"Pepper!" "Pepper!" "Here we are!" "Come on!" "Come on, digger!" "Come on, there you go!" "There you go, digger!" "Go get it!" "Go get it!" "Fetch!" "Fetch, digger!" "Go, digger!" "I didn't know you walked out this way, Andrew." "Yes." "One of digger's favorite spots when I'm in the area." "Fit, are you?" " Yes, can't complain." "My word, look at him go." "He's like a whippet." " Yes, isn't he?" "Sheer joy of living I call it." "Still digging up neighbor's gardens?" "Yes, digger by name, digger by nature." "There's no cure in the book for that, I'm afraid." "Actually, James," "I'm glad we ran into each other." "I've been wanting to see you about digger." "There's nothing wrong with him, is there?" "Not really, but he is having some problems with his eyes." "How do you mean?" "I found him rubbing his face along the carpet, and he seems to blink in strong light-- that sort of thing." "It's just some minor irritation, I expect." "Bring him in, and I'll give him a check." "Best to be on the safe side." "Thank you, James." "I'll pop by in a few days." " Good." "Just look at those legs go." "Tea is ready, Mr. farnon!" "Thank you, Mrs. hall!" "Aha, the cup that cheers, but not inebriates, eh, Mrs. hall?" "That's what I like to think." "Nothing like a good strong brew to keep the seasonal maladies at bay." "Here you are." " Lovely, thank you very much." "A cup for you, Mr. herriot?" " Yes, please." "Well done, James." "Just in the Nick of time." "While you've been swanning around on the moors-- excuse me, Mr. farnon." " Yes, Mrs. hall." "I thought I'd mention fence again." " Fence, Mrs. hall?" "Yes, I do recall." "Perhaps, you also recall" "I asked you to tell Mr. Tristan about that." "It's the sort of thing he looks after." "Mr. Tristan says fence is your responsibility." "Does he?" "Would you be good enough to tell him-- you tell him." "It's not my place, is it?" "Now, if you'll excuse me." "Oh, dear, oh, dear." "There you are, the senior partner's lot-- disobedience and insubordination." "James?" " What?" "Oh, sorry." "You're looking despondent." "Not ailing, are you?" "I do feel a bit under the weather." "Touch of flu, perhaps?" " No." "Or is it melancholy-- a feeling of mea culpa?" "What do you mean?" " Paul cotterell?" "Don't explode, James." "I know how reticent you are about private matters, but it is Paul's death that's troubling you, isn't it?" "Yes." " You can't carry the burdens of the world, especially not a world that's tearing itself apart like ours is." "He was in despair after I put his dog down, and I can't help feeling that's why he took his own life." "You've got to accept it." "He was a very sick man." "Come on, snap out of it, or do you want me to get Helen to sort you out?" "Oh, no, thanks." "That is more than I can take." "Ah-choo!" " Aha!" "Our seasonal friend, I'll hazard." "You hazard away." "This winter, I stay germ-free." "I'm off on my visits." "Likewise, me to surgery." "Wrap up warm, James, and..." "Stay away from the cold, empty place..." "If you want to keep fit in this weather." "Don't worry, I will." "Bye-bye." "Ah-choo!" "He's always been a poor one, Mr. herriot." "He never seems to put on no flesh." " Which field was he in?" "In the orchard for a few hours." "That's a thriving cough you've got there." "You're right there." "I'm sure I've got bronchitis." "I'd watch it, if I were you." "Was there any fruit in the orchard?" "Aye, we had a greatly crop-- orchard is full." " That's it, then." "That fruit's brought his digestion to a complete standstill." "Bogged up, is he?" " Uh-huh." "A good dose of linseed oil will soon shift him." "No, we're going to have to open him up, I'm afraid." "It's a very serious condition." "And we're going to have to operate here." "Anyone around who can lend a hand?" "Aye, if you're set on it." "But I still think a good dose of oil will put him to rights." "It'll be a lot easier." "I'm sorry." "The condition's far too advanced." "I've got to shift that fruit immediately." "Thou knows best, I suppose." "Hang on then, veterinary." "I'll get old George down at village." "He'll give us a hand." "And hurry it up, please." "We don't want to catch colds." "Ain't nobody escapes bronchitis this time of year." "Best to have it, and be done with it, I say." "Not me, thank you." "Right." "Ah, esteemed brother, I bring you diverse wonders-- powders to banish the worm, pills to unrumble the canine tummy." "Just what the faithful messenger ordered, yes?" "Nope." " Don't be a rotter." "This ghastly weather's about done me in." "First, we