“There will be no blood,” said the doctor, “but it will be worse. Please send me three of our reverend fathers to assist me, and ask M. Rousselet to bring in the apparatus.”
Father d’Aigrigny went out. The prelate approached the doctor, and whispered, pointing to Rodin: “Is he out of danger?”
“If he stands the operation—yes, my lord.”
“Are you sure that he can stand it?”
“To him I should say ‘yes,’ to you ‘I hope so.’”
“And were he to die, would there be time to administer the sacraments in public, with a certain pomp, which always causes some little delay?”
“His dying may continue, my lord—a quarter of an hour.”
“It is short, but we must be satisfied with that,” said the prelate.
