CHAPTER IX.
A WIZARD'S KNOWLEDGE.
During the next three months Madame Medjora waited and watched. Shewatched for another letter to Leon. She judged the writer by herself,and she decided that Matilda Grath would not abandon her project,having once decided that she possessed knowledge, by the judicious useof which she could extort money. She knew that Leon had no means ofsending her such a sum, and she was sure that Doctor Medjora wouldnever part with one penny under compulsion. He was a man who ruledothers. He was never to be intimidated. Yet the woman had said that itwould be better for the Doctor too, if the demand were satisfied. Howto construe this she could not tell. Did Matilda Grath know a secretwhich the Doctor would wish to have suppressed? Or did the threatmerely mean that the Doctor could be made to suffer through hisaffection for Leon? The mention of the Doctor's name in the letter hada twofold effect. It incited her all the more to carry out her projectand ferret out the secret, if one existed; while on the other hand itmade her hesitate to do that which might bring down the wrath of herhusband upon her head. She did not openly admit it, but she fearedhim. Thus it was that she waited. Waited hoping that her watchingmight enable her to intercept the second letter from Matilda Grath,which she thought must inevitably follow, and which might give her amore definite due upon which to base her action.
But as the weeks went by and no letter came, she grew restive. In thismood one day she read of the remarkable capture of the true criminal,made by Mr. Barnes, in the Petingill case. She did not know that thisdetective was the office boy who, while in the employ of Dudley andBliss, had had the temerity to shadow her husband, hoping to convicthim of murder. Had she known, it is doubtful whether she would havevisited him. As it was, she impulsively determined to engage him tounravel the mystery connected with Leon, and she decided to give himthe copy of the letter which she had made, as a clue with which tobegin.
Thus it was that Mr. Barnes, at the height of his ambition, the chiefof a private detective agency, was astonished one morning to read thename "Madame Emanuel Medjora," upon a card handed to him in hisprivate office. He pondered awhile, and searched his memory to accountfor the fact that the name sounded familiar, as he muttered it aloud.In an instant he recalled his first attempt at unravelling a greatcrime, and, with a feeling that chance was about to give him anopportunity to retrieve the bungling failure of that day, long ago, heinvited the lady into his sanctum.
Once in the presence of the detective, Madame was half frightened atwhat she had undertaken, but it was too late to retreat. So in hurriedwords she explained her case, gave Mr. Barnes the letter, and engagedhim to investigate the matter.
"Find out for me," said she, "who this Leon Grath really is. I willpay you well for the information. But understand this. I exact theutmost secrecy. You must not come to my house, nor write to me. Whenyou wish to communicate with me, put a personal in the _Herald_ saying"Come," and I will understand. Above all things, promise me thatwhatever you discover shall be known only to myself; that you willmake no use of the knowledge except as I may direct."
"Madame may depend upon my discretion," answered the detective, andwith a restless doubt in her breast, which was to gnaw at her peace ofmind for weeks to come, Madame Medjora returned to the home of thehusband whom she had promised to love, honor, and obey, and againstwhom she was now secretly plotting.
After the first time when Dr. Medjora had taken Leon into the templeof AEsculapius while asleep, and there hypnotized him, the two spent anhour together in the crypt nightly. The Doctor deciphered for hispupil the meaning of the hieroglyphics in the order in which he hadstudied them out for himself. His method was peculiar. On the secondnight, he revealed to Leon the secret approach, and took him into theburied dome whilst yet awake. Then before his astonishment andadmiration for the place had subsided, and, therefore, while his mindwas yet off guard, as it were, he suddenly commanded him to sleep,just as he had done on the Fall River steamboat, only this time hesucceeded. With scarcely any resistance, Leon passed into a hypnotictrance, and while in that condition the Doctor began expounding to himthe sculptured records of a forgotten knowledge. At first the taskswere brief, but they were increased, and more and more wasaccomplished each night as he acquired greater hypnotic control overhis subject. At the end of each lesson, he would say to his pupil:
"Leon, to-morrow you will remember that we have been here together,that I have taught you a part of the knowledge inscribed upon thesewalls; you will forever retain a recollection of that knowledge whichyou have gained to-night; but you will imagine that you have been withme in your normal waking condition, and you will forever and foreverforget that I have commanded you to sleep. Do you promise?"