do not drink during working hours." "You are!" " Quite, but my working day is over, yours is not." "In the second place-- - wait a minute." "I'm still disputing your assumption of the first place." "I'm extremely annoyed with you for upsetting Mrs. hall." " Me?" "Yes, you refused to mend that hole in the fence, didn't you?" "I thought that particular nasty might surface again." "Mrs. hall told you that I'd said you were to do it?" "And I told her what I tell you-- it's your fence, you mend it." "I see." "Rebellion." "No, it's called making a stand, stiffening the backbone." "In fact, I'm no longer prepared to accept your tyranny, at least, not all the time." " T-tyranny?" "Consider, here I am, an adult human being, almost qualified, and what happens?" "I run and fetch, I stand to, I hold the fort." "The original dogsbody." "It won't do, siegfried, it's just not on." "It's not on?" " No!" "When's the last time you let me do some real work?" "Not just tidy up after you or James?" "Not merely dispense pills, but real work." "Nuts and bolts vetting." " When you're a qualified vet and have some conception of the responsibilities of our profession, which you have not-- you see?" "That's your attitude in a nutshell." "I've heard you out." "Now you hear me out." "You mend that fence." "I see." "It's like that, is it?" "You have 24 hours, and not a second longer to mend that fence." "Thank... you." "There's enough fruit in here to start a shop." "Ah-choo!" " George, please." "It's this bloody cold, a right dose of bronchitis." "Would you move back a bit, please?" "For heaven's sake, Mr. sowden!" "Haven't you ever heard of droplet infection?" "Infection-- you know, from coughs and sneezes." "It's no use fussing." "There's no escaping it." "He started, all right." "He's off." "Bronchitis, right enough." "Ha-choo!" "Ha-choo!" "Hee-hee." "Ah-choo!" "Really, James, it's your own fault." "You can't expect to worry yourself sick over Paul's death, and do your own job at the same time." "I know, but-- - no ifs or buts about it." "You worried yourself into a really low state." "Now look what's happened." "I'm sorry." "You're right, of course." "I understand how you feel, but I want you to pull yourself out of it." "Promise?" "If you promise not to go on about it." "It's a deal." "You just relax while I go boil another kettle." "Drink that up." "There's another one to come." "Who is it?" "It's me." "May I come in?" "If you don't mind catching flu." "How are you feeling?" "Jolly good." "James, let me ask you a question." "Tris, I'm really not up to it-- no." "Shush." "Tell me..." "When is the last time we stood up to siegfried," "I mean faced him out to the bitter end?" " Ah-- ah-- you see?" "You can't answer, can you?" "Because neither of us ever have." "We've always given in to him." "Well, this time, I'm going to do it." "Do what?" " I'm going to stand up for our rights, at least, in the matter of the fence." "Wouldn't it be easier just to mend it?" "I mean-- no, I'm making a stand on principle, James." "You will back me up, won't you?" " Leave me out of it." "For one thing, I'm not up to it." "For another-- all right." "Be like that." "Wallow in defeatism." "What is that disgusting smell?" "Helen swears it's a sovereign remedy for flu." "It smells like old socks." " Don't insult old socks, this stuff's in a class of its own." " What is, darling?" "I was just praising the remarkable qualities of your flu remedy." "Oh, were you?" "Come along, drink it up while it's hot." "Got to get you fit again." "'Night, tris." "Next, please!" "Come on, digger." " Andrew, come on in." "James, you don't sound too good." "No, I'm fine." "Spot of flu, but Helen's specific knocked it on the head." "Let's have a look at him, shall we?" "Come on." "Come, digger." "Mr. herriot just wants to look." "When did you first notice this problem?" "He's had eye trouble on and off since he was a pup, really." "Could you hold his head, please?" "That's it, thanks." "All right, digger." "How old is he?" "A little over a year." "It can't be anything serious, can it, James?" "It's none of the usual things-- an inverted eyelid or an extra row of lashes rubbing against the eyeball." "Sometimes, I find him lying in his basket with his eyes half-closed." "No pain, but there's something wrong." "Nothing shows." "I suppose he might have a long-standing infection in there." "I'll give him some drops." "See how he gets on with those." "All right, digger." "Apart from his eyes, he's fit as a fiddle." "Marvelous company when I'm traveling