Once more, Mr. Candy's wanderings appeared, copied in black ink; the
intervals between the phrases being filled up by Ezra Jennings in
red ink. I reproduce the result here, in one plain form; the original
language and the interpretation of it coming close enough together in
these pages to be easily compared and verified.
"... Mr. Franklin Blake is clever and agreeable, but he wants taking
down a peg when he talks of medicine. He confesses that he has been
suffering from want of sleep at night. I tell him that his nerves are
out of order, and that he ought to take medicine. He tells me that
taking medicine and groping in the dark mean one and the same thing.
This before all the company at the dinner-table. I say to him, you are
groping after sleep, and nothing but medicine can help you to find it.
He says to me, I have heard of the blind leading the blind, and now I
know what it means. Witty--but I can give him a night's rest in spite of
his teeth. He really wants sleep; and Lady Verinder's medicine chest is
at my disposal. Give him five-and-twenty minims of laudanum to-night,
without his knowing it; and then call to-morrow morning.
Pages:
718
719
720
721
722
723
724
725
726
727
728
729
730
731
732
733
734
735
736
737
738
739
740
741
742