Dr. Paull's Theory: A Romance

								


                           DR. PAULL’S THEORY

                              A ROMANCE

                                   BY



                            MRS. A. M. DIEHL

                   AUTHOR OF THE GARDEN OF EDEN, ETC.
NEW YORK

                        D. APPLETON AND COMPANY

                                  1893

                                                     COPYRIGHT, 1893,

                                             BY D. APPLETON AND COMPANY.

   ELECTROTYPED AND PRINTED
AT THE APPLETON PRESS, U. S. A.

                              DEDICATED TO

                           HENRY IRVING, ESQ.

                               CONTENTS.

         CHAPTER                                          PAGE

              I. FATE                                        1



             II. AN INITIAL LETTER                          12



            III. EXTRACT FROM THE DIARY OF HUGH PAULL       25



             IV. A MORAL DUEL                               56



              V. A STARTLING PROPOSAL                       82



             VI. THE LOCKET                                104



            VII. FOUND IN AN OLD NOTEBOOK OF LILIA PYM     123



           VIII. DIARY OF HUGH PAULL                       139



             IX. THE BEGINNING OF THE SEQUEL               155



              X. A DISAPPOINTMENT                          186



             XI. MERCEDES                                  197



            XII. “’TWIXT THE CUP AND THE LIP”              213



           XIII. HER DREAM                                 224



            XIV. A QUESTIONABLE DOCTRINE                   238



             XV. EXTRACT FROM THE DIARY OF DR. HUGH PAULL  251



            XVI. MIZPAH                                    268

                          DR. PAULL’S THEORY.

                               CHAPTER I.

                                 FATE.

Hugh Paull, house-surgeon to a great City hospital, was seated at his
writing-desk. During his spare time he was working at a treatise on
nervous disease, the special subject which attracted him. It was a day
when a certain public event was disturbing the usual City routine. The
thoroughfares near to the hospital were blocked, and his room was
quieter than usual. He had almost forgotten that he was liable to be
disturbed, when a tap came at his door.
“Wanted, sir. Accident just brought in.”
The porter spoke, standing in the doorway.
Hugh laid down his pen with a sigh.
“Has Mr. Hamley taken the case?”
“Yes, sir. They are getting him into the ward. Old gentleman—carriage
accident. Horse frightened and bolted. Two bobbies brought him in.”
“All right, I’ll come.”
He put aside his manuscript, and went down to the accident ward. The
“sister” of the ward, two nurses, and young Hamley, a dresser, were