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“I hope you don’t mind my coming to see you like this,” he
said. “My name is Stephens and I am a doctor. You’re in the medical,
I believe?”
“Yes, but I don’t practise.”
“No, I know. I’ve just read a book of yours about Spain and I
wanted to ask you about it.” “It’s not a very good book, I’m afraid.”
“The fact remains that you know something about Spain and there’s
no one else I know who does. And I thought perhaps you wouldn’t
mind giving me some information.”
“I shall be very glad.”
He was silent for a moment. He reached out for his hat and
holding it in one hand absent-mindedly stroked it with the other. I
surmised that it gave him confidence.
“I hope you won’t think it very odd for a perfect stranger to talk
to you like this.” He gave an apologetic laugh. “I’m not going to tell
you the story of my life.”
When people say this to me I always know that it is precisely
what they are going to do. I do not mind. In fact I rather like it.
“I was brought up by two old aunts. I’ve never been anywhere.
I’ve never done anything. I’ve been married for six years. I have no
children. I’m medical officer at the Camberwell Infirmary. I can’t
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stick it any more .”
There was something very striking in the short, sharp sentences
he used. They had a forcible ring. I had not given him more than a
cursory glance, but now I looked at him with curiosity. He was a little
man, thickset and stout, of thirty perhaps, with a round red face from
which shone small, dark and very bright eyes. His black hair was
cropped close to a bullet-shaped head. He was dressed in a blue suit a
good deal the worse for wear. It was baggy at the knees and the
pockets bulged untidily.
“You know what the duties are of a medical officer in an
infirmary. One day is pretty much like another. And that’s all I’ve
got. So look forward to for the rest of my life. Do you think it's worth
it?”
“It’s a means of livelihood,” I answered.
“Yes, I know. The money’s pretty good.”
“I don’t exactly know why you’ve come to me.”

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I can’t stick it any more – я більше не можу цього терпіти