Easy enough to let Van Horn operate, in
the beginning, and kill the patient and prove himself right,--if he would
have done it. Easy enough to pull out of the case and let them have
somebody who would operate on Van Horn's advice."
"Is the patient going down?"
"No, he's holding his own fairly well, but the disease isn't one that
would take him off overnight. It'll be a matter of two or three days yet,
either way. How I'm going to get through them, with things going as they
are;--meeting that Judas there at the bedside, three times a day, and
trying to keep my infernal temper from making me disgrace myself--"
"Red, dear,--"
She rose and came to him, putting her hands on his shoulders and looking
straight up into his face.
"That's where Dr. Van Horn is stronger than you, and in no other way. He
can control himself."
"Not inside! Nor outside--if you know him. He's exactly as mad as I am,
only--"
"He doesn't show it. And so he has the advantage."
"Do you think I don't know that? But I'm right and he's wrong--"
"So you are the one who should keep cool. You've heard the saying of some
wise man--_'If you are right you have no need to lose your temper--if
you are wrong you can't afford to.'_"
Red Pepper laid hold of the hands upon his shoulders, and looked down
into his wife's eyes with fires burning fiercely in his own.
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