The Argosy — page 111: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

9 6 The Story of Charles Strange. “This is a disagreeable business, Mr. Strange. Hatch tells me she has informed you of the true nature of the case.” A disagreeable business! The light words, the matter-of-fact tone seemed as a mockery. The business nearly overwhelmed me. “\When you met me the other night, at the gate, and spoke of Mrs. Brightman’s illness, I was uncertain how to answer you,” continued Mr. Close. ‘‘I thought it probable you might be behind the curtain, connected as you are with the family, but I was not sure.” ‘‘T never had the faintest suspicion of such a thing, until Hatch’s communication to me to night. She says her young mistress, even, did not know of it.” “No; they have contrived to keep it from Annabel.” Will Mrs. Brightman recover P ” ‘From this illness? oh, dear, yes. She is already in a fair way for it, having dropped into the needed sleep: which is all we want. If you mean will she recover from the habit—why, I cannot answer you. It has obtained a safe hold upon her.” ** What is to be done?” ‘“What can be done?” returned the surgeon. ‘‘ Mrs. Brightman is her own mistress, subject to no control, and has a good income at command. She may go on drinking to the end.” Go on drinking to the end! What a fearful thought! what a fearful life! Could zothing be done to prevent it; to recall her to herself ; to her responsibility for this world and the next ? | ‘‘T have seen much of these cases,” continued Mr. Close; “ few medical men more. Before I came into this practice I was assistant- surgeon to one of the debtors’ prisons up in town: no school equal to that in all Europe for initiating a man into the mysteries of the disorder.” ‘‘ Ay, so I believe. But can Mrs, Brightman’s case be like those cases P” | ‘Why should it differ from them? The same habits have induced it. Of course she is not yet as bad as some of them are, but unless. she pulls up she will become so. Her great chance, her one chance, I may say, would be to place herself under some proper control. But this would require firm resolution and self-denial. To begin with, she would have to leave her home.” ‘‘This cannot be a desirable home for Annabel.” ‘No. Were she my child, she should not return to it.” ‘‘ What is to be done when she recovers from this attack ?” “In what way ?” | In what way, truly! My brain was at work over the difficulties of the future. Was Mrs, Brightman to live on in this, her home, amidst her household of curious servants, amidst the prying neigh- bours, all of whom would revel in a tale of scandal P ‘‘When she is sufficiently well she should have change of air,” ECONMNIELOOOKS.E@) m