CHAPTER I
THE DENTIST'S IN FINSBURY SQUARE
The gong fixed in the door frame sounded.
A man entered as Sawyer hurriedly ceased a perusal of the pages of the_Boys of the World_, and stuffed that sample of the literature of youngEngland up his page's jacket.
"Is the boss in?"
"Yes, sir."
"I want a tooth out."
"Yes, sir. Will you take a seat a moment?"
The boy handed the visitor a newspaper as he spoke, and then entered theinner room. To his employer he said:
"Gent wants a tooth extracted, sir."
He had attained the word "extracted" by diligent practice. It had beenhard work, but he got home with it at last.
There was a hope prevailing in the dentist's breast that in time the boywould be able to say "gentleman"; at present there were no indicationsof the realization of that hope beyond the word's first syllable.
The dentist was wearily glancing out of the window. He looked very downin the mouth.
That is said of him metaphorically, as, actually, it is part of thebusiness of a dentist to do that sort of thing. That is patent.
He had little to do but admire the scenery of Finsbury Circus. It is notan inspiring landscape--weariness naturally follows its frequentobservation.
His brother had rooms a few doors away, and was the proprietor of abrass plate which bore four letters after his name--Arthur Lennox,M.R.C.S.
Sawyer was a divided possession. However impossible it may seem for aman to serve two masters, the boy did--it came cheaper that way.
The surgeon and dentist were not having good times.
Patience is necessary in waiting for patients, and the stock of it theyhad laid in when they started in their respective practices was nearlyexhausted.
Overdue rent and unpaid bills stared them in the face. In addition totheir kinship they were brothers in misfortune.
It was such a rare thing for a patient to call that, when the pageannounced one, the dentist quite started. Immediately he said:
"Show him in."
The boy did so, and retired. To his visitor, the dentist said:
"Good-morning."
"Good-morning. You are Mr. Charles Lennox?"
There was just that twang about the speaker's voice which some personsfind so "charming"--and others tip their noses at--American.
"That is my name."
"I saw it up on the wire blind with the word 'dentist' after it."
"You need dental attention?"
"I need a tooth out."
"Will you sit down here?"
"Say! Hold on a minute. There's another combination on your blind.'Painless Dentistry.'"
"Yes."
"I want to sample that kind."
"You mean--gas?"
"I mean the kind where you yank the tooth out without the owner knowingit. I've heard that it's done that way."
"Oh, yes, very frequently."
"Then fire away, boss."
"I shall have to ask you to wait a minute or two."
"What for?"
"I must send for a medical man to administer the gas."
"Can't do it yourself?"
"No, it is not usual."
"Will it be long?"
"No, my anaesthetist is but a few doors away."
"All right, then."
"It is proper that I should mention that for the administration of gasan extra fee is charged."
"How do you mean?"
"The charge is half a guinea extra."
"Fifteen and six in all?"
"Yes."
"That's all right. If it really comes out without my knowing it, Ishan't ask for my change out of a sovereign. Money's no object with mejust now."
The dentist looked his opinion of the speaker, and, opening thecommunication doors, called the boy.
"Run in to Mr. Arthur, and ask him if he will come in--gas patientwaiting."
The boy ran in--and remained in Mr. Arthur Lennox' rooms, minding themwhile the surgeon went to help his brother.
As he entered the dentist's sanctum, the man who had been sent for said:
"Good-morning."
"Good-morning; are you the pain killer?"
"That is my present mission," replied the surgeon, with a smile, as hedrew out the rubber gas bag, and prepared the apparatus.
"What happens after I'm loaded? Sort of balloon business, this. How longdo I stay gassed up?"
"But a minute, and during that minute the tooth is extracted."
"Sure it don't hurt?"
"Not at all--take my word for it. You are conscious, perhaps, of what isbeing done, but you will experience no pain."
"All right, then. It's warm in here; do you mind me taking off my coat,mister?"
"Not at all."
"I've been walking around pretty much all to-day winding things up."
"Ah!"
Politeness induced the surgeon to utter that exclamation; he was whollyuninterested. He wondered why patients should be so communicative.
"Yes; I'm off back to the States to-morrow. I have been round to EldonStreet about my passage, and as I walked into Finsbury Circus, blest ifthis tooth didn't come on aching a treat. I didn't reckon on anydentist being aboard the boat, so, when I saw your sign, I popped rightin."
"And now, if you will sit here.... So. That's it."
"Hullo! what's that?"
"Don't be nervous--just the gas. Imagine you are going to sleep. That isit.... There you are; Charley, he's gone under."
The surgeon walked aside, the dentist took his place, and, instrument inhand, quickly operated.
As he put the forceps down, and picked up a glass of water, he suddenlycried:
"Arthur! what's wrong? Arthur, quick!"
The surgeon was at the window, drumming with his finger-tips on thepanes. He turned round hurriedly when he was addressed and inquired:
"What's the matter?"
But he needed no verbal answer. A look at the patient's face told himmuch.
He clawed up a towel, and putting it beneath the chin, snatched theglass of water the dentist was holding, and dashed it on the livid,colorless face.... It had no effect.
He threw the glass and towel down, and felt the pulse, tore open theman's vest, and applied his stethoscope; seized the body, laid it on thefloor, and on his knees was astride it.
"Brandy," he said, as he started in his muscular endeavor to restoreanimation.
His brother brought brandy, and poured some between the unconsciousman's lips.
"My case is in the bag, Charley," said the surgeon, as he continued hisefforts to pump air into the man's lungs. "Fill the hypo-syringe withbrandy."
The dentist did so, and handed it to his brother.
The injection had no effect. Once more the manual exercise wastried--tried for nearly half an hour.
The dentist wore a very white face as he watched what was beingdone--the exercise kept the color in the surgeon's.
But when presently the latter rose to his feet and wiped theperspiration from his brow with his handkerchief, the hue of his facewas in close competition with his brother's.
"Lock the outer door, Charley," he said, hoarsely.
The dentist did so without a word, but with a shaking hand. When hereturned, the surgeon was drinking neat brandy.
And when he had finished drinking, he poured out more, and handed theglass to his brother.
The dentist looked his inquiry. The surgeon answered it:
"Yes. Dead. This happens about once in five thousand cases. Our luck, Isuppose, our luck still helping us."
He said this very bitterly, as they stood looking down at the body.
Presently the dentist inquired:
"What is to be done?"
The other shook his head by way of reply.
Again the dentist broke the silence.
"Shall we send for the police?"
"What good will that do?"
"It is the usual thi
ng, is it----"
"Usual! The whole thing is unusual. The police spells for us ruin. Athing of this sort gets into the papers, and we might as well put up theshutters at once."
"Can we avoid----?"
"We must. Let me think--yes."
"You have thought of something?"
"Plain and ordinary enough. It did not want much thinking about."
"What is it?"
"Finsbury Circus is deserted at night?"
"Yes."
"Wait till then. Then throw the body over the rails into the Circusgarden. Let the police find it there."
"Horrible!"
"Why? The man's dead. The police have to find the body. What can itmatter whether it is found in these rooms or the open air? It can't hurtthe dead man to be found there. It will certainly hurt us if he is foundhere."
"That's so."
There was no help for it. Their exchequer was low enough down as itwas--they must prevent the happening of anything which would reduce itstill lower.
They had no belief in the proverb that when things were at their worstthey would mend--because their condition was as bad as it very wellcould be, and there was an utter absence of any sign of a mend aboutit.