A Broken Vessel Read Online Free PDF

it. That may be what happened: the man from whom you stole it may have stolen it from her .”
    “My, ain’t you twistical, though!” she said admiringly. “S’pose you’re right, and somebody pinched her letter? That means whoever she wrote it to never got it, and don’t know where she is. And she’ll think he don’t want her and don’t forgive her, and maybe she’ll never get out of that place she’s shut up in.”
    “Of course, it could all be some sort of joke. Or an exercise by some high-strung would-be novelist.”
    “What if it ain’t? What if it’s on the square?”
    He smiled quizzically. “Then we’ll have to do something about it, won’t we?”
    There was a bustle in the hallway. Julian went out and found Dr. MacGregor and Dipper just arrived. It had begun raining, and MacGregor’s hair and beard stuck out in little wet points. “You look like Neptune on a fountain,” Julian greeted him.
    MacGregor gave Dipper his hat, shook off his capacious old greatcoat, and rounded on Julian. “How you can live in this city, year in and year out, is beyond me! The streets are never quiet for a blessed instant! Even at this time of night, there are carriages rattling by as loud as cannons, people out shouting and singing and fighting, and I don’t like to think what else! We were almost run over by a coal-heaver’s wagon—Lord knows what it was doing out at this hour—and then a group of scurvy drunken louts stole my hat and carried it halfway down the street before Dipper got it back. Yes, all right, you can smile, but there was nothing funny about it! Where’s my patient?”
    “She’s in the parlour. Thank you for coming out so late.”
    “I’m used to it. If you want to get a good night’s sleep, don’t become a surgeon.”
    “How is Dr. Greeley?”
    Dr. Greeley was an elderly surgeon who had been MacGregor’s teacher many years before. MacGregor was in London to help look after his patients while he recovered from an illness. “He’s well enough. Trying to take back too much of the work before he’s ready. Truth is, he’s getting too old for it, but he’s too blessed stubborn to think about retiring.” He picked up his medical bag. “All right, let’s have a look at her.”
    “I should warn you, she’s a bit nervous of doctors.”
    “Quite right, too. Some of ’em don’t know a kidney stone from a peach-pit. I’ll manage her all right.”
    He disappeared into the parlour, as calm and practical as he had been irascible a moment before. He might give the rough side of his tongue to everyone else, but Julian had never seen him show his temper to a patient.
    “He’ll be wanting tea, I imagine,” he said to Dipper, for MacGregor rarely took spirits.
    “Yes, sir. Sir?”
    “Yes?”
    “I want to thank you, sir, for having Sally here, and that.”
    “I don’t know what there is to thank me for. Did you expect I should throw her into the street?”
    “No, sir, I knew you’d treat her uncommon fine. That’s why I sneaked her in when I thought you was out—so as not to take advantage.”
    “What rubbish. Hadn’t you better put the water on to boil? Dr. MacGregor should be finished examining her shortly. If she cooperates,” he added, with a wry smile.
    “Yes, sir.” Dipper turned to go.
    “Just a moment. Have you and Sally any family besides each other?”
    “No, sir, not as I knows on.”
    “I see. All right, you may go.”
    Dipper left to get the tea ready. Julian went into his study, frowning. He was more than willing to take Sally in and see that she got any medical care she needed. The question was, what on earth were they to do with her afterward?

    “Nothing wrong with her that a little rest and good nourishment won’t cure,” pronounced MacGregor, plumping down in a chair by the study fire.
    “I’m glad to hear it, thank you, sir.” Dipper gave him a cup of tea.
    “She’s badly bruised, mind you.” MacGregor’s face darkened. “That man’s a brute,