The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-03-29
CHAPTER VI.

lie remained there some minutes
whilst the water traffic passed by him
unnoticed and the crowds fiocked out
from a novena in the Salute. one of
the medicine men whom he had sum-
moned came out on to the steps
"'The sisters say the prince is better
He seems So" said his colleague.
What do they know" said Damer;
and added, less harshly: 1T is too
early to be able to make sure of recoV-
cry: it is a disease which Is very treach-
erous.'
"You have more knowledge than l.
said the Venetian, who was meek
man. not very wise.
come to my laboratory in the Fond
amente. and | will show you some
thing and tell you something" said
Damer
His Italian colleague, tlattered, COM
piled with the request.
What he showed him were three AMI
mails, two rabbits and cat-inocu-
lated with and dying Of diphtherla'
what he explained to him were the
theories of L.otller and Klebs and the
discovery of the antidote by Behring;
and displayed to him some serum
which he had received from Rou%, who
was only then at the commencement OF
his applications Of Behring's theory.
The Venetian doctor inspected and
listened with deep respect.
why do YOU not try this treatment
on the prince" he said. which was
what Damer desired ana Intended him
to say
II will do so on my own responsible
ity if he is no better in the morning.
he replied. But you will admit that
the responsibility will be- great, the
theory of the cure being IT present un-
known to the general public, and no
one of his family being at present in
Venice to authorize the experiment"
I'VE are there as your colleagues,
and we shall support YOU" replied the
more obscure man, touched and flat
tered by the difference of one who was
in the confidence of French and Ger
man men of science.
If there be no other way" said
Damcr, as he put the small phial of
serum back into q locked case.
The dual meaning which lay in the
words was like a DEVILS laugh in his
ears.
When the Venetian doctor had left
him he had taken the phial of serum,
inoculating syringe, and another
smaller bottle containing a clear liquid;
he had put these together in the breast
pocket of his coat. He looked up at
the Ca Laranigra as he passed it: its
windows were all dark, and the white
lilies had no light upon them save that
from the rays OF the moon. As he
entered the lighted hall of the hotel
they handed to him a telegram. 1t was
from the Princess Andreis.
She had received his despatch twelve
hours late, as she had been in her sum-
mer palace in the mountains; she had
left Sicily Immediately, and said that
she would travel without pause at the
utmost speed possible. She added
Il commend my darling to God and
you"
Damer crushed the paper up in his
hand with a nervous gesture and flung
it out, by the open doorway, into the
water below.
Then he ascended the staircase, and
entered his patients room.
The night was very warm; the win
dows stood wide open; there was a
shaded porcelain lamp on the table.
One nun watched while the other slept.
Andreis lay still on the great bed in
the shadow; he was awake, his eyes
= were looking upward, his mouth was
open, but his breathing was easier and
less hard. The sister of charity whis-
pered to Damer: 81 thing he is better
The fungus growth seems loosening.
ba ,,,a nd 10 rnn a.
essence. He could swallow
Damer said nothing. He was alb
sorbed in meditation. The inflictiOn OF
death was nothing to him; could be
nothing: he was used to kill as he was
used to torture with profound indiffer-
ence, with no more hesitation than he
ate or drank or fulfilled any natural
function of his body. What was the
man lying sleeping there to him? Only
an organism like those which daily he
broke up and destroyed and threw
aside. Only an organism, filled by mil
lions of other invisible organisms, by q
myriad of parasite animalcule, numer'
Gus as the star-dust in the skies.
He sat by the window and looked ou
absently at the night.
He knew that the nun was right: ht
knew that the disease was passing
away from the sick man; that, If left
alone, sleep and youth would restore
him to health, to love, and joy.
Should he leave him alone?
The mother of Andreis could not bt
there before another day, travel a.
rapidly az she would. He knew the ef
feet of affection on the nervous system
and that the sight and sense Of be
loved person near often gave to en-
feebled frames the power Of resistance
and recovery. Those emotions wer'
not in himself but he recognized thei
existence, and he knew that in Andrei
the emotions and the affections wer
very strong in proportion as the menta
powers were slight.
What thou doest, do quickly" h
murmured in words which he had hear'
in his childhood as he had sat in tn
old parish church of his native village
He rose and walked to the bed.
Andres still seemed to sleep. tn
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