ah.thefinaldiagnosis-第27节

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。　But　the　supervisor　did　not　turn　around　and　went　in　another　doorway　before　they　passed。　Then　they　were　in　a　narrower；　quieter　corridor　with　closed　doors　on　each　side。　There　were　lights　beneath　some　of　the　doors；　and　from　one　she　could　hear　music。　She　recognized　it　as　Chopin's　Prelude　in　E　Minor；　the　Burlington　Symphony　had　played　it　a　month　or　two　before。
　〃In　here。〃　Mike　had　opened　a　door；　and　quickly　they　moved　inside。　It　was　dark；　but　she　could　make　out　the　shape　of　bunk　beds　and　an　armchair。　Behind　her　she　heard　the　lock　click　as　Mike　fastened　the　catch。
　They　reached　for　each　other　demandingly；　urgently。　His　fingers　were　at　the　buttons　of　her　uniform。　When　they　hesitated　she　helped　him。　Now　she　was　standing　in　her　slip。　For　a　moment　he　held　her　tightly；　together　savoring　the　torture　of　delay。　Then；　his　hands　moving　gently；　tenderly；　and　with　exquisite　promise；　he　lifted　the　slip　over　her　head。　As　she　moved　to　the　bed　she　kicked　off　her　shoes。　There　was　a　swift　movement　and　then　he　was　with　her；　his　hands　helping　her　again。　〃Vivian；　darling　Vivian！〃
　She　scarcely　heard　him。　〃Mike；　don't　wait！　Please　don't　wait！〃　She　felt　the　contours　of　his　body　pressing　madly；　abandonedly；　into　her。　She　responded　wildly；　fought　fiercely　to　bring　him　tighter；　nearer；　deeper。　Then　suddenly　there　was　nothing　else　in　the　world；　nothing　but　a　peak　of　tempestuous　ecstasy；　now　sweeping；　searing；　surging　。　。　。　ing　closer；　closer；　closer。
　As　they　lay　quietly　together　afterward；　Vivian　could　hear　the　music　again；　ing　faintly　from　down　the　hall。　It　was　still　Chopin；　this　time　the　Etude　in　E　Major。　It　seemed　strange；　at　this　moment；　to　be　identifying　a　musical　position；　but　the　liquid；　haunting　melody；　heard　softly　in　the　darkness；　fitted　her　mood　of　pletion。
　Mike　reached　over　and　kissed　her　gently。　Then　he　said；　〃Vivian　dearest；　I　want　to　marry　you。〃
　She　asked　him　softly；　〃Mike　darling；　are　you　sure？〃
　The　impetuousness　of　his　own　words　had　surprised　even　himself。　Mike　had　spoken　them　on　impulse；　hut　suddenly；　deeply；　he　knew　them　to　be　true。　His　objective　in　avoiding　entanglements　seemed　pointless　and　shallow；　this　was　an　entanglement　he　wanted；　to　the　exclusion　of　all　others。　He　knew　now　what　had　troubled　him　today　and　earlier；　at　this　moment　it　troubled　him　no　more。　Characteristically　he　answered　Vivian's　questions　with　a　touch　of　humor。　〃Sure　I'm　sure。　Aren't　you？〃
　As　her　arms　went　around　him　Vivian　murmured；　〃I've　never　been　more　sure　of　anything。〃
　〃Hey！〃　Mike　broke　away　and　he　propped　himself　on　an　elbow；　facing　her。　〃All　this　put　it　out　of　my　mind。　What　about　your　knee？〃
　Vivian　smiled　mischievously。　〃It　wasn't　any　trouble　tonight；　was　it？〃
　After　he　had　kissed　her　again　he　asked；　〃Tell　me　what　Lucy　Grainger　said。〃
　〃She　didn't。　She　had　Dr。　Bell　take　some　X…rays　this　afternoon。　She　said　she'd　send　for　me　in　a　couple　of　days。〃
　Mike　said；　〃I'll　be　glad　when　it's　cleared　up。〃
　Vivian　said；　〃Don't　be　silly；　darling。　How　could　a　little　bump　like　that　be　anything　serious？〃
　
　Ten
