Herbert smiled as he returned the bow. And then the little French
doctor, turning to Traverse said:
"But your business, so important and so hasty, which has brought
this officer so illustrious down here--what is it, my friend?"
"We will have the honor of explaining to Monsieur le Docteur, over
our coffee, if he will oblige us by ordering the servant to retire,"
said Traverse, who sometimes adopted, in speaking to the old
Frenchman, his own formal style of politeness. "Go, then, John!"
"Oui, oui, certainement! Allez donc, John!"
As soon as the man had gone, Traverse said:
"I propose to discuss this business over our coffee, because it will
save time without interfering with our morning meal, and I know that
immediately afterwards you will go your usual round of visits to
your patients."
"Eh bien! proceed, my son! proceed!"
Traverse immediately commenced and related all that was necessary
concerning the fraud practised upon the institution by introducing
into it an unfortunate woman, represented to be mad, but really only
sorrowful, nervous and excitable. And to prove the truth of his
words, Traverse desired Herbert to read from the confession the
portion relating to this fraud, and to show the doctor the signature
of the principal and the witness.
To have seen the old French doctor then! I rejoice in a Frenchman,
for the frank abandon with which he gives himself up to his
emotions! Our doctor, after staring at the confession, took hold of
the top of his blue tasseled night-cap, pulled it off his head and
threw it violently upon the floor! Then remembering that he was
exposing a cranium as bald as a peeled potato, he suddenly caught it
up again, clapped it upon his crown and exclaimed:
"Sacre! Diable!" and other ejaculations dreadful to translate, and
others again which it would be profane to set down in French or
English.
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