large/8902/a_study_in_scarlet_1406_librivox_64kb_mp3/studyinscarlet_01_doyle_64kb_20
large/8902/a_study_in_scarlet_1406_librivox_64kb_mp3/studyinscarlet_01_doyle_64kb
English
8902
Under such circumstances, I naturally gravitated to London, that great cesspool into which all the loungers and idlers of the Empire are irresistibly drained. UNDER SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES I NATURALLY GRAVITATED TO LONDON THAT GREAT CESSPOOL INTO WHICH ALL THE LOUNGERS AND IDLERS OF THE EMPIRE IRRESISTIBLY DRAINED
rn with pain, and weak from the prolonged hardships which I had undergone, I was removed, with a great train of wounded sufferers, to the base hospital at Peshawar. Here I rallied, and had already improved so far as to be able to walk about the wards, and even to bask a little upon the verandah, when I was struck down by enteric fever, that curse of our Indian possessions. For months my life was despaired of, and when at last I came to myself and became convalescent, I was so weak and emaciated that a medical board determined that not a day should be lost in sending me back to England. I was dispatched, accordingly, in the troopship “Orontes,” and landed a month later on Portsmouth jetty, with my health irretrievably ruined, but with permission from a paternal government to spend the next nine months in attempting to improve it. I had neither kith nor kin in England, and was therefore as free as air—or as free as an income of eleven shillings and sixpence a day will permit a man to be. THE BRITISH LINES WARNED WITH PAIN AND WEAK FROM THE PROLONGED HARDSHIPS WHICH I HAD UNDERGONE I WAS REMOVED WITH A GREAT TRAIN OF WOUNDED SUFFERERS TO THE BASE HOSPITAL AT PESHAWAR HERE I RALLIED AND HAD ALREADY IMPROVED SO FAR AS TO BE ABLE TO WALK ABOUT THE WOODS AND EVEN TO BASK A LITTLE UPON THE VERANDAH WHEN I WAS STRUCK DOWN BY ENTERIC FEVER THAT CURSE OF OUR INDIAN POSSESSIONS FOR MONTHS MY LIFE WAS DESPAIRED OF AND WHEN AT LAST I CAME TO MYSELF AND BECAME CONVALESCENT I WAS SO WEAK AND EMACIATED THAT A MEDICAL BOARD DETERMINED THAT NOT A DAY SHOULD BE LOST IN SENDING ME BACK TO ENGLAND I WAS DISPATCHED ACCORDINGLY IN THE TROOP SHIP ORANTEZ AND LANDED A MONTH LATER ON PORTSMOUTH JETTY WITH MY HEALTH IRRETRIEVABLY RUINED BUT WITH PERMISSION FROM A PATERNAL GOVERNMENT TO SPEND THE NEXT NINE MONTHS IN ATTEMPTING TO IMPROVE IT I HAD NEITHER KITH NOR KIN IN ENGLAND AND WAS THEREFORE AS FREE AS AIR OR AS FREE AS AN INCOME OF ELEVEN SHILLINGS AND SIXPENCE A DAY WILL PERMIT A MAN TO BE
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