"I promise!" would be the reply, and then, to assure success, he wouldawaken the lad and continue awhile his teaching, so that Leon woulddepart awake, as he had entered. Thus it was, that the Doctor's schemefor educating his _protege_ was meeting with marvellous success, andLeon was rapidly assimilating the wisdom which was offered to him.Already he knew more of diseases and their treatment, of the scienceof chemistry and bacteriology, than many graduates of medical schools.In addition to what may be termed his hypnotic education, he wasacquiring practical experience through his daily work in thelaboratory, so that at length Dr. Medjora thought that he could see apromise of fruition for his cherished scheme.
In one thing he was disappointed. It was his hope to effect a lovematch between Leon and Agnes, but his keen study of both of the youngpeople convinced him that they were as indifferent to one another,after nearly a year's acquaintance, as they had been at first.
Dr. Emanuel Medjora, however, was not a man to be thwarted, and he hadlong decided upon a course of action, whereby he might further hisdesign, if the current of ordinary events did not turn the tide in hisfavor. Finally he decided to act, and in furtherance of his purpose heinvited Judge Dudley to spend an evening with him.
"Come promptly at eight o'clock," his note had said, "and be preparedto remain as long as I may require. The business is of great moment tous both, and to those whom we love."
In response to such a summons, the Judge reached Villa Medjora just asthe clock chimed the appointed hour. He was conducted into theDoctor's study, which opened into the laboratory. When his guest wasannounced, Dr. Medjora rose at once to greet him. When the two menwere seated comfortably, the Doctor opened the conversation at once.
"Judge Dudley," said he, "I have, as you know, a young man with me, inwhom I have taken the deepest interest,--Leon Grath, my assistant andpupil. Let me tell you something of him."
"With pleasure," replied the Judge.
"You already know, that I look upon the knowledge which I possess as asacred trust, which I must utilize for the benefit of my fellows. Ihave held that it is incumbent upon me to transmit this knowledge tosome one younger than myself, that he may be my successor. I searchedfor years for such a lad. The exactions were great. He would needextraordinary endowments. He should be superior to his fellows,intellectually and physically. I decided that I had found such a man,when I selected Leon."
"I hope you have not been disappointed?"
"On the contrary. He has exceeded my expectations, though my estimateof his powers could not be far wrong, because I rarely make amistake." The egotism of these words did not appear to effect theJudge. He was too well acquainted with Dr. Medjora, who continued:
"Leon has evinced such worthiness of the trust which I have reposed inhim, that I know he will not only be a capable successor to me, but hewill achieve that which I cannot hope to accomplish within the fewyears which are left to me."
"Come, my friend," said the Judge, "you must not talk as though youwere nearing the end of life. You will be with us twenty years longerat least."
"They will not be twenty years of usefulness, if I should." The Doctorspoke as though in augury of his own fate. He continued: "But it isnot of myself that I desire to speak. Leon, I say, will be a wiser anda greater man than I. He will be beloved by his
associates, and willbe a blessing in the world."
"I do not doubt it!" said the Judge, impulsively, not knowing to whatthe words would lead him.
"I am glad you appreciate his worth," replied the Doctor, quickly. "Ihave already taught him much, and I will teach him more, if I amspared, but, even without my assistance, the fountain of knowledgefrom which he now draws will supply him amply. One thing he needs. Acloud hangs over his past, because he knows not who were his parents.He has no name, and that thought hangs as a millstone about his neck,and often weighs him down with discouragment, as he feels that he isalone in the world. I intend to remedy that. I shall bestow upon himmy own name."
"Your own name?" ejaculated the Judge.
