"Is the disease defined?" asked he.
It was defined, and very serious. Inflammation had seized the greater part of the lungs, and was working fiercely on an organism weakened by a previous attack. Besides, some kind of complication had supervened, something coming from the brain, from the nerves, something psychic.
Darvid mentioned a consultation.
"We may summon from abroad—from Paris, from Vienna; we have telegraphs and railroads at our service—as to expense—" concluded he with indifference "—as to expense, I shall not spare it. My whole fortune is at the disposal of—"
He fixed in the eyes of the doctor a look in which was the desire for a silent understanding.
"This is no hyperbole, or figure of rhetoric. I am ready to summon half medical Europe, and spend half my fortune."
There was a quiver on his temples, around his mouth, and near his eyes, but he smiled. The doctor smiled also.
"My dear sir," said he, "the case is not so peculiar as to need presentation before the judgment of Europe. But being in Europe—yes. I will serve you at once with the names of my foreign colleagues. But as to colossal money sacrifices, I must say that they will not help. Death, my dear sir, is such a giantess, that if she is to come, mountains of gold will not stop her. I will not say that she must come surely in this case. But if she is to come, half your fortune—that is, golden mountains—yes, golden mountains will be no hindrance to her. She will spring over them and—come."
After the doctor had gone, Darvid remained alone for a while, and, with his eyes fixed on the floor, he thought:
"A giantess! Golden mountains will not stop her! True, but science is also a giantess. And, besides, is human, and every human thing travels in golden chariots. But to set one giantess against the other, gold and energy are needed."