I began to regain my self-possession. "Mr. Candy is beyond the reach of

my resentment," I said angrily. "But the trick that he played me is not

the less an act of treachery, for all that. I may forgive, but I shall

not forget it."

"Every medical man commits that act of treachery, Mr. Blake, in the

course of his practice. The ignorant distrust of opium (in England) is

by no means confined to the lower and less cultivated classes. Every

doctor in large practice finds himself, every now and then, obliged

to deceive his patients, as Mr. Candy deceived you. I don't defend the

folly of playing you a trick under the circumstances. I only plead with

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you for a more accurate and more merciful construction of motives."

"How was it done?" I asked. "Who gave me the laudanum, without my

knowing it myself?"

"I am not able to tell you. Nothing relating to that part of the matter

dropped from Mr. Candy's lips, all through his illness. Perhaps your own

memory may point to the person to be suspected."

"No."

"It is useless, in that case, to pursue the inquiry. The laudanum was

secretly given to you in some way. Let us leave it there, and go on

to matters of more immediate importance. Read my notes, if you can.

Familiarise your mind with what has happened in the past. I have

something very bold and very startling to propose to you, which relates

to the future."

Those last words roused me.

I looked at the papers, in the order in which Ezra Jennings had placed

them in my hands. The paper which contained the smaller quantity of

writing was the uppermost of the two. On this, the disconnected words,

and fragments of sentences, which had dropped from Mr. Candy in his

delirium, appeared as follows: "... Mr. Franklin Blake ... and agreeable ... down a peg ... medicine

... confesses ... sleep at night ... tell him ... out of order ...

medicine ... he tells me ... and groping in the dark mean one and the

same thing ... all the company at the dinner-table ... I say ... groping

after sleep ... nothing but medicine ... he says ... leading the blind

... know what it means ... witty ... a night's rest in spite of

his teeth ... wants sleep ... Lady Verinder's medicine chest ...

five-and-twenty minims ... without his knowing it ... to-morrow morning

... Well, Mr. Blake ... medicine to-day ... never ... without it ...

out, Mr. Candy ... excellent ... without it ... down on him ... truth

... something besides ... excellent ... dose of laudanum, sir ... bed

... what ... medicine now."

There, the first of the two sheets of paper came to an end. I handed it

back to Ezra Jennings.




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