Page:Doctor Thorne.djvu/263

Rh 'You will not even help me?'

'Not in this thing, Sir Roger.'

'Then, by, she shall not under any circumstances ever have a shilling of mine. Give me some of that stuff there,' and he again pointed to the brandy bottle which stood ever within his sight.

The doctor poured out and handed to him another small modicum of spirit.

'Nonsense, man; fill the glass. I'll stand no nonsense now. I'll be master in my own house to the last. Give it here, I tell you. Ten thousand devils are tearing me within. You—you could have comforted me; but you would not. Fill the glass I tell you.'

'I should be killing you were I to do it.'

'Killing me! killing me! you are always talking of killing me. Do you suppose that I am afraid to die? Do not I know how soon it is coming? Give me the brandy, I say, or I will be out across the room to fetch it.'

'No, Scatcherd. I cannot give it to you; not while I am here. Do you remember how you were engaged this morning?'—he had that morning taken the sacrament from the parish clergyman—'you would not wish to make me guilty of murder, would you?'

'Nonsense! You are talking nonsense; habit is second nature. I tell you I shall sink without it. Why, you know I always get it directly your back is turned. Come, I will not be bullied in my own house; give me that bottle, I say!'—and Sir Roger essayed, vainly enough, to raise himself from the bed.

'Stop, Scatcherd; I will give it you—I will help you. It may be that habit is second nature.' Sir Roger in his determined energy had swallowed, without thinking of it, the small quantity which the doctor had before poured out for him, and still held the empty glass within his hand. This the doctor now took and filled nearly to the brim.

'Come, Thorne, a bumper; a bumper for this once. "Whatever the drink, it a bumper must be." You stingy fellow! I would not treat you so. Well—well.'

'It's as full as you can hold it, Scatcherd.'

'Try me; try me! my hand is a rock; at least at holding liquor.' And then he drained the contents of the glass, which were sufficient in quantity to have taken away the breath from any ordinary man.

'Ah, I'm better now. But, Thorne, I do love a full glass, ha! ha! ha!'

There was something frightful, almost sickening, in the peculiar