Then the arched body subsided and the rigid muscles relaxed and turned supple. Sampson kneaded the man like dough by way of comment.
“It is really very extraordinary,” said Osmond.
“Mai—dearr—sirr, nothing's extraornary t' a man that knows the reason of iverything.”
He then inquired if any one in the room had noticed at what intervals of time the pains came on.
“I am sorry to say it is continuous,” said Osmond.
“Mai—dearr—sirr, nothing on airth is continuous: iverything has paroxysms and remissions—from a toothache t' a cancer.”
He repeated his query in various forms, till at last a little girl squeaked out, “If—you—-please, sir, the throes do come about every ten minutes, for I was a looking at the clock; I carries father his dinner at twelve.”
“If you please, ma'am, there's half a guinea for you for not being such an' ijjit as the rest of the world, especially the Dockers.” And he jerked her half a sovereign.
A stupor fell on the assembly. They awoke from it to examine the coin, and see if it was real, or only yellow air.
Maxley came to and gave a sigh of relief. When he had been insensible, yet out of pain, nearly eight minutes by the clock, Sampson chloroformed him again. “I'll puzzle ye, my friend strych,” said he. “How will ye get your perriodical paroxysms when the man is insensible? The Dox say y' act direct on the spinal marrow. Well, there's the spinal marrow where you found it just now. Act on it again, my lad! I give ye leave—if ye can. Ye can't; bekase ye must pass through the Brain to get there: and I occupy the Brain with a swifter ajint than y' are, and mean to keep y' out of it till your power to kill evaporates, being a vigitable.”