　
　Boston；　Mass。
　August　7
　Mr。　H。　N。　Tomaselli；
　Administrator；
　Three　Counties　Hospital
　Burlington；　Pa。
　
　Dear　Mr。　Tomaselli：
　Since　my　visit　to　Burlington　a　week　ago　I　have　thought　a　great　deal　about　the　appointment　in　pathology　at　Three　Counties　Hospital。
　This　letter　is　to　advise　you　that；　subject；　of　course；　to　your　still　feeling　the　same　way　about　me；　I　have　decided　to　accept　the　appointment　on　the　terms　we　discussed。
　You　mentioned　that　you　were　anxious　for　whoever　accepted　the　post　to　begin　work　as　soon　as　possible。　There　is　really　nothing　to　delay　me　here；　and　after　clearing　up　a　few　minor　things　I　could　be　in　Burlington　ready　to　begin　on　August　15…that　is；　in　just　over　a　week　from　now。　I　trust　this　will　be　a　convenient　arrangement。
　In　talking　with　Dr。　O'Donnell　he　mentioned　knowing　of　some　bachelor　apartments　which　will　be　pleted　soon　and　are　quite　near　the　hospital。　I　wonder　if　you　have　any　more　information　on　this　subject　and；　if　so；　I　would　be　interested　to　know　of　it。　Meanwhile；　perhaps　you　would　be　good　enough　to　make　a　reservation　for　me　at　one　of　the　local　hotels　for　arrival　August　14。
　On　the　subject　of　the　work　I　shall　be　doing　at　the　hospital；　there　is　one　point　which　I　felt　we　did　not　clear　up　entirely；　and　I　am　mentioning　it　now　in　the　hope　that　perhaps　you　may　be　able　to　discuss　it　with　Dr。　Pearson　sometime　before　my　arrival。
　It　is　my　feeling　that　it　would　be　advantageous；　both　for　the　hospital　and　myself；　if　there　were　some　clearly　defined　areas　of　responsibility　where　I　could　have　a　reasonably　free　hand；　both　in　general　supervision　of　the　day…to…day　work　and　also　the　carrying…out　of　any　changes　of　organization　and　technique　which；　of　course；　are　always　necessary　from　time　to　time。
　My　own　wishes　in　this　regard　would　be　to　have　direct　responsibility；　within　the　pathology　department；　for　Serology；　Hematology；　and　Biochemistry；　though；　of　course；　assisting　Dr。　Pearson　in　pathological　anatomy　and　other　matters　at　any　time　he　might　see　fit。
　As　I　say；　I　have　raised　this　point　now　in　the　hope　that　it　may　be　possible　for　you　and　Dr。　Pearson　to　consider　it　before　August　15。　But　please　be　assured　that　at　all　times　I　will　seek　to　co…operate　fully　with　Dr。　Pearson　and　to　serve　Three　Counties　Hospital　to　the　best　of　my　ability。
　Yours　very　truly；
　David　Coleman；　M。D。
　
　Coleman　read　through　the　neatly　typed　letter　once　more；　put　it　in　an　envelope；　and　sealed　it。　Then；　going　back　to　his　portable　typewriter；　he　tapped　out　a　similar　but　slightly　shorter　note　to　Dr。　Joseph　Pearson。
　
　David　Coleman　left　the　furnished　apartment　which　he　had　rented　on　a　short　lease　for　the　few　months　he　had　been　in　Boston　and　walked　to　a　mailbox　with　both　letters。　Thinking　over　what　he　had　written；　he　still　was　not　sure　why　he　had　chosen　Three　Counties　in　preference　to　the　seven　other　posts　he　had　been　offered　within　recent　weeks。　Certainly　it　was　not　the　most　remunerative。　Thought　of　in　financial　terms；　it　was　more　than　halfway　down　the　list。　Nor　was　it　a　〃name〃　hospital。　Two　of　the　other　medical　centers　in　which　he　had　been　offered　employment　had　names　that　were　internationally　renowned。　But　Three　Counties　was　scarcely　known　outside　the　immediate　area　it　served。
