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
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.