when god laughs and other stories(当上帝发笑时)-第27节
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head knocked off by a block。 A carelessly fastened mainstaysail sheet
was the cause of the accident； which was deeply to be regretted because
Mr。 Dorety was a favourite with all of us。〃
Captain Dan Cullen read over his literary effort with admiration；
blotted the page； and closed the log。 He lighted a cigar and stared before
him。 He felt the Mary Rogers lift； and heel； and surge along； and knew that
she was making nine knots。 A smile of satisfaction slowly dawned on his
black and hairy face。 Well； anyway； he had made his westing and fooled
God。
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SEMPER IDEM
Doctor Bicknell was in a remarkably gracious mood。 Through a
minor accident； a slight bit of carelessness； that was all； a man who might
have pulled through had died the preceding night。 Though it had been
only a sailorman； one of the innumerable unwashed； the steward of the
receiving hospital had been on the anxious seat all the morning。 It was
not that the man had died that gave him discomfort； he knew the Doctor
too well for that； but his distress lay in the fact that the operation had been
done so well。 One of the most delicate in surgery； it had been as
successful as it was clever and audacious。 All had then depended upon
the treatment； the nurses； the steward。 And the man had died。 Nothing
much； a bit of carelessness； yet enough to bring the professional wrath of
Doctor Bicknell about his ears and to perturb the working of the staff and
nurses for twenty…four hours to come。
But； as already stated； the Doctor was in a remarkably gracious mood。
When informed by the steward； in fear and trembling； of the man's
unexpected take…off； his lips did not so much as form one syllable of
censure； nay； they were so pursed that snatches of rag…time floated softly
from them； to be broken only by a pleasant query after the health of the
other's eldest… born。 The steward； deeming it impossible that he could
have caught the gist of the case； repeated it。
〃Yes； yes；〃 Doctor Bicknell said impatiently； 〃I understand。 But how
about Semper Idem？ Is he ready to leave？〃
〃Yes。 They're helping him dress now；〃 the steward answered； passing
on to the round of his duties； content that peace still reigned within the
iodine…saturated walls。
It was Semper Idem's recovery which had so fully compensated
Doctor Bicknell for the loss of the sailorman。 Lives were to him as
nothing； the unpleasant but inevitable incidents of the profession； but cases；
ah； cases were everything。 People who knew him were prone to brand
him a butcher； but his colleagues were at one in the belief that a bolder and
yet a more capable man never stood over the table。 He was not an
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WHEN GOD LAUGHS； AND OTHER STORIES
imaginative man。 He did not possess； and hence had no tolerance for；
emotion。 His nature was accurate； precise； scientific。 Men were to him
no more than pawns； without individuality or personal value。 But as
cases it was different。 The more broken a man was； the more precarious
his grip on life； the greater his significance in the eyes of Doctor Bicknell。
He would as readily forsake a poet laureate suffering from a common
accident for a nameless； mangled vagrant who defied every law of life by
refusing to die； as would a child forsake a Punch and Judy for a circus。
So it had been in the case of Semper Idem。 The mystery of the man
had not appealed to him； nor had his silence and the veiled romance which
the yellow reporters had so sensationally and so fruitlessly exploited in
divers Sunday editions。 But Semper Idem's throat had been cut。 That
was the point。 That was where his interest had centred。 Cut from ear to
ear； and not one surgeon in a thousand to give a snap of the fingers for his
chance of recovery。 But； thanks to the swift municipal ambulance
service and to Doctor Bicknell； he had been dragged back into the world
he had sought to leave。 The Doctor's co…workers had shaken their heads
when the case was brought in。 Impossible； they said。 Throat； windpipe；
jugular； all but actually severed； and the loss of blood frightful。 As it was
such a foregone conclusion； Doctor Bicknell had employed methods and
done things which made them； even in their professional capacities；
shudder。 And lo！ the man had recovered。
So； on this morning that Semper Idem was to leave the hospital； hale
and hearty； Doctor Bicknell's geniality was in nowise disturbed by the
steward's report； and he proceeded cheerfully to bring order out of the
chaos of a child's body which had been ground and crunched beneath the
wheels of an electric car。
As many will remember； the case of Semper Idem aroused a vast deal
of unseemly yet highly natural curiosity。 He had been found in a slum
lodging； with throat cut as aforementioned； and blood dripping down upon
the inmates of the room below and disturbing their festivities。 He had
evidently done the deed standing； with head bowed forward that he might
gaze his last upon a photograph which stood on the table propped against a
candlestick。 It was this attitude which had made it possible for Doctor
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WHEN GOD LAUGHS； AND OTHER STORIES
Bicknell to save him。 So terrific had been the sweep of the razor that had
he had his head thrown back； as he should have done to have
accomplished the act properly； with his neck stretched and the elastic
vascular walls distended； he would have of a certainty well…nigh
decapitated himself。
At the hospital； during all the time he travelled the repugnant road
back to life； not a word had left his lips。 Nor could anything be learned
of him by the sleuths detailed by the chief of police。 Nobody knew him；
nor had ever seen or heard of him before。 He was strictly； uniquely； of
the present。 His clothes and surroundings were those of the lowest
labourer； his hands the hands of a gentleman。 But not a shred of writing
was discovered； nothing； save in one particular； which would serve to
indicate his past or his position in life。
And that one particular was the photograph。 If it were at all a
likeness； the woman who gazed frankly out upon the onlooker from the
card…mount must have been a striking creature indeed。 It was an amateur
production； for the detectives were baffled in that no professional
photographer's signature or studio was appended。 Across a corner of the
mount； in delicate feminine tracery； was written： 〃Semper idem； semper
fidelis。〃 And she looked it。 As many recollect； it was a face one could
never forget。 Clever half…tones； remarkably like； were published in all
the leading papers at the time； but such procedure gave rise to nothing but
the uncontrollable public curiosity and interminable copy to the space…
writers。
For want of a better name； the rescued suicide was known to the
hospital attendants； and to the world； as Semper Idem。 And Semper Idem
he remained。 Reporters； detectives； and nurses gave him up in despair。
Not one word could he be persuaded to utter； yet the flitting conscious
light of his eyes showed that his ears heard and his brain grasped every
question put to him。
But this mystery and romance played no part in Doctor Bicknell's
interest when he paused in the office to have a parting word with his
patient。 He； the Doctor
