"
"What do you mean?"
"When the cholera comes here as it will, at its present pace, before
the end of the summer, then I shall have the zoophytes rising up in
judgment against me, if I have not profited by a leaf out of their
book."
"The cholera?" said Elsley in a startled voice, forgetting Tom's
parables in the new thought. For Elsley had a dread more nervous than
really coward of infectious diseases; and he had also (and prided
himself, too, on having) all Goethe's dislike of anything terrible or
horrible, of sickness, disease, wounds, death, anything which jarred
with that "beautiful" which was his idol.
"The cholera?" repeated he. "I hope not; I wish you had not mentioned
it, Mr. Thurnall."
"I am very sorry that I did so, if it offends you. I had thought that
forewarned was forearmed. After all it is no business of mine; if I
have extra labour, as I shall have, I shall have extra experience; and
that will be a fair set-off, even if the board of guardians don't vote
me an extra remuneration, as they ought to do."
Elsley was struck dumb; first by the certainty which Tom's words
expressed, and next by the coolness of their temper. At last he
stammered out, "Good heavens, Mr. Thurnall! you do not talk of that
frightful scourge--so disgusting, too, in its character--as a matter
of profit and loss? It is sordid, cold-hearted!"
"My dear sir, if I let myself think, much more talk, about the matter
in any other tone, I should face the thing poorly enough when it came.
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