The walls and ceiling were blackened with flies. Mrs Bangham, expert in sudden device, with one hand fanned the patient with a cabbage leaf, and with the other set traps of vinegar and sugar in gallipots; at the same time enunciating sentiments of an encouraging and congratulatory nature, adapted to the occasion.
′The flies trouble you, don′t they, my dear?′ said Mrs Bangham. ′But p′raps they′ll take your mind off of it, and do you good. What between the buryin ground, the grocer′s, the waggon-stables, and the paunch trade, the Marshalsea flies gets very large. P′raps they′re sent as a consolation, if we only know′d it. How are you now, my dear? No better? No, my dear, it ain′t to be expected; you′ll be worse before you′re better, and you know it, don′t you? Yes. That′s right! And to think of a sweet little cherub being born inside the lock! Now ain′t it pretty, ain′t THAT something to carry you through it pleasant? Why, we ain′t had such a thing happen here, my dear, not for I couldn′t name the time when. And you a crying too?′ said Mrs Bangham, to rally the patient more and more. ′You! Making yourself so famous! With the flies a falling into the gallipots by fifties! And everything a going on so well! And here if there ain′t,′ said Mrs Bangham as the door opened, ′if there ain′t your dear gentleman along with Dr Haggage! And now indeed we ARE complete, I THINK!′
The doctor was scarcely the kind of apparition to inspire a patient with a sense of absolute completeness, but as he presently delivered the opinion, ′We are as right as we can be, Mrs Bangham, and we shall come out of this like a house afire;′ and as he and Mrs Bangham took possession of the poor helpless pair, as everybody else and anybody else had always done, the means at hand were as good on the whole as better would have been. The special feature in Dr Haggage′s treatment of the case, was his determination to keep Mrs Bangham up to the mark. As thus:
′Mrs Bangham,′ said the doctor, before he had been there twenty minutes, ′go outside and fetch a little brandy, or we shall have you giving in.′
′Thank you, sir. But none on my accounts,′ said Mrs Bangham.
′Mrs Bangham,′ returned the doctor, ′I am in professional attendance on this lady, and don′t choose to allow any discussion on your part. Go outside and fetch a little brandy, or I foresee that you′ll break down.′
′You′re to be obeyed, sir,′ said Mrs Bangham, rising. ′If you was to put your own lips to it, I think you wouldn′t be the worse, for you look but poorly, sir.′
′Mrs Bangham,′ returned the doctor, ′I am not your business, thank you, but you are mine. Never you mind ME, if you please. What you have got to do, is, to do as you are told, and to go and get what I bid you.′
Mrs Bangham submitted; and the doctor, having administered her potion, took his own. He repeated the treatment every hour, being very determined with Mrs Bangham. Three or four hours passed; the flies fell into the traps by hundreds; and at length one little life, hardly stronger than theirs, appeared among the multitude of lesser deaths.
′A very nice little girl indeed,′ said the doctor; ′little, but well-formed. Halloa, Mrs Bangham! You′re looking queer! You be off, ma′am, this minute, and fetch a little more brandy, or we shall have you in hysterics.
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