"My own name! I will formally adopt him, and he shall take my name. Iwish you to aid me in the legal steps requisite."
"I will do so with pleasure. Medjora, you are a noble man. I honor youwith all my heart." The Judge occasionally lost his usual dignifiedreserve, when his emotions were deeply touched.
"I thank you," said the Doctor. "But, Judge, if I am noble in doingwhat I purpose, you have the chance to be even more so."
"What do you mean?"
"Leon needs more than a name. As I have said, the past hangs over hisheart like a pall. Even with my name, he will be a lonely man. He willcontinue his habits of studiousness, but he will become a recluse. Hewill shun his fellows, because of his sensitiveness upon one point. Hewill fear to intrude himself, where he might not be welcome. In such alife, he would be of little value to his fellows. The world will losea great benefactor. There is but one salvation for him, from such afate."
"And that is?"
"Marriage! Marriage with a woman of kindred spirit. Marriage with awoman, possessing equal intellect, and capable of spurring him toambitious deeds, at the same time soothing his hours of fatigue.Marriage, in short, with your daughter."
"With Agnes!" exclaimed the Judge, almost horrified, so great was hissurprise.
"With Agnes!" repeated the Doctor, calmly.
"Impossible! You are mad!" ejaculated the Judge.
"And yet, despite your protest, the marriage will occur," said Dr.Medjora, in tones so portentous, that the Judge paused and looked athim almost in fear. For one instant, the cry of the public that thisman was a wizard flashed across his mind, but in the next he cast itaside with scorn, and again he said peremptorily.
"I tell you no! It is impossible!"
"Nothing is impossible," said the Doctor, impressively, "if I havedecided in my own mind that it must be. I have never failed in anypurpose of my life, and I will not fail in this. Judge Dudley, listento me. I have a claim upon your daughter Agnes, equal to, yea greater,than your own."
"What!" exclaimed the Judge, more amazed. He sank back in his chairbewildered. How could this man have a claim upon his child greaterthan his own? It was an unsolvable riddle to him.
"You do not comprehend me," said the Doctor, "and to explain myself itwill be necessary for me to speak at some length. Shall I do so?"
"You must do so! After what you have said, I must hear more. Go on!"
"Very well. If at first I seem to speak of matters unconnected withthe subject, bear with me and listen attentively. I shall be as briefas possible, and yet give you a thorough insight into my meaning. Asyou are well aware, men call me a wizard. Now, what is a wizard? Thedictionary says he is a sorcerer, and that a sorcerer is a magician.In olden times the magicians were of two kinds, evil and good,accordingly as they practised Black Art, or the reverse; which onlymeans that they were men endowed with knowledge not shared by theirfellows, and that, armed with the powers thus acquired, they usedtheir abilities either for evil or for good purposes. Thus, if in thisday of civilization I possess any knowledge in advance of otherscientists, I suppose that I am as truly a wizard, as were themagicians of the ancients."
"Nonsense!"
"Not at all. I claim to have knowledge which is fully twenty years inadvance of to-day, just as I know that the present generation is butslowly awakening to truths which were known to me twenty years ago.But before I speak of what I myself know, let me give you a summary ofthe advance which modern science has made in a specified direction.You have heard of what is commonly called the 'Germ Theory' ofdisease?"
"Yes! Certainly!"
"You say yes, and you add certainly, by which latter you mean that itwas folly for me to ask you such a question. Yet how much do youreally know of the great progress which has been made in mastering thesecret causes of human disease? You are a learned Judge, and yet youknow comparatively little of the subject which is of most vitalinterest to mankind. I mean no offence, of course. I am as ignorant ofthe Law, as you are of Medicine. Let me open a window that you maypeep in upon the scientific students busy with their investigations.The 'Germ Theory,' briefly stated, is this. There are all around usmillions of micro-organisms, parasites which thrive and grow byfeeding upon the animal world. In proportion as these parasitiesinfest, and thrive upon a given individual, so will that individualbecome diseased, and it has been shown that in many cases a specialgerm will cause a special disease. I could deliver you a lecture,hours long, upon the classification, morphology, and pathogenic actionof bacteria, but I wish at present to lead your mind into a differentchannel. Undoubtedly the most important question in biology is theimmunity from disease-generating germs, which is possessed by variousanimals."
