“Yes, there is. Don’t ask me, but go, please, you really ought to go.”
“Ought, ought to?” repeated the Doctor curious, very thoughtful.
Now Doctor Wise had already learned that the first man overboard was Mr. Onset, the very man he had frightened by his amateur mental science treatment. Could the hysteria have returned in some new form? Was it no cure after all? Could the man have attempted suicide? If so, didn’t he himself have some personal responsibility from tampering with such a case? He should have left it for regular treatment. A successful cure would probably have brought no such adverse consequences as this; but if unsuccessful who would be to blame? At any rate he was now identified with Onset on board that ship and could not remain passive in such an emergency, even if the ship’s crew could do the work better.
Such thoughts rushed through the Doctor’s mind when Adele told him he ought to go with the rescue party, as he supposed, to help Onset.
An executive officer was superintending the boat close by, when Doctor Wise approached and asked nervously:
“Where is the physician of the ship?”
“With the next boat ahead.”
“Then I should like to go with this one.”
“Contrary to all rules,” said the officer, sharply.
Adele overheard this and before Doctor Wise decided what to do she had the executive officer by the sleeve, holding on firmly.