about." "Get through the work like lighting, don't we, boy?" "Changed my whole life, this little chap." "Digger." "Don't worry, Andrew, most of our patients feel that way about the surgery." "Even our own dogs avoid it like the plague." "There we are." "Thank you, James." "I'm sure I won't have to trouble you again." "Let's hope so." "Come on, digger." "Next, please!" "You're an idiot!" "An idiot!" "Bad dog, very bad dog." "You're lucky I'm not scooping up the pieces." "Do you realize what a silly animal you are?" "Mrs. hall!" "Mrs. hall!" "Go on to your basket now." "Oh, I'm disgusted with you." "Go on." "Mrs. hall!" " I heard you the first time, Mr. farnon." "How did he get out?" "I've asked you to keep the gate shut." "Aye, you have." " He nearly ended up under the wheels of my car." "While the hole stays in fence, dogs will stray-- the hole?" "!" " So either you or Mr. Tristan must mend it." "Till then, you've got nothing you can complain about, have you?" "Tristan..." "You almost left it too late." "Stick that round his neck, would you, please?" "He was running with that bunch at far field." "I had no idea it had gotten to this state." "Wooden tongue, is it?" "Yes, that's right-- actinobacillosis, to be absolutely accurate." "It you don't catch it in time, the tongue hardens, and they starve to death." "Can you do aught for him, you reckon?" "Mmm, fortunately." "There's a new treatment, Mr. Abbot-- sodium iodide." "It's a vast improvement on the old system-- painting the tongue with iodine." "Hello." "What do you want?" "Come to keep an eye on things, haven't you, lass?" "It's vital you get some nourishment into him." "Milk or gruel will do until the injection starts to work." "If he'll drink it, that'll do him the most good." "If not, you'll have to bottle it into him, but do be careful." "You can choke a beast that way." "Anyhow, nurse is on the job." "Yes." "I have the distinct impression that I'm under supervision." "Hmm?" "Is she always like this?" "Aye." "Funny how they are in their ways." "Judy here thinks she's responsible for all the stock on the farm." "Well, sheepdog..." "Keen instinct, I suppose." "Oh, it's more than that." "She likes to take charge." "Newborn calves, new kittens all get licking and nursing treatment from old Judy." "It'll be all to the good for this little chap." "It might give him a new interest in life." "You're a rummer, all right, are you, lass?" "Hello, James." " Hello, siegfried." "Savaged?" "Hammer blow, actually." "I trust you weren't using it on a patient at the time." "Sorry." "Can I do the honors?" "That's okay." " Come on." "Thank you, James." "Pleasure." "James..." " Mm-hmm?" "May I ask you a very Frank question?" "Well... can I stop you?" "What did you say?" "James..." "Would you say that I was in any degree tyrannical?" "Well, now, let me see." "Infuriating, yes." "Impossible, yes." "Contradictory..." "At times, I mean, all of those things." "But tyrannical?" "No." "No, I don't think so." "At least, not all the time." "What were you doing with a hammer?" "Mending that wretched fence." "Ah." "So, Tristan has come up tops in your battle of wills, has he?" " Might seem so." "He's quite prepared to take his medicine, so anything you throw at him, no matter how nasty, he accepts as the martyr's lot." "He's idle and rebellious, he's not going to get away with it." "He does do more than his fair share of work." " He what?" "He merely gives the impression of idleness." "If he didn't have a decent job of work to do, he'd go crazy." "Aha." "Have I said something funny?" "You're brilliant, James." "Absolutely brilliant." "Hello, Tristan." "How was your day?" "Busy, invigorating." "Got all of chuckie mann's herd tested." " Excellent." "Go ahead." "Help yourself." " Ah, thank you." "One of your patients get stroppy?" "No, I hit it with a hammer mending the fence, actually." "You finally did it?" "Very sensible." "No point in dividing the household over a silly little hole, is there?" "No, but the fact remains, you should have done it." "Yes." "Well, you know my views on that." "I should warn you-- in the friendliest possible way, that I shall make similar stands from time to time." "Really?" " Afraid so." "No earthly need to, little brother." "Not at all." "You may safely lay down your burdens." "I shall never impose on you again." "Sorry, I'm not quite with you." "You're right, I am a bit of a tyrant, and I propose to rectify matters immediately." "It's been borne in on me that you do more than your fair share in this practice, so from now