopedwithallhisheartthathewouldnotbecalledoutagain.hehadnothadawholenight’srestfortendays.thecasewhichhehadjustcomefromwashorrible.hehadbeenfetchedbyahuge,burlyman,theworseforliquor,andtakentoaroominanevil-smellingcourt,whichwasfilthierthananyhehadseen:itwasatinyattic;mostofthespacewastakenupbyawoodenbed,withacanopyofdirtyredhangings,andtheceilingwassolowthatphilipcouldtouchitwiththetipsofhisfingers;withthesolitarycandlethataffordedwhatlighttherewashewentoverit,frizzlingupthebugsthatcrawleduponit.thewomanwasablowsycreatureofmiddleage,whohadhadalongessionofstill-bornchildren.itwasastorythatphilipwasnotustomedto:thehusbandhadbeenasoldierinindia;thelegislationforceduponthatcountrybythepruderyoftheenglishpublichadgivenafreeruntothemostdistressingofalldiseases;theinnocentsuffered.yawning,philipundressedandtookabath,thenshookhisclothesoverthewaterandwatchedtheanimalsthatfelloutling.hewasjustgoingtogetintobedwhentherewasaknockatthedoor,andthehospitalporterbroughthimacard.

“curseyou,”saidphilip.“you’rethelastpersoniwantedtoseetonight.who’sbroughtit?”  “ithinkit’sthe‘usband,sir.shallitellhimtowait?”

philiplookedattheaddress,sawthatthestreetwasfamiliartohim,andtoldtheporterthathewouldfindhisownway.hedressedhimselfandinfiveminutes,withhisblackbaginhishand,steppedintothestreet.aman,whomhecouldnotseeinthedarkness,cameuptohim,andsaidhewasthehusband.

“ithoughti’dbetterwait,sir,”hesaid.“it’saprettyroughneighbour’ood,andthemnotknowingwhoyouwas.”

philiplaughed.

“blessyourheart,theyallknowthedoctor,i’vebeeninsomedamnedsightrougherplacesthanwaver

street.”

itwasquitetrue.theblackbagwasapassportthroughwretchedalleysanddownfoul-smellingcourtsintowhichapolicemanwasnotreadytoventurebyhimself.onceortwicealittlegroupofmenhadlookedatphilipcuriouslyashepassed;heheardamutterofobservationsandthenonesay:

“it’sthe‘orspitaldoctor.”

ashewentbyoneortwoofthemsaid:“good-night,sir.”

“weshall‘avetostepoutifyoudon’tmind,sir,”saidthemanwhoaccompaniedhimnow.“theytoldmetherewasnotimetolose.”

“whydidyouleaveitsolate?”askedphilip,ashequickenedhispace.

heglancedatthefellowastheypassedalamp-post.

“youlookawfullyyoung,”hesaid.

“i’mturnedeighteen,sir.”

hewasfair,andhehadnotahaironhisface,helookednomorethanaboy;hewasshort,butthickset.

“you’reyoungtobemarried,”saidphilip.

“we‘adto.”

“howmuchd’youearn?”

“sixteen,sir.”

sixteenshillingsaweekwasnotmuchtokeepawifeandchildon.theroomthecouplelivedinshowedthattheirpovertywasextreme.itwasafairsize,butitlookedquitelarge,sincetherewashardlyanyfurnitureinit;therewasnocarpetonthefloor;therewerenopicturesonthewalls;andmostroomshadsomething,photographsorsupplementsincheapframesfromthechristmasnumbersoftheillustratedpapers.thepatientlayonalittleironbedofthecheapestsort.itstartledphiliptoseehowyoungshewas.

“byjove,shecan’tbemorethansixteen,”hesaidtothewomanwhohadcomeinto‘seeherthrough.’

shehadgivenherageaseighteenonthecard,but

whentheywereveryyoungtheyoftenputonayearortwo.alsoshewaspretty,whichwasrareinthoseclassesinwhichtheconstitutionhasbeenunderminedbybadfood,badair,andunhealthyoccupations;shehaddelicatefeaturesandlargeblueeyes,andamassofdarkhairdoneintheelaboratefashionofthecostergirl.sheandherhusbandwereverynervous.

