SOCIAL EVENINGS
So soon as Joan had an hour that she could consider her own, she went "up bank," i.e. up hill, into the higher portion of the town, and rung at the surgery bell of a doctor of whom she had received an account as a man of probity, of much experience and good attainments.
She was shown into his presence.
He was a rugged man, with features rough-hewn by nature, and
his hair bristling and resisting attempts to smooth and arrange
it—supposing such attempts were made.
He looked at her attentively with sharp, searching eyes, and
said—
"What is your name? Where do you live?"
"My name is Frobisher, and I live in the street by Fennings'
bank, in which I work."
"Humph! You were not born here, don't belong here, and were in
better circumstances."
"Excuse me, sir, I did not come to your surgery to discuss
where I was born, or what were my circumstances, but to obtain a
professional opinion."
"Go on, then. What is the matter with you?"
"Nothing. I am quite well."
"Then what the devil do you mean by trespassing on my time? Time means money. What do you want? Not to study my pretty face, and sniff at my bottles."
"I have come about two friends," said Joan, undismayed by his
roughness, "both of whom have been lead-poisoned."
"Oh, lead! lead again! et toujours le plomb jusque a la
fin."
"Mais c'est vrai," she answered, without a moment's
consideration, accustomed as she had been to converse in French
with her Parisian governess.
"Ah! vous étes moitié
Française?"
"Du tout, monsieur!" said Joan, laughing "Cependant, revenons a nos moutons s'il vous plait."
"Bien, mademoiselle. What do you want?"
"As I said, I have two friends suffering from lead-poisoning. One is merely deadly white and languid, and seems to be devoid of energy—and I notice there is a trembling as of palsy. The other has lost the use of her right hand. She lives next door, and is very dear to me, and I desire to know whether the lead in both cases will lead to further mischief, or whether the poison can be counteracted and the patients recovered."
"Why have you not brought them here?"
"Because these are but samples of many cases; and I know that
you must be familiar with all the symptoms and consequences of
lead-poisoning. I am associated with girls working in the deadly
processes of colour-dusting, glost-placing and ground-laying, majolica-painting and ware-cleaning after the dipper. A stitch in time saves nine. I may be of use, as I am in the bank, and in daily intercourse with those in whom the poison is beginning to work, or who are merely menaced. If I knew the proper treatment to adopt, so soon as the symptoms appear, bad cases might be checked. Now as to the two about whom I inquire principally—what is to be done? Can they be pulled round? Both of these cases in which I am interested are no longer subject to further contact with lead. What is to be done for others, as they fall out of health from the same cause?"
"You are a sensible young woman. I wish there were more like
you. The very best advice I can offer, relative to such as show
symptoms of plumbism, is to give over at once."
"There one is met by this difficulty. The girls have to earn
their daily bread. They are in dire fear of abandoning their
places in the bank lest others should step in whilst they are
recruiting, and so, when recovered, they find no opening for
them. For this reason, the poor things do all in their power to
conceal or disguise the ravages of the poison."
"I know they do. More fools they."
"But consider. They have no sum of money on which to fall back
if taken ill."
"Their own fault. They have put it all on their backs."
"Granted that some have been so inconsiderate, yet it is not
so with all. They are young, they have not been long out of their
apprenticeship—and you must know that, as apprentices, their
earnings are very small. Suppose that they have been receiving
full wages for three or four years. Out of this poor sum is it
possible for them to form a fund that will sustain them through
the months of enforced idleness, whilst they are slowly
recovering? However, I have not come to discuss that point. I
desire information. What is to be done? I am bewildered. Some say
lemons, some milk, and some—but these are men—swear by
beer."
"Lemons are useless. Beer is of some value as a solvent, and
serves as an excuse for a soak."