on, you have nothing at all to worry about-- drugs, surgery, visits, letters, bills, nothing at all." "You are released." "Free." "You no longer require my services?" "Precisely." " I do still live here, don't I?" "Of course, you do." "You're my brother." "Professionally, however, you have no responsibilities." "You mean, I stay here, and do nothing?" "Not a thing." "You get up when you like, sleep as long as you like, read whatever you like." "In short, you are at liberty." "No snags, no salary docked?" " Absolutely not." "So, I'm free to come and go as I like?" "You have my word." "That's awfully decent of you." "You accept my conditions?" " I positively embrace them." "Telephone call for you, Mr. farnon-- a Mrs. egerton." "Well, Mrs. egerton." "What fun for you, siegfried." "I said liberty, Tristan." "Don't be tempted to confuse that with..." "License." "Hello, margery." "Yes, of course." "Tomorrow afternoon?" "My feelings exactly." "Till tomorrow then." "Goodbye, margery." "If you go right through, sir, I'll tell madam you're here." "Thank you, Mrs. temple." "Hello, siegfried." "Hello, margery." "You look wonderful, my dear." "Thank you." "Would you like some tea?" "No, thank you." "Oh, dear." "I knew exactly what I was going to say." "I had it all worked out-- explanations, apologies." "Why on earth should you apologize?" "If you're happy, then I'm happy, too." "Congratulations on your engagement." "I had intended to tell you myself." "Then, when I found out you knew..." "Oh, siegfried, I do feel a fool." "Why should you?" "Tell me all about it." "You've got no idea what it's like in London." "It's a madhouse." "It's as though people have just woken up and found themselves at war." "I got caught up in it." "Anyway, David and I both realized we'd been extremely rash, acting on impulse, the way we did," "so... here I am..." "Suitably chastened." "I'm not quite sure that I follow you." "I'm trying to tell you the engagement was a mistake." "Do you mean to say you've called it off?" "It only lasted a few days." "Then word got out, and well-meaning friends are only too ready to pass it on, it seems." "Did you mind awfully much?" "Yes, it was a shock." "I'm so sorry." "I think far too much of you to hurt you in any way." "It's just wonderful that you're back, my dear." "Really?" "Oh, really." "There's something else, I've got to tell you." "I'm only here for two more weeks." "After that, I've got to go back to London." "Back to your whitehall job?" "You knew about that?" " Oh, yes." "They're roping people like me in to serve." "You didn't know I was rather good at languages, did you?" "No, I didn't, but brains and beauty I did know there were in abundance." "They're locking me away with some backroom types." "It's very hush-hush, very intriguing if it didn't mean having to leave here and you." "That's war-- ropes us all in sooner or later." "Are you sure you don't mind?" "Of course, I don't mind." "You make a splendid backroom boy." "Um..." "Would you mind putting that expensive lady down for just a moment?" "Yes." "Siegfried and I have got a lot to catch up on and not much time, have we?" "Hello, Tristan." "Sleeping all morning beginning to pall?" "Yes, as a matter of fact, it is." "You don't know how lucky you are." "For James and me it's just work, work, work." "He's an absolute devil." "How long is he going to keep this up?" "Keep what up?" " Oh, come on." "This idiot ban on my working." "As long as you would have refused to mend the fence." "Like brother, like brother, I suppose." "I must get off." "Hang on." "Why is everyone in such a rush these days?" "Extra workload, for a start." "Still, good to be kept busy, isn't it?" "James, suppose I come with you today, strictly on the q.T.?" "I'm sorry, tris." "I'm obeying orders." "All right." "What if I give your equipment a thorough going over?" "That is jolly nice of you, but I've already done it." "Bye, darling." "Don't forget to wrap up warm." "Don't worry." "Once bitten, twice shy." "Helen, anything I can do for you today?" "No, thanks." "I've just got shopping to do on the way to work." "You men just get in the way." "Bye." "Sorry." "Goodbye, darling." "Let me do that." " I can manage." "Thank you." "Anything else to do--?" "I'm not past it yet, young man, not by a long chalk." "I didn't mean it like that." " Well, never mind." "You attend to your books and papers, and I'll deal with muck." "Thank you." "There we are." "Completely recovered." "Aye, but there were no need for all that carrying on." "No need?" " Naught." "I've