Chapter 2 part 2

 
                                                      Diary Of Seraphina Doran
                                                                    
                                                                                            Wednesday 11th July 1888

      Dr. Griffiths has now relocated to his new rooms in Mount st. He was hoping to acquire the
run of an entire house, though this being the East End he has been forced to confine himself to  the two upper floors of number thirteen, 13b. The people living directly beneath him in 13a are Mr.
and Mrs. Lowenstein. They are an elderly Jewish couple of Eastern European origin.
Mr. Lowenstein stopped me on the way in, when he learned of my profession his eyes lit up and
he asked if I could spare a few moments. I told him I would be happy to examine him if he wished.
Mr.Lowenstein invited me into his home and told me that thenceforth I was to address him as
Laszlo. He then introduced me to his wife who also preferred to be called by her forename, which
is Esther. They are a very nice couple, though not in the best financial circumstances. I therefore
declined any offer of payment. I proceeded to conduct a through examination of Laszlo's
respiratory system and found him to be suffering from a chronic lung disease. When he told me
his profession all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. His occupation as a tailor for over forty
years has led him to inhale lots of tiny fibres. These have undoubtedly accumulated over time
and begun to congest his alveoli. As with all forms of emphysema the damage is irreversible.
 I was uncertain how to inform him, that while I could help him manage his symptoms I
could not effect a total cure. I recommend he keep his diet light and nourishing and gave him
a bottle of Friar's Balsam and instructed him to add a little to a bowl of very hot water and inhale
the vapours daily. I also gave him a bottle of laudanum for when the pain becomes intolerable.
 He is otherwise very spry and it would be impossible to say how long it will take for him to
succumb to the disease. Laszlo listened with an attitude of perfect equanimity,
as I believe he had suspected something was amiss for quite a while,
 He had evidently taken steps to conceal the full extent of his illness from Esther.
She was heartbroken, not only distraught at the prospect of losing her
spouse, she is also terrified by the prospect of being a widow and even worse off economically.
 Esther is an accomplished seamstress, though failing eyesight and restricted movement in her
hands has limited the amount of work she can do. The whole situation is very sad, as they
were not blessed with children to care for them in their dotage. I told them I would look in
on them from time to time which cheered them a little.
  I ascended the rickety stairs and found Dr.Griffiths partially dressed, sat by the fire with a blanket
over his knees. He told me the move had been stressful though necessary, as he now felt a little
dignity had been restored to him. "Ah yes, Miss Seraphina, I am far more at ease now I have a
centre of operations, somewhere correspondence can reach me. A place where you can visit me
without fear of interruption". I was a little embarrassed by his final remark. There was {though
I'm sure unintentional} a hint of improper suggestion. He then made a rather unusual comment.
" The decor in here is rather Spartan. Although I can only view things in half-light most of the
time, I should like a few objet d'art dotted around the place. Would you be so good as to
purchase me a decent mantel clock, a pair of candlesticks and a couple of paintings? Or an
ornament perhaps?" I said I was flattered he trusted my judgement in such matters, but that it
was quite impossible to account for another person's taste. He smiled and said as the daughter
of an artist I ought to have an innate aesthetic sensibility, which naturally conformed to classical
ideals. I burst out laughing and suggested we take a trip out when the light was failing.
He seemed genuinely pleased and even dare I say it 'energised' by this suggestion, and readily
agreed. He then asked me to procure some dark lensed glasses, as his eyes were unaccustomed
to even the weakest daylight. Before I left I asked him if he required any sustenance. He declined
at which point I admonished him for neglecting the needs of an already weakened body. He
simply smiled and said that while he often thought of eating something more substantial, that
for the most part all his body seemed to tolerate was meat teas, warm milk and water biscuits.
The closest thing to a solid he consumed was an occasional treat of calf's foot jelly. I acceded
to his wishes and left him dozing by the fire. His landlord had evidently ensured he had sufficient fuel.
  
                                                                   S.Doran