The Project Gutenberg EBook of Bella Donna, by Robert Hichens

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

Title: Bella Donna
A Novel

Author: Robert Hichens

Release Date: February 7, 2006 [EBook #17698]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BELLA DONNA ***

Produced by Sjaani, Suzanne Shell and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

BELLA DONNA

FIFTH EDITION

[Illustration]

Bella Donna

A NOVEL

By ROBERT HICHENS

Author of "The Call of The Blood," "The Fruitful
Vine," "A Spirit in Prison."

A. L. BURT COMPANY
Publishers New York

Copyright, 1908
By J. B. Lippincott Company

Published October, 1908.

BELLA DONNA

I

Doctor Meyer Isaacson had got on as only a modern Jew whose home is
London can get on, with a rapidity that was alarming. He seemed to have
arrived as a bullet arrives in a body. He was not in the heart of
success, and lo! he was in the heart of success. And no one had marked
his journey. Suddenly every one was speaking of him--was talking of the
cures he had made, was advising every one else to go to him. For some
mysterious reason his name--a name not easily to be forgotten once it
had been heard--began to pervade the conversations that were held in the
smart drawing-rooms of London. Women who were well, but had not seen
him, abruptly became sufficiently unwell to need a consultation. "Where
does he live? In Harley Street, I suppose?" was a constant question.

But he did not live in Harley Street. He was not the man to lose himself
in an avenue of brass plates of fellow practitioners. "Cleveland Square,
St. James's," was the startling reply; and his house was detached, if
you please, and marvellously furnished.

The winged legend flew that he was rich, and that he had gone into
practice as a doctor merely because he was intellectually interested in
disease. His gift for diagnosis was so remarkable that he was morally
forced to exercise it. And he had a greedy passion for studying
humanity. And who has such opportunities for the study of humanity as
the doctor and the priest? Patients who had been to him spoke
enthusiastical