Part 57 (1/2)
”So you're in full blast again!” observed the doctor, using a metaphor invented by the population of a district where the roar of furnaces wakens the night
”No!” Edward Henry protested, as an invalid alill ”I's”
”Of course he's in full blast!” said Nellie with cal away to the seaside, Saturday?”
asked the doctor
”Well, can't I?” said Edward Henry
”Ye can,” said the doctor ”Let's have a look at ye, man”
”What was it you said I've had?” Edward Henry questioned
”Colitis”
”Yes, that's the word I thought I couldn't have got it wrong Well, you should have seen my mother's face when I told her what you called it She said, 'He may call it that if he's a mind to, but we had another name for it in my time' You should have heard her sniff!
Look here, doc, do you know you've had me do for pretty near three , ”it's yer own obstinacy that's had ye down, man
If ye'd listened to yer London doctor at first, mayhap ye wouldn't have had to travel froe If ye hadn't had the misfortune to be born an obstinate simpleton ye'd ha' been up and about six weeks back But there's no doing anything with you geniuses It's all nerves with you and your like”
”Nerves!” exclaihted at the diagnosis
”Nerves,” repeated the doctor, firet yeself mixed up in theatres How's the theatre? I see yer fa to an end next week”
”And what if it is?” said Edward Henry, jealous for reputations, including his own ”It will have run for a hundred and one nights And right through August too! Noin London, and no other ever will I've given the intellectual theatre the biggest ad it ever had And I've made money on it I should have o, but I was deterht And I shall do!”
”And what are ye for giving next?”
”I'ent for five years at seven thousand five hundred pounds a year to a musical comedy syndicate, since you're so curious And when I've paid the ground rent and taxes and repairs, and so-fund, and six per cent on my capital, I shall have not far off two thousand pounds a year clear annual profit You may say what you like, but that's what I call business!”