been talking to folk about job." "They think same as what I do." "It were daft to open him up." "You should have given him a good dose of oil, like I said." "I've spent hours in this freezing barn of yours." "I've caught my death of cold, and I've cured this bullock." "What have you got to complain about?" "Size of the bill, veterinary." "It's always the same with you chaps." "You'll do anything to load it on." "It was worth it, wasn't it?" "No, never." "I'll bet you'll even load it up for your own bronchitis, won't you?" "It would have been better if you hadn't come at all." "Hold on, Mr. sowden!" "I thought there was a cow you wanted me to look at." "Aye, well, you won't do it standing there, veterinary." "Excuse me, Mr. Tristan." "Mrs. hall, must you creep up on people like that?" "Never mind that." "It's what you're up to I want to know." "I'm cleaning the windows." "What about Roger barston?" " Roger who?" "The old bloke who does it every other Thursday." "What's he gonna do when he comes here tomorrow and finds you're taking crust out of his mouth?" "I didn't think." " No, and while I'm at it, could you please not wash up dishes?" "I can't find a thing in that kitchen for the chaos." "I'm sorry, Mrs. hall, I'm just trying to help." "Aye." "Haven't you got a book or something to read?" "I'm sick of reading." "I'm sick of sitting about." "In fact, I'm sick of everything, if you must know." "Oh." "Oh, James." " Oh, darling." "I'm sorry." "Hello." " Hello." "What's wrong?" "Clash of horns and elbows." "I lost." "Yes, it pleased Mr. sowden as well." "Right, how about a drink?" " Not yet, Andrew vine's here." "He's brought digger." "Oh, all right." "Later, then." "Andrew, come in." "Sorry to bother you again." " That's all right." "Digger still having trouble with his eyes?" "He was fine for a while after the drops, but there's still something wrong." "I just know it." "I can't get to sleep at night for worrying." "I'm sorry to hear that." "Let's have another look at him." "Come on, digger." "I notice the change most when we're in the car together." "Normally his eyes are glued to the windows-- barking at dogs, taking it all in." "He's not himself." "I know he's not." "Well?" "There is something there, yes." " Is it that brown stuff?" "Yes, it's called pigmentary keratitis." "It happens when the front of the eyeball has been inflamed over a long time." "What does it mean?" " Serious eye complaint." "Difficult to treat." "Serious, but not really serious, James." "It's too soon to say." "The thing now is to stop it spreading." "And if you can't?" " It'll obscure the cornea." "It will make digger's sight restricted." "You mean he'll go blind." " I didn't say that." "It's early days yet." "Let's give the treatment a chance." "I know you mean well, James, but this little chap is everything to me-- everything." "If anything should happen to him..." " Steady on, Andrew." "There's no sense thinking the worst." "I'll step up the treatment." "A stronger solution might just do the trick." "I'm sorry, James." "You're right of course." "No use brooding on it." "As you say, it's early days." "Otherwise, he's sound as a bell, isn't he?" "He couldn't be better." "All right, Andrew." "I'll make up the solution." "All present and correct, I see." "Ah, fish pie." "Delicious." "James, I'm not going to let you get away with this." "Fancy injecting a cow in the neck." "What's wrong with that?" "You've shown yourself what's wrong." "It's too near the horns for one thing." "I'm strictly a rump man, myself." "The rump?" "!" "What about the hind feet?" "One is liable to get them in the mouth in my limited experience." " Yes, rather." "What?" " Sorry." "I forgot." "I'm the invisible man around here." "Carry on, siegfried." "Just pretend I don't exist." "Everyone else does." "Are they being nasty to you, tris?" "No, it's quite all right." "Carry on, siegfried." "Don't mind me." "That's kind of you." "James, be honest." "How often does a cow kick after a rump injection?" "Once is enough." " All that pushing through to get to the neck, your toes trodden on, your limbs crushed." "No tails!" "You know, swishy tails that never miss your face." "Consider the cow neck itself-- very painful if injected." "Thinly muscled." "No wonder you got your elbow bashed." "But how much more hygienic for man and beast?" "Hear, hear!" "I'm merely expressing an opinion." "Even yoked creatures are allowed private opinions." "It's George eliot-- a little quotation I picked up from my copious reading." "I don't think cows are