Read Online Belle Moral: A Natural History by Ann-marie MacDonald - Free Book Online
Authors: Ann-marie MacDonald
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hysterical and swallowing his tongue every five minutes, is there no cure?
D R R EID. For hysteria in the male? Not yet.
P EARL . If he were a woman you could snip out his uterus and be done with it.
D R R EID. There are specialists in Europe.
P EARL . Where?
D R R EID . At the Sal Petrière in Paris. They’ve had promising results with the galvanic battery, but –
F LORA . We’ll no’ send your brother to be keyed awa’ in a fremmit loony hoos!
D R R EID. Dear Flora, there is no reason why you should be capable of imagining the fear, the keening sorrow, the harm that awaits a patient like Victor should his illness go untreated. But I have seen it, and all too often.
P EARL . Doctor, I would accompany my brother to the antipodes and back if I thought it would cure him, but I cannot pin my hopes on anasylum, whether here or on the continent –Victor would become completely hysterical if we sought to admit him for so much as a consultation.
D R R EID . Mm. Puts me in mind of an old case history I came across recently. A patient faced the prospect of living out her days in a cheerless institution, or dwelling amid her family who were quite ill-equipped to provide for her … unusual medical needs. So the physician in the case offered to take the patient in and care for her in his own home.
P EARL . Doctor, such an offer – if that is what you intend – surpasses generosity, but I cannot see Victor consenting to such an arrangement.
D R R EID . Nor, frankly, can I.
F LORA
[apprehensive]
. And did he?
D R R EID . What’s that, Flora?
F LORA . Did the Doctor take her in?
D R R EID . oh, as it happened, he was called away, and the family was left to bear their burden alone. It ended badly, I’m afraid.
P EARL . Don’t worry, Auntie, I’ll not send Victor away, nor will he languish here. If we cannot go to the asylum, let the asylum come to us. We’ll import the finest therapies, regardless of expense, and rearrange Belle Moralto suit his needs. I’ll make an artist’s studio for him in the attic, see to it he doesn’t indulge excessively in spirits, we’ll purge the estate of dogs, and Dr Reid will direct his care, won’t you, Doctor?
D R R EID . Of course. I’ll make regular house calls. In between my other commitments. And providing I am not called away to the continent.
P EARL . You see, Auntie? Everything will be all right.
F LORA . Pearl, we canna care for your brother here on our own.
P EARL . For pity’s sake, Flora, make up your mind.
F LORA . There’s more to … there are things beyond your ken, pet.
P EARL . What “things”?
A beat
.
F LORA . Have you considered Dr Reid’s proposal?
P EARL
at a loss, looks from
F LORA
to
D R R EID .
D R R EID. I spoke to your aunt, Pearl. I did think it proper.
P EARL . Of course. [to F LORA] Dear Auntie, I …
D R R EID [
to
W EE F ARLEIGH] . I think we could all do with a cup of tea.
W EE F ARLEIGH
exits
.
P EARL . Auntie, I know you cherish certain other … hopes. And, though I’d thought to speak first to Dr Reid in private, I wish you both to know that I –
F LORA . Marry him, Pearl.
P EARL . What?
F LORA . Dr Reid will live here and look after Victor, he’ll look after … everything.
P EARL . Wh – why? You think me incapable?
F LORA . No, no –
P EARL . Sheltered and ignorant because I’ve dedicated my life to study rather than gad about the world like Victor – much good it’s done him. I’ll have you know there is a greater distance between two cells than between the poles of the earth –
F LORA . Pearl –
P EARL . I am mistress of Belle Moral! My father
willed
me capable. You would have me forego my inheritance, my chance to consecrate myself to my work – forgive me, Doctor, your proposal does me nothing but honour, I speak on principle only –
F LORA . Pearl, there’s more to life than work.
P EARL . You’d rather I were more like your precious Victor; sensual, dissolute –
F LORA .
D R R EID. For hysteria in the male? Not yet.
P EARL . If he were a woman you could snip out his uterus and be done with it.
D R R EID. There are specialists in Europe.
P EARL . Where?
D R R EID . At the Sal Petrière in Paris. They’ve had promising results with the galvanic battery, but –
F LORA . We’ll no’ send your brother to be keyed awa’ in a fremmit loony hoos!
D R R EID. Dear Flora, there is no reason why you should be capable of imagining the fear, the keening sorrow, the harm that awaits a patient like Victor should his illness go untreated. But I have seen it, and all too often.
P EARL . Doctor, I would accompany my brother to the antipodes and back if I thought it would cure him, but I cannot pin my hopes on anasylum, whether here or on the continent –Victor would become completely hysterical if we sought to admit him for so much as a consultation.
D R R EID . Mm. Puts me in mind of an old case history I came across recently. A patient faced the prospect of living out her days in a cheerless institution, or dwelling amid her family who were quite ill-equipped to provide for her … unusual medical needs. So the physician in the case offered to take the patient in and care for her in his own home.
P EARL . Doctor, such an offer – if that is what you intend – surpasses generosity, but I cannot see Victor consenting to such an arrangement.
D R R EID . Nor, frankly, can I.
F LORA
[apprehensive]
. And did he?
D R R EID . What’s that, Flora?
F LORA . Did the Doctor take her in?
D R R EID . oh, as it happened, he was called away, and the family was left to bear their burden alone. It ended badly, I’m afraid.
P EARL . Don’t worry, Auntie, I’ll not send Victor away, nor will he languish here. If we cannot go to the asylum, let the asylum come to us. We’ll import the finest therapies, regardless of expense, and rearrange Belle Moralto suit his needs. I’ll make an artist’s studio for him in the attic, see to it he doesn’t indulge excessively in spirits, we’ll purge the estate of dogs, and Dr Reid will direct his care, won’t you, Doctor?
D R R EID . Of course. I’ll make regular house calls. In between my other commitments. And providing I am not called away to the continent.
P EARL . You see, Auntie? Everything will be all right.
F LORA . Pearl, we canna care for your brother here on our own.
P EARL . For pity’s sake, Flora, make up your mind.
F LORA . There’s more to … there are things beyond your ken, pet.
P EARL . What “things”?
A beat
.
F LORA . Have you considered Dr Reid’s proposal?
P EARL
at a loss, looks from
F LORA
to
D R R EID .
D R R EID. I spoke to your aunt, Pearl. I did think it proper.
P EARL . Of course. [to F LORA] Dear Auntie, I …
D R R EID [
to
W EE F ARLEIGH] . I think we could all do with a cup of tea.
W EE F ARLEIGH
exits
.
P EARL . Auntie, I know you cherish certain other … hopes. And, though I’d thought to speak first to Dr Reid in private, I wish you both to know that I –
F LORA . Marry him, Pearl.
P EARL . What?
F LORA . Dr Reid will live here and look after Victor, he’ll look after … everything.
P EARL . Wh – why? You think me incapable?
F LORA . No, no –
P EARL . Sheltered and ignorant because I’ve dedicated my life to study rather than gad about the world like Victor – much good it’s done him. I’ll have you know there is a greater distance between two cells than between the poles of the earth –
F LORA . Pearl –
P EARL . I am mistress of Belle Moral! My father
willed
me capable. You would have me forego my inheritance, my chance to consecrate myself to my work – forgive me, Doctor, your proposal does me nothing but honour, I speak on principle only –
F LORA . Pearl, there’s more to life than work.
P EARL . You’d rather I were more like your precious Victor; sensual, dissolute –
F LORA .
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