Part 34 (1/2)

The date was conclusive to Cuthbert. The transfer had been ante-dated some three weeks; and the two clerks, therefore, attested it on the 24th or 25th of March; so Brander had lost no time in conceiving his plan and carrying it into execution.

”By the way, Doctor,” he said, after a pause, ”I shall be glad if you will not mention to anyone that I am here. I don't want people to be coming to see me, and I would especially rather not see Brander. I never did like the man from the time I was a boy, and I don't think I could stand either his business manner or his hearty one. I thought I would come down and have the pleasure of a chat with you again for a day or two, but I don't mean to stir out while I am here.”

The next morning Cuthbert obtained a telegraph form from the doctor and sent his man with it to the post-office. It was directed to Harford, and contained only the words, ”Come down this evening if possible. Put up at the George. Come round in the morning to Dr. Edwardes.'”

Cuthbert was really glad of the day's rest, and felt all the better for it. On the following morning Harford's name was brought in just as breakfast was over.

”It is the man who was Brander's clerk, Doctor,” he said. ”I met him in town and he has come down to see me on a little matter of business.”

”Take him into the consulting-room, Cuthbert, I am not likely to have any patients come for the next half-hour.”

”That settles it, sir,” the clerk said, when he heard from Cuthbert of the date which he had obtained from the doctor, ”though I cannot swear to a day.”

”I hear that Brander comes to his office about eleven o'clock. He is sure to be there, for I hear that Jackson has gone away for a few days.

I will go at half-past. If you will call here for me at that time we will walk there together. I will go in by myself. I will get you to call two or three minutes after me, so that I can call you into his private room if necessary.”

”You have soon done with him,” the doctor said, as Cuthbert returned to the breakfast-room.

”I have given him some instructions and he will call again presently,”

Cuthbert replied. ”By the way, we were talking of Brander; how have his two girls turned out? I mean the two younger ones; I met Mary in Paris during the siege.”

”Ah. I heard from Brander that she was shut up there, and I was wondering whether you had run against her. He is very savage at what he calls her vagaries. Did she get through the starvation all right?”

”Oh, yes, she was living in a French family, and like most of the middle cla.s.s they had laid in a fair stock of provisions when it became evident the place was to be besieged, and though the supply of meat was stinted I don't think there was any lack of other things.”

”I liked Mary,” the doctor said, warmly; ”she was a straightforward, sensible girl, till she got that craze about woman's rights in her mind; in all other respects she was a very nice girl, and differed from the rest of them as much as chalk from cheese.”

”And what are the sisters like?”

”They are like their mother, vain and affected, only without her cleverness. They feel bitterly their position at Fairclose, and make matters worse by their querulous complainings. I never go into the house unless I am sent for professionally, for their peevishness and bad temper are intolerable. If things had gone differently, and they had made good marriages, they might have turned out pleasant girls enough.

As it is they are as utterly disagreeable as any young women I ever came across.”

”Then Brander must have a very bad time of it.”

”Yes, but from what I have seen when I have been there I don't thing they show off before him much. I fancy Brander's temper has not improved of late. Of course, in public, he is the same as ever, but I think he lets himself loose at home, and I should say that the girls are thoroughly afraid of him. I have noticed anyhow that when he is at home when I call, they are on their best behavior, and there is not a word of any unpleasantness or discontent from their lips. However, I suppose the feeling against Brander will die out in time. I think it was unjust, though I don't say it was not quite natural, but when the soreness wears off a bit, people will begin to think they have been rather hard on Brander. There's the surgery bell, now I must leave you to your own devices.”

At half-past eleven James Harford called, and Cuthbert at once went out with him, and they walked towards Mr. Brander's office, which was but a couple of hundred yards away.

”How do you do, Mr. Levison?” Cuthbert asked as he entered. ”Is Mr.

Brander alone?”

”Yes, he is alone, Mr. Hartington. I am glad to see you again, sir.”

With a nod Cuthbert walked to the door of the inner office, opened it, and went in. Mr. Brander started, half rose from his chair with the exclamation--

”My dear----!” then he stopped.

There was something in the expression of Cuthbert's face that checked the words on his lips.