exactly up your street." "If you want to discourse on the unalloyed joys of leisure, by all means, do so." " Never mind." "It's a jolly boring old conversation anyway." "Of course it is to the uninitiated." "No, James, the rump." "Jab him in the rump." "Honestly, it's the only damned answer, my dear man." "We're winning, Mr. Abbot." "Tongue's almost back to normal, and this last injection should do it." "Aye, he's taking proper grub and all." "Worked like magic, that stuff." "Anyroad, I knew he were on the mend when Judy packed up on him yesterday." "Discharged him, did she?" "You could say that." "Sat here night and day till he'd pulled through." "Marvelous thing for a dumb animal, don't you think?" "The longer you know animals, the more they surprise you." "Hello, Judy." "Come to do your duty rounds, have you?" "She must have spotted your car." "What do you think of the patient?" "Oh." "Nice to know we're appreciated." "Off for a well-earned sleep, I suppose." "Don't you believe it." "Come here." "I want to show you something." "She's at it again." "Do you see?" "She reckons it's too cold for that brood of chicks to be out of doors." "Keeps trying to get them back into the stable, but they won't have it." "Here she is again." "It must be very frustrating for her." "Aye, but she'll keep at it." "That's the way she is." "Oh, sorry." "Darrowby-47, please." "Lucy?" "It's me Tristan." "Oh, sorry, I didn't think you'd be busy." "Yes, I know how they feel about personal calls." "Well, it was just, I was wondering if we might pop over to brawton this afternoon." "Yes, I know you're at work." "I just thought you might take the afternoon off." "Can't you?" "Yes, bye, Lucy." "On the telephone again, are you?" "It's very important calls." "Oh, aye." "By the way, Mr. Tristan, you made a lovely job of your bed this morning." "Oh, really?" "Do you think so?" "Thank you very much." "It took an awful long time to do, hours in fact." "Pity I had to undo it all." "It's laundry day today." "Still, never mind." "You keep practicing those hospital corners." "Hospital corners." "Come on, come on, admit it." "You deliberately funked that wall." "Rubbish." "There was absolutely no need to take it." "You were just showing off." " Showing off, my foot." "What's so funny?" "You, defying gravity and landing flat on your face behind that wall." "Nothing attempted, nothing gained." "Tea's ready when you are, madam." "Thank you, Alice." "We'll have it in here." "Now, come on, you." "I want to deal with that face of yours." "What's wrong with it?" "That makes a change from bathwater." "Keep still." "Siegfried?" " Yes." "Must you go?" "Not till after tea." "That's what I mean." "Must you?" "Duty calls, my dear." "Yes, I know." "I'm just being selfish." "There you are-- as handsome as ever again." "Listen to me." "I know I do rather seem to breeze in and out, and I also know that your social obligations limit our evenings, so..." " So?" "Next Saturday night for us alone-- just you and me." "I know a little place far, very far, from the madding crowd." "What do you say?" "What a wonderful man you are, siegfried." "I feel wonderful." "Oh-- my poor sheba." "You designing female." " Wicked lady." "You leave him alone." "He's mine." "I have a rival, apparently." "Darrowby-85." "Yes, that's correct." "Mr. vine's dog is a patient." "Yes, I quite understand, Mr. fullerton." "If it's as serious as that, perhaps I'd better come straightaway." "Fine." "No, thank you." "Bye." "Siegfried, I want to speak to you." "You've made your point." "You've had your way." "We're quits, all right?" "What on earth are you talking about?" "This pretense has gone far enough." "What pretense?" "You entered into this arrangement of your own free will." "Well, yes, but-- - and now you want to renege?" "I see." "I'm not surrendering." "I'm merely talking man-to-man as equals." "Look here, old chap, I must have a bath, simply must." "Siegfried, do you have a moment, please?" "Yes, of course, James." "You look a bit grim." "Anything wrong?" "You know Mr. fullerton, don't you?" "The nerve specialist from brawton general?" "Yes." " Uh-huh." "He telephoned asking me to see him urgently." "It's about Andrew vine." "He's very concerned about his mental state." "The man's cracking up, and if Mr. fullerton's right, he could shortly go the same way as Paul cotterell." "Suicidal?" " It's highly confidential, of course," "I'm treating vine's dog, and it's going blind." "I haven't told Andrew yet that it's hopeless, but obviously he knows, and according to