I told him sternly that I was going to fetch the doctor to him.
He sprang at me and gripped my arm.
'I trusted you,' he said. 'I needn't have told you. You promised.'
So I had like a simpleton.
'Only give me two days,' he said, 'then I'll go to the doctor myself, if nothing works in all that time.'
So I said I would respect my promise loyally for those two days.
'I only told you,' he said, 'because my head was splitting with keeping it in. It's awful to me. I thought you were a negrophile and wouldn't think so much of it as other fellows. But for God's sake don't give me away to them. There's lots of things to try yet. By the way, ask that parson to pray for one afflicted and distressed in mind, body, and estate.'
He did try many sorts of things, poor fellow. He was in and out of that bath-room a good share of both days. He also tried drugs and patent medicines. I saw his cabin littered with them. He would sneak into meals those two days when people had almost finished, and gobble his food furtively.
I caught him once or twice smoking his pipe in the bath-room or the bath-room passage. He would not venture amid the crowd on deck. Only when many of the passengers were in bed would he come up with me, and take my arm and walk up and down. That was on the Wednesday night.
Wednesday night came, then Thursday morning. Thursday forenoon was long, and Thursday afternoon longer.
At last the sun was low, and I began to count the hours to the time when I might consult the doctor.