Готель з привидами

           Icometoyou,becausemycaseisoutsideofalllinesandrules,andbecauseyouarefamousinyourprofessionforthediscoveryofmysteriesindisease.Areyousatisfied?’

           Hewasmorethansatisfied—hisfirstideahadbeentherightidea,afterall.Besides,shewascorrectlyinformedastohisprofessionalposition.Thecapacitywhichhadraisedhimtofameandfortunewashiscapacity(unrivalledamonghisbrethren)forthediscoveryofremotedisease.

           ’Iamatyourdisposal,’heanswered.’LetmetryifIcanfindoutwhatisthematterwithyou.’

           Heputhismedicalquestions.Theywerepromptlyandplainlyanswered;andtheyledtonootherconclusionthanthatthestrangeladywas,mentallyandphysically,inexcellenthealth.Notsatisfiedwithquestions,hecarefullyexaminedthegreatorgansoflife.Neitherhishandnorhisstethoscopecoulddiscoveranythingthatwasamiss.Withtheadmirablepatienceanddevotiontohisartwhichhaddistinguishedhimfromthetimewhenhewasastudent,hestillsubjectedhertoonetestafteranother.Theresultwasalwaysthesame.Notonlywastherenotendencytobraindisease—therewasnotevenaperceptiblederangementofthenervoussystem.’Icanfindnothingthematterwithyou,’hesaid.’Ican’tevenaccountfortheextraordinarypallorofyourcomplexion.Youcompletelypuzzleme.’

           ’Thepallorofmycomplexionisnothing,’sheansweredalittleimpatiently.’InmyearlylifeIhadanarrowescapefromdeathbypoisoning.