"Do you mean that some animals can resist the attacks of bacteria?"asked the Judge. Anxious as he was to arrive at the point where hisdaughter's name would be again introduced, his natural love ofknowledge caused his interest to be aroused as the Doctor proceeded.
"I do," continued Dr. Medjora. "It has long been known that certaininfectious diseases, such as typhoid fever, are peculiar to man, whilethe lower animals do not suffer from them; and that, on the otherhand, man has a natural immunity from other diseases which are commonamong the lower animals. Again, some species will resist diseaseswhich become epidemic among others. In addition to an immunitypeculiar to a whole race, or species, we have individual differencesin susceptibility or resistance. This may be natural, or it may beacquired. For example, the very young are usually more susceptiblethan adults. But a difference will also be found among adults of arace. The negro is less susceptible to yellow fever than the whiteman, while, contrarily, small-pox seems to be peculiarly fatal amongthe dark-skinned races."
"Have the scientists been able to account for these phenomena?"
"They theorize, and many of them are making admirable guesses. Theyaccount for race tolerance by the Darwinian theory, of the survival ofthe fittest. Imagine a susceptible population decimated by a scourge,and the survivors are plainly those who have evidenced a higher powerof resistance. Their progeny should show a greater immunity than theoriginal colony, and, after repeated attacks of the same malady, arace tolerance would become a characteristic."
"That is certainly a plausible theory."
"It is probably correct. But acquired immunity, possessed by anindividual residing among a people who are susceptible, is the problemof greatest interest. The difference between a susceptible and animmune animal depends upon one fact. In the former, when thedisease-breeding germ is introduced, it finds conditions favoring itsmultiplication, so that it makes increasing invasions into thetissues. The immune animal resists such multiplication, and possessesinherent powers of resistance which finally exterminates the invader.But how can this immunity be acquired by a given individual?"
"Upon the solution of that question, I would say depends the futureextermination of disease," said the Judge.
"You are right," assented the Doctor. "Ogata and Jashuhara haverecorded some interesting experiments. They cultivated the bacillus ofanthrax in the blood of an animal immune to that disease, and whenthey injected these cultures into a susceptible animal, they foundthat only a mild attack of the disease ensued, and that subsequentlythe animal was immune to further inoculation."
"Why, if that is so, it would see
m that we have only to use the bloodof immune animals, as an injection, to insure a person against adisease!"
"Behring and Kitasato experimenting in that direction, found that theblood of immune animals, injected into susceptible individuals, aftertwenty-four hours rendered them immune, but this would not follow withall diseases. In many maladies common to man, a single attack, fromwhich the person recovers, renders him safe from future epidemics. Themost commonly known example of this is the discovery by Jenner, whogave the world that safeguard against small-pox, known as vaccination.But the most important discovery in this direction yet made is onewhich is not fully appreciated even by the discoverer himself.Chauveau, in 1880, ascertained that, if he protected ewes byinoculating them with an attenuated virus, their lambs, when born,would show an acquired immunity."
"This is incredible!"
"I have now related all that the modern scientists have recorded up tothe present date, and when I tell you that all of this, and very muchmore than is at present recognized, was known to me twenty years ago,you will see that my claim that I am twenty years in advance of mygeneration is well founded. I shall not enter into the many theoriesadvanced to explain the phenomenon of acquired immunity from disease,because it would be unprofitable to take up such a discussion, whileyou are waiting to hear what concerns you more closely. Suffice it tosay, that various scientists have learned that immunity may beproduced in a previously susceptible animal by the injection ofvarious preparations. But in each instance, the injection is expectedto produce immunity from only one disease. My own studies were atfirst in this direction, and I have succeeded not only in learning howto prevent each malady separately, but what is far better, I havediscovered a method by which I can render an individual immune to allzymotic diseases."
