Everything was perfectly in order. The
physician was the only mourner at the funeral. No one was curious about
the little procession. A funeral, more or less, excites no attention.
The funeral completed, the doctor gave orders for a single monument to
be put in memory of Lord Harry Norland, thus prematurely cut off. He
then returned to the cottage, paid and dismissed the nurse, taking her
address in case he should find an opportunity, as he hoped, to
recommend her among his numerous and distinguished clientele, and
proceeded to occupy himself in setting everything in order before
giving over the key to the landlord. First of all he removed the
medicine bottles from the cupboard with great care, leaving nothing.
Most of the bottles he threw outside into the dust-hole; one or two he
placed in a fire which he made for the purpose in the kitchen: they
were shortly reduced to two or three lumps of molten glass. These
contained, no doubt, the mysteries and secrets of Science. Then he went
into every room and searched in every possible place for any letters or
papers which might have been left about. Letters left about are always
indiscreet, and the consequences of an indiscretion may be far-reaching
and incalculable.
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