All language subtitles for Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu Chapter 9 The Doctor Read by Natasha Negovanlis.eng.eng

hi welcome back to quarantine story time

but this time with me

natasha negovanlis continuing the

reading of joseph sheridan left news

carmilla chapter nine the doctor

as carmilla would not hear of an

attendant sleeping in her room

my father arranged that a servant should

sleep outside her door

so that she would not attempt to make

another such excursion without being

arrested at her own door

that night passed quietly and the next

morning early

the doctor who my father had sent for

without telling me a word about it

arrived to see me madam accompanied me

to the library

and there the grave little doctor with

white hairs and spectacles

whom i mentioned before was waiting to

receive me i told him my story

and as i proceeded he grew graver and

graver

we were standing he and i in the recess

of one of the windows facing one another

when my statement was over he leaned

with his shoulders against the wall

and with his eyes fixed on me earnestly

with an interest in which

was a dash of horror after a minute's

reflection

he asked madame if he could see my

father he was sent for accordingly

and as he entered smiling he said

i dare say doctor you are going to tell

me that i'm an old fool for having

brought you here

i hope i am but his smile faded into

shadow as the doctor

with a very gray face beckoned him to

him

he and the doctor talked for some time

in the same recess where i had just

conferred with the physician

it seemed an earnest and argumentative

conversation

the room is very large and i and madame

stood together

burning with curiosity at the farther

end

not a word we could hear however for

they spoke in a very low tone

and the deep recess of the window quite

concealed the doctor from view

and very nearly my father whose foot arm

and shoulder only we could see

and the voices were i suppose all the

less audible for the sort of

closet which the thick wall and window

formed

after a time my father's face looked

into the room

it was pale thoughtful

and i fancied agitated

laura dear come here for a moment madame

we should trouble you

the doctor says at present accordingly i

approached for the first time a little

alarmed

for although i felt weak i did not feel

ill

and strength one always fancies is a

thing that may be picked up when we

please

my father held out his hand to me as i

drew near but he was looking at the

doctor

and he said it certainly is very odd

i don't understand it quite laura come

here dear

now attend to dr spielsberg and

recollect yourself

you mentioned a sensation like that of

two needles piercing the skin

somewhere about your neck on the night

when you experienced your first horrible

dream

is there still any soreness none at all

i answered can you indicate with your

finger about the point at which you

think this occurred

very little below my throat here i

answered

i wore a morning dress which covered the

place i pointed to

now you can satisfy yourself said the

doctor you won't mind your papa's

lowering your dress very little

it is necessary to detect a symptom of

the complaint under which you have been

suffering

i acquiesced it was only an inch or two

below the edge of my collar

god bless me so it is exclaimed my

father growing pale

you see it now with your own eyes said

the doctor with a gloomy triumph

what is it i exclaimed beginning to be

frightened

nothing my dear young lady but a small

blue spot about the size of the tip of

your little finger

and now he continued turning to papa the

question is

what is best to be done is there any

danger

i urged in great trepidation i trust not

my dear answered the doctor

i don't see why you should not recover i

don't see

why you should not begin immediately to

get better that is the point at which

the sense of strangulation begins

yes i answered and recollect as well as

you can

the same point was a kind of center of

that thrill which you described just now

like the current of a cold stream

running against you

it may have been i think it was

ah you see he added turning to my father

shall i say a word to madame certainly

said my father

he called madame to him and said i find

my young friend here far from well

it won't be of any great consequence i

hope

but it will be necessary that some steps

be taken

which i will explain by and by but in

the meantime

madame you will be so good as to not let

miss laura be alone for one moment

that is the only direction i need give

for the present

it is indispensable we may rely upon

your kindness madame

i know added my father madame satisfied

him eagerly

and you dear laura i know you will

observe the doctor's direction

i shall have to ask your opinion upon

another patient whose

symptoms slightly resemble those of my

daughter that have just been detailed to

you

very much milder in degree but i believe

quite of the same sort she is a young

lady

our guest but as you say you will be

passing this way again this evening

you can't do better than to take your

supper here and

you can then see her she does not come

down till the afternoon

i thank you said the doctor i shall be

with you then

at about seven this evening and then

they repeated their directions to me and

madame

and with this parting charge my father

left us and walked out with the doctor

and i saw them pacing together up and

down between the road and the moat

on the grassy platform in front of the

castle evidently absorbed in earnest

conversation

the doctor did not return i saw him

mount his horse there take his leave and

ride away eastward through the forest

nearly at the same time i saw the man

arrive from draenfield with the letters

and dismount and hand the bag to my

father

in the meantime madame and i were both

busy lost in conjecture as to the

reasons of the singular and earnest

direction which the doctor

and my father had concurred in imposing

madame as she afterwards told me was

afraid the doctor

apprehended a sudden seizure and that

without prompt assistance

i might either lose my life in a fit or

at least be seriously hurt

the interpretation did not strike me and

i fancied

perhaps luckily for my nerves that the

arrangement was prescribed simply to

secure a companion

who would prevent my taking too much

exercise or

eating unripe fruit or doing any of the

50

foolish things to which young people are

supposed to be prone

about half an hour after my father came

in he had a letter in his hand

and said this letter has been delayed it

is from general spielsdorf

he might have been here yesterday he may

not come till tomorrow

or he may be here today he put the open

letter into my hand

but he did not look please as he used

when a guest especially won so much

loved as the general was coming

on the contrary he looked as if he

wished him at the bottom of the red sea

there was plainly something on his mind

which he did not choose to divulge

papa darling will you tell me this said

i

suddenly laying my hand on his arm and

looking i am sure imploringly in his

face

perhaps he answered smoothing my hair

caressingly over my eyes

does the doctor think me very ill no

dear

he thinks if right steps are taken you

will be quite well again

at least on the high road to a complete

recovery in a day or two

he answered a little dryly i wish our

good friend the general had chosen any

other time that is

i wish you had been perfectly well to

receive him but

do tell me papa i insisted what does he

think is the matter with me

oh nothing you must not plague me with

questions he answered with more

irritation than i ever remember him to

have displayed before

and seeing that i looked wounded i

suppose he kissed me and added

you shall know all about it in a day or

two that is

all that i know in the meantime you are

not to trouble your head about it

he turned and left the room but came

back before i had done wandering and

puzzling over the oddity of all this

it was merely to say that he was going

to karnstein and

had ordered the carriage to be ready at

12 and that

i and madame should accompany him he was

going to see the priest who lived near

those picturesque grounds upon business

and as carmilla had never seen them she

could follow

when she came down with madame wisell

who would bring materials for what you

call a picnic

which might be laid for us in the ruined

castle at 12 o'clock accordingly

i was ready and not long after my father

madame and i set out upon our projected

drive

passing the drawbridge we turned to the

right and followed the road over the

steep gothic bridge westward

to reach the deserted village and ruined

castle of karnstein

no sylvan drive can be fancied prettier

the ground breaks into gentle hills and

hollows

all clothed with beautiful wood totally

destitute of

the comparative formality which

artificial planting and early culture

and pruning impart

the irregularities of the ground often

lead the road

out of its course and cause it to wind

beautifully around the sides of broken

hollows and

the steeper sides of the hills among

varieties of ground

almost inexhaustible turning one of

these points we suddenly encountered our

old friend

the general riding towards us attended

by a mounted servant

his portman toes were following in a

hired wagon such as we

term a cart the general dismounted as we

pulled up

and after the usual greetings was easily

persuaded to accept the vacant seat in

the carriage

and sent his horse on with his servant

to the schloss

and that's chapter nine stay tuned for

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