"Then, indeed, are you a wizard!"
"Yes, because I do that which transcends the powers and knowledge ofmy fellows! But mark my prophecy! Just so surely as the scientificinvestigators of to-day have learned what I knew twenty years ago, sowill the investigators of the future master the secrets which now areknown only to myself. I am a wizard, perhaps, but I am a modernwizard. There is nothing of the supernatural about my methods. But nowlet me be more explicit. What Chauvau did with sheep, I have done withthe human being."
"What! You have dared to make such an experiment?"
"Dared? Emanuel Medjora dares all things, in the pursuit ofknowledge!"
The man had arisen as he warmed to his subject, and now, as he drewhimself up erect, he towered over the Judge as a giant might.
"Listen, and be convinced. I discovered a precious preparation, which,if injected at the proper time would, in my opinion, bring me theconsummation of my dreams. A single fluid, which would produceimmunity from all diseases. Just after you had procured my acquittal,and thus saved me and my learning for the benefit of the world, youwere kind enough to intrust me with the care of your wife's health."
"I had no hesitation in doing so. I had faith in you."
"The result has shown that your faith was well founded. At the propertime, I injected the preparation which I had formulated, into the armof your wife."
"You did that?"
"I did. You will recall the fact that from being feeble she began togain strength. Periodically I repeated my injections, and renewedvigor coursed through her system."
"You certainly worked wonders. I distinctly remember that I marvelledat the improvement which followed your treatment."
"In due season you were presented with a daughter. A beautiful, babygirl!"
"My little angel Agnes!"
The Judge spoke softly, and with tenderness. In fancy he looked backto the day when the nurse brought him the little cherub, newlyarrived, and he felt again the tightening of his heart-strings whichtold him that he was a father.
"You held the babe in your arms," said the Doctor, "and you, as wellas all the others, recognized that it was an exceptional infant. Butnone of you guessed that a child had been born, who, like Chauvau'slambs, would be immune to all disease!"
"Do you really mean that you accomplished that almost incrediblemiracle?" exclaimed the Judge, as at last he perceived the nature ofthe claim upon Agnes, which the Doctor was endeavoring to establish.
"Do you doubt it? Glance back over her career. Remember the variousclimates that she has visited; the many epidemics which she has passedthrough in safety. Yellow fever in Memphis, small-pox in the Indies,and several seasons of diphtheria at home, here in New York. She hasbeen near typhoid and scarlet fever; la grippe has visited us twice inepidemic form, and is carrying off hundreds at this very time. Can yourecall a day in all her life, when Agnes has been ill? No! Youcannot!" The Doctor's tone was triumphant. The Judge's reply was low.
"Providence has certainly blessed her with remarkable health," hemurmured.
"Providence?" exclaimed the Doctor, passionately. "No! Not Providence,but I! I, Emanuel Medjora, the Wizard! I have blessed her with herwonderful health! To me she owes it all! I claim her! She is as muchmine as yours!"
He was grandly dramatic as he uttered these words, but, marvelling ashe did at what he had heard, the Judge was not yet ready to yield.This iteration of the fact that he claimed Agnes, aroused the father'santagonism, and, in an almost equally imperious tone, he sprang to hisfeet and cried:
"No! She is mine! I am her father, and she is mine! All mine! I denyyour claim, and Wizard though you be, I defy you!"
The two men glared at each other for a moment, and then the Doctorspoke suddenly.
"You defy me! Ha! Ha! Ha!" His laugh rang through the chamber with aweird sound. "Agnes is yours! Ha! Ha! Ha!" Again the laugh, prolongedand piercing. In an instant his manner changed. Grasping the Judge bythe arm, he said: "Come with me!" then half dragged him towards, andthrough the door that led into the laboratory.