Source Text: FATHER1.3Mother: Laura!
Laura: Yes?
Mother: Is my tea ready?
Laura: It's just coming.
Doctor: Good evening, madam.
Laura: Come in, Doctor, we're delighted to see you. The Captain is out, but he should be back at any moment.
Doctor: I'm sorry to be so late, but I've had some patients to see already.
Laura: Please sit down, won't you?
Doctor: Thank you, madam.
Laura: Yes, there's a lot of illness about just now, but I'm sure you'll manage. For people like us, living in a lonely country district, it means so much to have a doctor who takes an interest in his patients; and I've heard so many nice things about you, Doctor, that I'm sure we shall get on well together.
Doctor: That's very kind of you, madam; I hope though, for your sake, that I shall not need to make too many professional calls. I should think your family is pretty healthy on the whole, so --
Laura: Yes, we've been lucky enough to escape anything serious; still, things aren't quite as they should be.
Doctor: Oh?
Laura: No, I'm afraid they're not so good as we could wish.
Doctor: Really? I don't like to hear that.
Laura: There are things in family life that one is in honour bound to keep from the world, out of self-respect . . .
Doctor: But not from one's doctor.
Laura: That is why I feel I should tell you the whole truth -- however painful -- from the start.
Doctor: Hadn't it better wait till I've had the pleasure of meeting the Captain?
Laura: No. You must hear what I have to say before you see him.
Doctor: It concerns him, then?
Laura: Yes -- my poor, dear husband.
Doctor: I'm very sorry to hear this, madam. I assure you, you have all my sympathy.
Laura: My husband's mind is going. Now you know it all; you'll be able to judge for yourself when you see him.
Doctor: I can't believe it. The Captain's papers on mineralogy are masterly; I've been most impressed when I've read them, and they've always seemed to show a particularly fine and orderly mind.
Laura: Really? Well, I shall be delighted if we, who are nearest to him, should all be proved wrong.
Doctor: Tell me more about him. Of course it is possible that his mind is affected in other ways.
Laura: That's what we're afraid of, too. You see, he sometimes has the most extraordinary ideas. Of course that's not unusual with brilliant scholars -- if only it didn't threaten his whole family's welfare. For instance, he has a mania for buying all sorts of things.
Doctor: That's insignificant. What does he buy?
Laura: Whole crates of books that he never reads.
Doctor: Well, there's nothing very odd in a scholar buying books.
Laura: Don't you believe what I'm telling you?
Doctor: I'm quite sure, madam, that you believe what you're telling me.
Laura: Then is it reasonable for a man to see through a microscope what's happening on another planet?
Doctor: Does he say that he can do that?
Laura: That's what he says.
Doctor: Through a microscope?
Laura: A microscope, yes.
Doctor: That's significant, if it's true.
Laura: If it's true? Then you don't believe me, Doctor. And I've been letting you into our family secret . . .
Doctor: My dear lady, I'm honoured that you should confide in me, but as a doctor, I must examine and investigate for myself before I make my diagnosis. Does the Captain show any symptoms of sudden moodiness -- is he very changeable?
Laura: Changeable? We've been married for twenty years now, and he's never yet made a decision without changing his mind afterwards.
Doctor: Is he obstinate?
Laura: He always insists on having his own way, but the moment he gets it, he loses interest, and asks me to decide for him.
Doctor: That's significant; it needs very careful watching. You see, madam, the will is the backbone of the mind; if it is affected, the whole mind collapses.
Laura: Heaven know I've had to bring myself to fall in with his wishes, all through these long, trying years. Oh, if you only know what I've had to go through, living with him -- if you only knew!
Doctor: Madam, I'm deeply moved by your misfortune, and I promise you that I'll see what can be done. I sympathize with all my heart, and I hope you will rely on me absolutely. But in view of what you've told me, there is one thing I must impress on you. Avoid bringing up any topic that is likely to affect the patient strongly. Ideas like that can develop rapidly in an unstable mind, and may easily turn to obsessions or monomania. Do you understand?
Laura: You mean, avoid rousing his suspicions?
Doctor: Exactly -- these patients can be made to believe anything, because they are so very receptive.
Laura: Ah! I understand. Yes -- yes. Excuse me, my mother wants me for something. I shan't be a moment -- Ah, here is Adolf.
Captain: Oh, you're here already, Doctor. We're very glad to see you.
Doctor: My dear Captain, I'm delighted to meet such a distinguished man of science.
Captain: Oh, please! My military duties leave me very little time for intensive research. Still I really believe I'm on the verge of a discovery.
Doctor: Oh?
Captain: You see, I've subjected meteoric stones to spectrum analysis, and I've found coal -- a sign of life! What do you say to that?
Doctor: And can you see that through a microscope?
Captain: Good heavens, no -- through a spectroscope.
Doctor: A spectroscope. Oh, of course. So you'll soon be able to tell us what's happening on Jupiter.
Captain: Not what is happening, but what has happened. If only those wretched booksellers in Paris would send me the books! I believe all the booksellers in the world are in league against me! Would you believe it, for the last two months, not one of them has acknowledged my orders. I've written and even sent abusive telegrams! It makes me mad -- I can't think what it all means.
Doctor: Oh, it's just ordinary carelessness; you shouldn't let it upset you so.
Captain: Yes, but the devil of it is that I shan't get my treatise finished in time, and I know they're working along the same lines in Berlin. Still, that isn't what we were going to talk about; how about you? If you'd care to stay here, there's a little flat in the annexe, or would you rather have the old doctor's quarters?
Doctor: Just as you like.
Captain: No, it's as you like. You say.
Doctor: You must decide, Captain.
Captain: No, I'm not going to decide; you must say which you'd prefer -- it makes no difference to me -- none whatever.
Doctor: Well, I can't really decide.
Captain: For God's sake, man, say what you want! I have no preference, no opinion, no wishes in the matter. Are you such a weakling that you don't know your own mind? Tell me, or I shall lose my temper.
Doctor: Well, if it's up to me, I should like to live here.
Captain: Thank you; that's better. Do forgive me, Doctor, but nothing annoys me more than to hear people say "it's all the same to me"! Ah, there you are, Margret. Look, my dear, do you know if the annexe is ready for the Doctor?
Nurse: Yes, Captain.
Captain: Good. Then I won't keep you any longer, Doctor; you must be tired. Goodbye, and I hope I shall see you again in the morning.
Doctor: Good night, Captain.
Captain: I expect that my wife has told you a little about us, so you'll have some ideas how the land lies.
Doctor: Yes, your charming wife did give me one or two hints about things that a stranger ought to know. Good night, Captain.