“you’dbetterwaitoutside,soastobeathandifiwantyou,”philipsaidtohim.

nowthathesawhimbetterphilipwassurprisedagainathisboyishair:youfeltthatheshouldbelarkinginthestreetwiththeotherladsinsteadofwaitinganxiouslyforthebirthofachild.thehourspassed,anditwasnottillnearlytwothatthebabywasborn.everythingseemedtobegoingsatisfactorily;thehusbandwascalledin,andittouchedphiliptoseetheawkward,shywayinwhichhekissedhiswife;philippackeduphisthings.beforegoinghefeltoncemorehispatient’spulse.

“hulloa!”hesaid.

helookedatherquickly:somethinghadhappened.incasesofemergencythes.o.c.—seniorobstetricclerk—hadtobesentfor;hewasaqualifiedman,andthe‘district’wasinhischarge.philipscribbledanote,andgivingittothehusband,toldhimtorunwithittothehospital;hebadehimhurry,forhiswifewasinadangerousstate.themansetoff.philipwaitedanxiously;heknewthewomanwasbleedingtodeath;hewasafraidshewoulddiebeforehischiefarrived;hetookwhatstepshecould.hehopedferventlythatthes.o.c.wouldnothavebeencalledelsewhere.theminuteswereinterminable.hecameatlast,and,whileheexaminedthepatient,inalowvoiceaskedphilipquestions.philipsawbyhisfacethathethoughtthecaseverygrave.hisnamewaschandler.hewasatallmanoffewwords,withalongnoseandathinfacemuchlinedforhisage.heshookhishead.

“itwashopelessfromthebeginning.where’sthe

husband?”

“itoldhimtowaitonthestairs,”saidphilip.

“you’dbetterbringhimin.”

philipopenedthedoorandcalledhim.hewassittinginthedarkonthefirststepoftheflightthatledtothenextfloor.hecameuptothebed.

“what’sthematter?”heasked.

“why,there’sinternalbleeding.it’simpossibletostopit.”thes.o.c.hesitatedamoment,andbecauseitwasapainfulthingtosayheforcedhisvoicetobecomebrusque.“she’sdying.”

themandidnotsayaword;hestoppedquitestill,lookingathiswife,wholay,paleandunconscious,onthebed.itwasthemidwifewhospoke.

“thegentlemen‘avedonealltheycould,‘arry,”shesaid.“isawwhatwascomin’fromthefirst.”

“shutup,”saidchandler.

therewerenocurtainsonthewindows,andgraduallythenightseemedtolighten;itwasnotyetthedawn,butthedawnwasathand.chandlerwaskeepingthewomanalivebyallthemeansinhispower,butlifewasslippingawayfromher,andsuddenlyshedied.theboywhowasherhusbandstoodattheendofthecheapironbedwithhishandsrestingontherail;hedidnotspeak;buthelookedverypaleandonceortwicechandlergavehimanuneasyglance,thinkinghewasgoingtofaint:hislipsweregray.themidwifesobbednoisily,buthetooknonoticeofher.hiseyeswerefixeduponhiswife,andinthemwasanutterbewilderment.heremindedyouofadogwhippedforsomethinghedidnotknowwaswrong.whenchandlerandphiliphadgatheredtogethertheirthingschandlerturnedtothehusband.

“you’dbetterliedownforabit.iexpectyou’reaboutdoneup.”

“there’snowhereformetoliedown,sir,”heanswered,andtherewasinhisvoiceahumblenesswhichwasverydistressing.

“don’tyouknowanyoneinthehousewho’llgiveyouashakedown?”

“no,sir.”

“theyonlymovedinlastweek,”saidthemidwife.“theydon’tknownobodyyet.”

chandlerhesitatedamomentawkwardly,thenhewentuptothemanandsaid:

“i’mverysorrythishashappened.”

heheldouthishandandtheman,withaninstinctiveglanceathisowntoseeifitwasclean,shookit.

“thankyou,sir.”

philipshookhandswithhimtoo.chandlertoldthemidwifetocomeandfetchthecertificateinthemorning.theyleftthehouseandwalkedalongtogetherinsilence.

“itupsetsoneabitatfirst,doesn’tit?”saidchandleratlast.