"I really do not believe I am seriously ill," he said, laughing in spite of her grave eyes.
"Then perhaps you had better read a little about what Lamour describes as the symptoms of this malady," she said sadly.
"Is it fatal?" he inquired.
"Ultimately. That is why I desire to spend my life in studying means to combat it. That is why I desire you so earnestly to place yourself under my observation and let me try."
"Tell me one thing," he said; "is it contagious? Is it infectious? No?
Then I don"t mind your studying me all you wish, Dr. Hollis. You may take my temperature every ten minutes if you care to. You may observe my pulse every five minutes if you desire. Only please tell me how this is to be accomplished; because, you see, I live in the Sherwood Studio Building, and you live on Madison Avenue."
"I--I have a ward--a room--fitted up with every modern surgical device--every improvement," she said. "It adjoins my office. _Would_ you mind living there for a while--say for a week at first--until I can be perfectly certain in my diagnosis?"
"Do you intend to put me to bed?" he asked, appalled.
"Oh, no! Only I wish to watch you carefully and note your symptoms from moment to moment. I also desire to try the effects of certain medicines on you--"
"What kind of medicines?" he asked uneasily.
"I cannot tell yet. Perhaps ant.i.toxin; I don"t know; perhaps formalin later. Truly, Mr. Carden, this case has taken on a graver, a more intimate significance since I have learned who you are. I would have worked hard to save any life; I shall put my very heart and soul into my work to save you, who have done so much for us all."
The trace of innocent emotion in her voice moved him.
"I am really not ill," he said unsteadily. "I cannot let you think I am--"
"Don"t speak that way, Mr. Carden. I--I am perfectly miserable over it; I don"t feel any happiness in my discovery now--not the least bit. I had rather live my entire life without seeing one case of Lamour"s Disease than to believe you are afflicted with it."
"But I"m not, Miss Hollis!--really, I am not--"
She looked at him compa.s.sionately for a moment, then rose.
"It is best that you should be informed as to your probable condition,"
she said. "In Lamour"s works, volume nine, you had better read exactly what Lamour says. Do you mind coming to the office with me, Mr. Carden?"
"Now?"
"Yes. The book is there. Do you mind coming?"
"No--no, of course not." And, as they turned away together under the trees: "You don"t intend to begin observing me this afternoon, do you?"
he ventured.
"I think it best if you can arrange your affairs. Can you, Mr. Carden?"
"Why, yes, I suppose I can. Did you mean for me to begin to occupy that surgical bedroom at once?"
"Do you mind?"
"N-no. I"ll telephone my servants to pack a steamer trunk and send it around to your apartment this evening. And--where am I to board?"
"I have a dining room," she said simply. "My apartment consists of the usual number of servants and rooms, including my office, and my observation ward which you will occupy."
He walked on, troubled.
"I only w-want to ask one or two things, Dr. Hollis. Am I to be placed on a diet? I hate diets!"
"Not at once."
"May I smoke?"
"Certainly," she said, smiling.
"And you won"t p-put me--send me to bed too early?"
"Oh, no! The later you sit up the better, because I shall wish to take your temperature every ten minutes and I shall feel very sorry to arouse you."
"You mean you are coming in to wake me up every ten minutes and put that tube in my mouth?" he asked, aghast.
"Only every half-hour, Mr. Carden. Can"t you stand it for a week?"
"Well," he said, "I--I suppose I can if _you_ can. Only, upon my honor, there is really nothing the matter with me, and I"ll prove it to you out of your own book."
"I wish you could, Mr. Carden. I should be only too happy to give you back to the world with a clear bill of health if you can convince me I am wrong. Do you not believe me? Indeed, indeed I am not selfish and wicked enough to wish you this illness, no matter how rare it is!"
"The rarer a disease is the madder it makes people who contract it," he said. "I should be the maddest man in Manhattan if I really did have Lamour"s malady. But I haven"t. There is only one malady afflicting me, and I am waiting for a suitable opportunity to tell you all about it, but--"
"Tell me now," she said, raising her eyes to his.
"Not now."
"To-night?"
"I hope so. I will if I can, Miss Hollis."
"But you must not fear to tell a physician about anything which troubles you, Mr. Carden."
"I"ll remember that," he said thoughtfully, as they emerged from the Park and crossed to Madison Avenue.
A moment later he hailed a car and they both entered.
CHAPTER XXIV
No, there could be no longer any doubt in her mind as she went into her bedroom, closed the door, and, unhooking the telephone receiver, called up the great specialist in rare diseases, Dr. Austin Atwood, M.S., F.B.A., M.F.H.
"Dr. Atwood," she said with scarcely concealed emotion, "this is Dr.
Rosalind Hollis."