　Why　then？　Was　it　because　he　was　afraid　of　being　lost；　swallowed　up；　in　a　bigger　center？　Scarcely；　because　his　own　record　already　showed　he　could　hold　his　own　in　that　kind　of　environment。　Was　it　because　he　felt　he　would　be　freer　for　research　in　a　small　place？　He　certainly　hoped　to　do　some　research；　but　if　that　were　what　he　wanted　most　he　could　have　chosen　a　research　institute…there　had　been　one　on　his　list…and　done　nothing　else。　Was　it　because　of　the　challenge　that　he　had　made　his　choice？　Maybe。　There　were　certainly　a　lot　of　things　wrong　in　pathology　at　Three　Counties　Hospital。　He　had　seen　that　just　in　the　two　brief　days　he　had　spent　there　last　week；　following　the　phone　call　from　the　administrator　inviting　him　to　visit　the　hospital　and　look　the　situation　over。　And　working　with　Dr。　Pearson　was　not　going　to　be　easy。　He　had　sensed　resentment　in　the　older　man　when　they　had　met；　and　the　administrator　had　admitted　under　Coleman's　questioning　that　Pearson　had　a　reputation　for　being　hard　to　get　along　with。
　So　was　it　because　of　the　challenge？　Was　that　why　he　had　picked　Three　Counties？　Was　it？　Or　was　it　something　else；　something　quite　different？　Was　it　。　。　。　self…mortification？　Was　it　that　still…the　old　specter　that　had　haunted　him　so　long？
　Of　all　his　traits　of　character　David　Coleman　had　long　suspected　pride　to　be　the　strongest；　and　it　was　a　defect　he　feared　and　hated　most。　In　his　own　opinion　he　had　never　been　able　to　conquer　pride；　he　spurned　it；　rejected　it；　yet　always　it　came　back…seemingly　strong　and　indestructible。
　Mostly　his　pride　stemmed　from　an　awareness　of　his　own　superior　intellect。　In　the　pany　of　others　he　frequently　felt　himself　to　be　mentally　far　out　front；　usually　because　he　was。　And；　intellectually；　everything　he　had　done　so　far　in　his　life　proved　this　to　be　true。
　As　far　back　as　David　Coleman　could　remember；　the　fruits　of　scholarship　had　e　to　him　easily。　Learning　had　proved　as　simple　as　breathing。　In　public　school；　high　school；　college；　medical　school；　he　had　soared　above　others；　taking　the　highest　honors　almost　as　a　matter　of　course。　He　had　a　mind　which　was　at　once　absorbent；　analytical；　understanding。　And　proud。
　He　had　first　learned　about　pride　in　his　early　years　of　high　school。　Like　anyone　who　is　naturally　brilliant；　he　was　regarded　initially　by　his　fellow　students　with　some　suspicion。　Then；　as　he　made　no　attempt　to　conceal　his　feelings　of　mental　superiority；　suspicion　turned　to　dislike　and　finally　to　hate。
　At　the　time　he　had　sensed　this；　but　he　had　not　consciously　cared　until　one　day　the　school　principal；　himself　a　brilliant　scholar　and　an　understanding　man；　had　taken　him　aside。　Even　now　David　Coleman　remembered　what　the　other　man　had　said。
　〃I　think　you're　big　enough　to　take　this；　so　I'm　going　to　spell　it　out。　In　these　four　walls；　aside　from　me；　you　haven't　a　single　friend。〃
　At　first　he　had　not　believed　it。　Then　because；　above　all；　he　was　supremely　honest；　he　had　admitted　to　himself　that　the　fact　was　true。
　T