Mr. fullerton, it's destroying him." "Fullerton said that?" "What a ghastly business, James." "The dog's condition-- are you sure it's hopeless?" " Yes." "Damn it, once with Paul was bad enough, but if it happens again-- - now, hey up, James, you're a vet, not a healer of sick minds." "That's fullerton's task." "What about a drop of something cordial?" "I can't stand by and see a human being go to pieces." "When do you see Andrew vine again?" "Tomorrow." "Thanks, siegfried." "I'll have to tell him about digger." "I'm not looking forward to that, I can tell you." "Would you like me to do it instead?" " No, thanks, siegfried." "No, I'll see it through." "I owe him that much, at least." "Oh, God." "I feel so helpless." "If only there was something I could do." "At least, we know what's happening, James, not like poor old Paul." "It doesn't help though, does it?" " Forewarned is forearmed?" "If it was an animal, we'd know exactly how to proceed." "When the will to live flags, we try to revive it as best we can." "D'you know, I don't see why exactly the same thing shouldn't apply as far as Andrew vine is concerned." "In fact, that's probably exactly why fullerton called you in." "Do you think?" "I'll get it." "I'll go." "I wish I could be more practical use." "Talking about it has helped." "Thank you." "Kush, kush." "Keep them calm." "We don't want them running off." "No sense fussing, if you saw that needle coming, you'd be running off." "That's it." "Just keep them nice and calm." "Get on with it, Mr. herriot." "Time's money, thou knows-- aye, your time and my money, I reckon." "All right, lass." "I think I'll inject her in the rump." "Make up your mind." "Yes, the rump." "Hold the tail, please." "Aye." " Thanks." "You're a right funny lot, you veterinary chaps." "Oh?" "How's that?" "See that cow over there?" "Your Mr. farnon injected her yesterday." "Jabbed her in the neck." "Did he?" " Aye." "Said it all comes to the same." "Rump or neck, you still loaded up bill, don't you?" "Well?" "There's no change I'm afraid, Andrew." "It's getting worse, isn't it?" "That brown stuff is spreading all over his eyes." "It is a fairly frequent problem." "He's not going to get better." "I know it." "I honestly can't predict the outcome at this stage, nobody could." "You have a choice, you can either think the worst, or you can hope for the best." "It's not good enough." "Digger can hardly see at all now." "He's going blind, isn't he?" "Yes, I'm afraid he is." "Andrew, Andrew, come on." "I knew it was happening." "I swore if it did, I'd kill myself, and I will." "I swear it." "All right, go ahead." "You do it." "I mean, why not?" "No one's going to stop you, are they?" "But if you kill yourself, what's going to happen to digger?" "What's the point of it all?" " Stop it, Andrew!" "Stop using digger to punish yourself." "Why don't you do something useful?" "Why don't you look after digger?" "He needs you now more than ever." "Look, Andrew..." "I won't pretend that blindness in an animal isn't a terrible thing, but he won't have the mental anguish of a human being." "And apart from his eyes, he's a very healthy dog." "Isn't he?" "Yes, but... oh." "So who's going to care for him if you don't?" "He's going to need the best of care to get him used to his new state." "Will he get used to being blind?" "Yes, with you around to see that he comes to no harm." "He needs you, Andrew." "He needs you as much as you need him." "Perhaps, I should have held my tongue, made all the right, soothing noises." "Maybe that's what Andrew wanted to hear-- reassurance, not criticism." "I just think much too much of him to let him wallow in self-pity." "James, I think you did the right thing." "Pray God, I did, eh?" "James." "My dear." "Are you sure you don't mind giving up your Saturday night?" "Siegfried, after my week, I'd welcome it." "And besides, with tris out of things, what choice do I get?" "Immaculate logic." "You never know, Tristan might decide to rejoin the workforce one of these days." "The sooner, the better." "He's becoming impossible to live with." "Let's hope for the best." "Have a nice restful time, and don't wait up, I'll probably be late." "Siegfried, do we know where you'll be?" "Afraid not, James." "Nothing personal, but tonight is..." "Rather special." "Good night." " Goodbye." "Promising." "I told you margery and siegfried would hit it off." "Yes, yes, you did mention it." "Oh, no." "Please." "Not tonight." "I'm sorry, darling." "Are we very late?" "Not too late for firsthand scrutiny." "You look