Jeremy Poldark Read Online Free PDF

of an attack of the tertian ague:
the muscle tremors, the pinched pale face, the dead white fingers. It was an
unusually bad attack. The encouraging circumstance, was that he had been called
in-however tentatively and apologetically to deal with it. Two years ago
people with the ordinary complaints bought stuff, if they could afford it, from
Irby, the druggist at St. Ann's, or from one of the old women of the
neighbourhood; certainly they never dared call in Dr. Choake unless they had
broken a limb or were in extremis. That Dr. Enys did not mind administering to
folk who could pay only in kind, or not, even that way, they were slowly coming
to appreciate. Of course there were those who said he experimented on the poor
people; but there are always uncharitable tongues.
    He
mixed the woman a dose of Peruvian bark; then, having watched it go down
between the clenching teeth, he put out two fever powders to be taken later and
a dose of sal polychrest and rhubarb for tonight. At this point the light in
the doorway darkened as Jacka Hoblyn appeared in the doorway.
    "Good,
day to ee, Surgeon. Thesia, bring us a nackan from down b'low. I'm sweaten like
a bull. Well, what's amiss with Polly?"
    "
The intermittent fever. She should stay in bed two days at
least. And you? I think you have the same. Come over here to the light, will
you.."
    As
he got near, Dwight caught the strong whiff of gin. So it was one of Jacka's
times. Parthesia came dancing up with a square of red cloth, and the man-mopped
his heavy brow with it. His pulse was small, hard and quick. The fever was at a
later stage, and would cause an overmastering thirst.
    "I
got a touch. But moving around is best for it, not loustering tween the
blankets. Fasterer you move, fasterer he go."
    "
Now look, Hoblyn, I'd like you to take this now, and this powder in water
before you go to bed tonight. Understand?"'
    Jacka
ran a hand through. his upstanding hair and glowered at him. "I don't ‘old
with doctor's trade.".
    "Nevertheless,
you should take this. You'll be far better for it."
    They
stared, at each other, but Dwight's prestige was just too much for the
streamer, and with some satisfaction he watched' the strong dose of soluble
tartar disappear. The night powder, if Hoblyn was sufficiently alert to drink
it, contained ten grains of jalap, but that didn't so much matter. Dwight felt
a greater concern, for the health of the three women than for the man.
    As
he was leaving he saw Rosina limping up the hill with a jug of milk. She was
seventeen, and her fine eyes had not yet been spoiled by endless hours of close
sewing in a bad light. She smiled and curtsied as they met.
    "
Your family should be improved tomorrow. See your mother takes her
powder."
    "
I will surely. Thank you, sur.'
    Your
father gets troublesome when he is in liquor?"
    She
blushed. "It make him ill-tempered, sur; hard to get along with, as you
might say."
    “And-violent?"
    "-
Oh, no, sur - or but seldom. And then; he d'make it up to we afterwards."
    Dwight
slid past the little bow window of Aunt Mary Rogers's shop and reached the,
huddle of broken-down cottages at the foot of the hill known as the Guernseys.
Here the worst squalor began. Windows stuffed with board and rags, doors
propped beside the openings they had been designed to fill, open cesspools,
with rat runs from one to another, broken roofs and lean-to shacks where
half-naked children crawled and played. Coming here, Dwight always felt
conscious of his own decent clothes: they were phenomena from, another world.
He knocked at the first cottage, surprised to see both halves of the door
closed, for the room within depended for its light on what came through the
door. A week ago he had delivered Betty Carkeek of her first-born son when two
fishwife-midwives had done their worst and failed.
    He
heard the baby crying inside and after another minute. Betty came to the door,
opening the top half a suspicious inch.
    "
Oh, tis you, sur. Do you come in." Betty