FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126  
127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   >>   >|  
ept silent, and that was wise; for Dr. Seignebos sat down, saying,-- "Well, I must wait till to-morrow." VI. "The hospital in Sauveterre," says the guide book, "is, in spite of its limited size, one of the best institutions of the kind in the department. The chapel and the new additions were built at the expense of the Countess de Maupaison, the widow of one of the ministers of Louis Philippe." But what the guide book does not say is, that the hospital was endowed with three free beds for pregnant women, by Mrs. Seneschal, or that the two wings on both sides of the great entrance-gate have also been built by her liberality. One of these wings, the one on the right, is used by the janitor, a fine-looking old man, who formerly was beadle at the cathedral, and who loves to think of the happy days when he added to the splendor of the church by his magnificent presence, his red uniform, his gold bandelaire, his halbert, and his gold-headed cane. This janitor was, on Sunday morning, a little before eight o'clock, smoking his pipe in the yard, when he saw Dr. Seignebos coming in. The doctor was walking faster than usual, his hat over his face, and his hands thrust deep into his pockets, evident signs of a storm. Instead of coming, as he did every day before making the rounds, into the office of the sister-druggist, he went straight up to the room of the lady superior. There, after the usual salutations, he said,-- "They have no doubt brought you, my sister, last night, a patient, an idiot, called Cocoleu?" "Yes, doctor." "Where has he been put?" "The mayor saw him himself put into the little room opposite the linen room." "And how did he behave?" "Perfectly well: the sister who kept the watch did not hear him stir." "Thanks, my sister!" said Dr. Seignebos. He was already in the door, when the lady superior recalled him. "Are you going to see the poor man, doctor?" she asked. "Yes, my sister; why?" "Because you cannot see him." "I cannot?" "No. The commonwealth attorney has sent us orders not to let any one, except the sister who nurses him, come near Cocoleu,--no one, doctor, not even the physician, a case of urgency, of course, excepted." Dr. Seignebos smiled ironically. Then he said, laughing scornfully,-- "Ah, these are your orders, are they? Well, I tell you that I do not mind them in the least. Who can prevent me from seeing my patient? Tell me that! Let the commonwealth
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126  
127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

sister

 
Seignebos
 

doctor

 
Cocoleu
 
hospital
 

patient

 

superior

 

coming

 
commonwealth
 
janitor

orders
 

excepted

 

prevent

 

ironically

 

smiled

 

brought

 

called

 

urgency

 
office
 
druggist

rounds

 

making

 

straight

 

salutations

 

scornfully

 

laughing

 
recalled
 
attorney
 

Because

 
Thanks

nurses

 
opposite
 

physician

 
behave
 
Perfectly
 

smoking

 
Philippe
 

ministers

 

Countess

 
Maupaison

endowed

 

Seneschal

 

pregnant

 

expense

 

morrow

 

silent

 
Sauveterre
 

department

 

chapel

 

additions