stunning, my dear..." "Quite unearthly." "Now to the car." "We are a bit late, actually." "Doesn't matter." "I said that we'd..." "Oh, hello, Helen." " Hello, tris." "You're back early, very early for a Saturday night." " Yes, I know." "This business with siegfried has got me all wound up." "Can't seem to relax anymore." "It's about time both of you stopped it." "Yes, I suppose so." "Abject surrender, I expect." "Siegfried triumphs again." "Never mind." "You may have lost the battle, but the war is still there to be won." "If only I could make him understand-- oh, dear." "I hope that's not for James." "He won't be back for hours." "Hello, darrowby-85." "Yes, this is Mr. farnon and Mr. herriot's surgery." "Do you have a number for Mr. farnon?" "It's Mrs. temple, Mrs. egerton's housekeeper." "Something dreadful's happened." "It's Mrs. egerton's cat." "He's just come in, and he's sick and very poorly." "I must find madam and Mr. farnon." "Please don't worry." "What's the matter with the cat?" "I can't really say, but he's shakin' and retchin' same as dog we once had that were poisoned." "I must find Mr. farnon and madam." "I don't have a number for Mr. farnon, but I will get somebody out to you right away." "Now don't worry." "Goodbye." "Quick, tris, go out to the egerton place." "Margery's cat might have been poisoned." "I can't contact the others." "You'll have to go." "Yes, of course." "Had she any idea what might have caused it?" "No." " I'll be working blind." "Look, telephone Bob Cooper." "Ask him to get a taxi up here." "I'll sort out the things I need..." "Now think, Mrs. temple." "Is there any poison laid down in the house?" "I don't know." "No." "Madam wouldn't allow it." "Outside, then." "Does the gardener use any?" "I don't rightly know." "Does he live here?" "The gardener, I mean." "No, and he'd be away out on Saturday night." "But the keeper has some poison." "I saw him, and madam ticked him off once about it." "And sheba wanders about the estate, does she?" " Aye, all over." "That's why madam won't let it be used." "Right." "You won't let her die, will you?" "Madam thinks the-- how about a cup of tea, Mrs. temple, hmm?" "Aye." "If you say so." "Oh!" " Tristan..." "What is it?" "Poison-- an irritant of some kind." "White arsenic, I should think." "Are you sure?" " No, I only had the symptoms to go on." "Siegfried..." "All right, my dear." "What treatment did you use?" "Sodium thiosulfate in solution and then a sedative." "I think it's worked." "Don't worry." "She'll be all right." "Thank God." "Just be gentle a bit with her." "Tristan?" "Well done, old man, a first-rate job." "You really saved the bacon." "Life or death!" "There I was speeding along." "Could the poison be a narcotic, a narcotic or irritant or just an irritant?" "Who could say?" "What a good thing you were home." " Yes, isn't it?" "Someone's got to carry the can for you gadabouts." "Ah, Tristan, just the man, and James." "Now, you both know that I'm always ready to admit error." "Oh, yes?" "Yes." "Tristan, last night, you were responsible for a magnificent piece of work." "True farnon brilliance." "The error I made was to indulge your charmingly reposeful nature." "And to allow you to do bugger all." "I feel awfully guilty." "I should have played the tyrant and insisted on your going on working with James and me." "For all that I've spoiled you disgracefully, you've still got a good heart." "So, now I'm asking you to overlook my shortcomings as a brother, or father, or however you regard me, in short, I'm asking you to work with us again." "That's awfully decent of you." "It's very nice to know that one is appreciated, but..." "But what?" "I have rather developed a taste for leisure, actually." "Mind you, it does tend to pall if one has no hard graft to balance it out." "I'm welcoming you back." "James and I both need your cooperation." "Thank you." "Yes, I'll bear it in mind, and while I'm thinking it over, if anything comes up you can't handle, do call on me, won't you?" "What?" "Go on." "That's a good dog." "Come to me, there's my boy." "There's my boy." "Hello, James." " Andrew." "What do you think of digger?" "As happy as ever, isn't he?" "Are you still keeping up with those drops?" "Yes." "They help keep his eyes clean." "Who'd ever think he was blind?" "You've done wonders for him, Andrew." "What about you?" "Me?" "Oh, it's getting better, bit by bit, like climbing out of a dark valley." "But I think I'll make it, James." "Well, I have to." "Who's going to look after that little tyke if I don't?"