The Gadfly by Ethel Voynich (top fiction books of all time .txt) 📕

Switzerland, he was quite well; but the winter before, when we were in Vienna, it was awful. He wouldn’t let me come near him for days together. He hates to have me about when he’s ill.”

She glanced up for a moment, and, dropping her eyes again, went on:

“He always used to send me off to a ball, or concert, or something, on one pretext or another, when he felt it coming on. Then he would lock himself into his room. I used to slip back and sit outside the door⁠—he would have been furious if he’d known. He’d let the dog come in if it whined, but not me. He cares more for it, I think.”

There was a curious, sullen defiance in her manner.

“Well, I hope it won’t be so bad any more,” said Martini kindly. “Dr. Riccardo is taking the case seriously in hand. Perhaps he will be able to make a permanent improvement. And, in any case, the treatment gives relief at the moment. But you had better send to us at once, another time. He would have suffered very much less if we had known of it earlier. Good night!”

He held out his hand, but she drew back with a quick gesture of refusal.

“I don’t see why you want to shake hands with his mistress.”

“As you like, of course,” he began in embarrassment.

She stamped her foot on the ground. “I hate you!” she cried, turning on him with eyes like glowing coals. “I hate you all! You come here talking politics to him; and he lets you sit up the night with him and give him things to stop the pain, and I daren’t so much as peep at him through the door! What is he to you? What right have you to come and steal him away from me? I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!”

She burst into a violent fit of sobbing, and, darting back into the garden, slammed the gate in his face.

“Good Heavens!” said Martini to himself, as he walked down the lane. “That girl is actually in love with him! Of all the extraordinary things⁠—”

VIII

The Gadfly’s recovery was rapid. One afternoon in the following week Riccardo found him lying on the sofa in a Turkish dressing-gown, chatting with Martini and Galli. He even talked about going downstairs; but Riccardo merely laughed at the suggestion and asked whether he would like a tramp across the valley to Fiesole to start with.

“You might go and call on the Grassinis for a change,” he added wickedly. “I’m sure madame would be delighted to see you, especially now, when you look so pale and interesting.”

The Gadfly clasped his hands with a tragic gesture.

“Bless my soul! I never thought of that! She’d take me for one of Italy’s martyrs, and talk patriotism to me. I should have to act up to the part, and tell her I’ve been cut to pieces in an underground dungeon and stuck together again rather badly; and she’d want to know exactly what the process felt like. You don’t think she’d believe it, Riccardo? I’ll bet you my Indian dagger against the bottled tapeworm in your den that she’ll swallow the biggest lie I can invent. That’s a generous offer, and you’d better jump at it.”

“Thanks, I’m not so fond of murderous tools as you are.”

“Well, a tapeworm is as murderous as a dagger, any day, and not half so pretty.”

“But as it happens, my dear fellow, I don’t want the dagger and I do want the tapeworm. Martini, I must run off. Are you in charge of this obstreperous patient?”

“Only till three o’clock. Galli and I have to go to San Miniato, and Signora Bolla is coming till I can get back.”

“Signora Bolla!” the Gadfly repeated in a tone of dismay. “Why, Martini, this will never do! I can’t have a lady bothered over me and my ailments. Besides, where is she to sit? She won’t like to come in here.”

“Since when have you gone in so fiercely for the proprieties?” asked Riccardo, laughing. “My good man, Signora Bolla is head nurse in general to all of us. She has looked after sick people ever since she was in short frocks, and does it better than any sister of mercy I know. Won’t like to come into your room! Why, you might be talking of the Grassini woman! I needn’t leave any directions if she’s coming, Martini. Heart alive, it’s half-past two; I must be off!”

“Now, Rivarez, take your physic before she comes,” said Galli, approaching the sofa with a medicine glass.

“Damn the physic!” The Gadfly had reached the irritable stage of convalescence, and was inclined to give his devoted nurses a bad time. “W-what do you want to d-d-dose me with all sorts of horrors for now the pain is gone?”

“Just because I don’t want it to come back. You wouldn’t like it if you collapsed when Signora Bolla is here and she had to give you opium.”

“My g-good sir, if that pain is going to come back it will come; it’s not a t-toothache to be frightened away with your trashy mixtures. They are about as much use as a t-toy squirt for a house on fire. However, I suppose you must have your way.”

He took the glass with his left hand, and the sight of the terrible scars recalled Galli to the former subject of conversation.

“By the way,” he asked; “how did you get so much knocked about? In the war, was it?”

“Now, didn’t I just tell you it was a case of secret dungeons and⁠—”

“Yes, that version is for Signora Grassini’s benefit. Really, I suppose it was in the war with Brazil?”

“Yes, I got a bit hurt there; and then hunting in the savage districts and one thing and another.”

“Ah, yes; on the scientific expedition. You can fasten your shirt; I have quite done. You seem to have had an exciting time of it out there.”

“Well, of course you can’t live in