Читать «Практический курс английского языка 3 курс (calibre 2.43.0)» онлайн - страница 160

"Why Spain?"

"I don't know, I just have a fancy for it."

"It's not like Carmen, you know."

"But there's sunshine there, and there's good wine, and there's colour, and there's air you can breathe. Let me say what I have to

say straight out. I heard by accident that there was no English doctor in Seville.3 Do you think I could earn a living there? Is it

madness to give up a good safe job for an uncertainty?"

"What does your wife think about it?"

"She's willing."

"It's a great risk."

"I know. But if you say take it, I will; if you say stay where you are, I'll stay."

He was looking at me intently with those bright dark eyes of his and I knew that he meant what he said. I reflected for a moment.

"Your whole future is concerned; you must decide for yourself. But this I can tell you: if you don't want money but are content to

earn just enough to keep body and souljogether, then go. For you will lead a wonderful life."

He left me, I thought about him for a day or two, and then forgot. The episode passed completely from my memory.

Many years later, fifteen at least, I happened to be in Seville and having some Jriflingjiiilisposition asked the hotel porter whether

there was an English doctor in the town. He said there was and gave me the address. I took a cab and as I drove up to the house a little

fat man came out of it. He hesitated when he caught sight of me.

"Have you come to see me?" he said. "I'm the English doctor."

I explained_my_£irand and he asked me to come in. He lived in an ordinary Spanish house, with a patio,4 and his consulting room

which led out of it littered with papers, books, medical appliances, and lumber. The sight of it would have startled a squeamish

patient. We did our business and then I asked the doctor what his fee was. He shook his head and smiled.

"There's no fee."

"Why on earth not?"

"Don't you remember me? Why, I'm here because of something you said to me. You changed my whole life for me. I'm Stephens."

I had not the least notion what he was talking about. He reminded me of our interview, he repeated to me what we had said, and

gradually, out of the night, a dim recollection of the incident came back to me.

"I was wondering if I'd ever see you again," he said, "I was wondering if ever I'd have a chance of thanking you for all you've

done for me."

"It's been a success then?"

I looked at him. He was very fat now and bald, but his eyes twinkled gaily and his fleshy, red face bore an expression of

perfect good-humour. The clothes he wore, terribly shabby they were, had been made obviously by a Spanish tailor and his hat

was the wide- brimmed sombrero of the Spaniard. He looked to me as though^ he knew a good bottle of wine when he saw it. He

had a dissipated, though entirely sympathetic, appearance. You might have hesitated to let him remove your appendix, but you

could not have imagined a more delightful creature to drink a glass of wine with.

"Surely you were married?" I asked.

"Yes. My wife didn't like Spain, she went back to Camberwell, she was more at home there."