Chapter 10

           Iplacedthebookonthelittletableonwhichtheshadedlamprestedandmovedthescreentooneside.ThusIcouldhavethelightonmybook;andbylookingup,seethebed,andtheNurse,andthedoor.Icannotsaythattheconditionswereenjoyable,orcalculatedtoallowofthatabsorptioninthesubjectwhichisadvisableforeffectivestudy.However,IcomposedmyselftotheworkaswellasIcould.Thebookwasonewhich,ontheveryfaceofit,requiredspecialattention.ItwasafolioinDutch,printedinAmsterdamin1650.Someonehadmadealiteraltranslation,writinggenerallytheEnglishwordundertheDutch,sothatthegrammaticaldifferencesbetweenthetwotonguesmadeeventhereadingofthetranslationadifficultmatter.Onehadtododgebackwardandforwardamongthewords.Thiswasinadditiontothedifficultyofdecipheringastrangehandwritingoftwohundredyearsago.Ifound,however,thatafterashorttimeIgotintothehabitoffollowinginconventionalEnglishtheDutchconstruction;and,asIbecamemorefamiliarwiththewriting,mytaskbecameeasier.

           Atfirstthecircumstancesoftheroom,andthefearlestMissTrelawnyshouldreturnunexpectedlyandfindmereadingthebook,disturbedmesomewhat.Forwehadarrangedamongstus,beforeDoctorWinchesterhadgonehome,thatshewasnottobebroughtintotherangeofthecominginvestigation.Weconsideredthattheremightbesomeshocktoawoman’smindinmattersofapparentmystery;andfurther,thatshe,beingMr.