Part 42 (2/2)
”There is one other way out of the difficulty.”
”And what is that?”
”Cannot we execute this judgment still, without consulting Catherine King? But, no, no!” she continued, in tones of suppressed rage, ”that is too dangerous now; she told us that she has actually warned the girl against us. Why, the Chief herself is a traitor!”
”Sister Susan, I should advise you to take care what you say,” quietly observed the boarding-house keeper.
”Ah! yes, I know,” said Susan, contemptuously. ”You are a strong friend of hers, you will stick to her through anything. You believe in all she does.”
”Well, here we are in Oxford Street,” interrupted the other, ”I think I shall get into this omnibus. I will call on you early to-morrow morning, and we will talk over everything before we see Catherine King.”
”I feel very upset,” said Susan to herself after they had separated.
”All seems to be going wrong just now; but it won't do to worry--worry brings grey hairs. I must amuse myself--I must have dissipation to-night to keep the blues away. Let me see, it's only six o'clock now; a stroll in the Burlington, and a few gla.s.ses of sherry, will be a good beginning.” So she got into a hansom and drove to Piccadilly, touching up her complexion on the way, with the apparatus she carried in her little hand-bag.
She sauntered up and down the Arcade several times, looking into the shop windows, and feeling quite happy again when she perceived that she attracted a satisfactory share of the attention of the men.
”How do you do, Miss Riley?” said a quiet voice by her side.
She started, and turning round saw Dr. Duncan.
”Why, doctor!” she exclaimed, rather confused. ”You are the last person I should have expected to meet here.”
”Well, it is not very often I am to be seen in the Burlington,” he replied; ”but as it happened to lie on my way, I am strolling through it.”
”And I,” she said, with a laugh, ”have been calling on my bootmaker.”
”I have not seen you since you left the hospital, Miss Riley.”
She saw that he glanced with some surmise at her fas.h.i.+onable and expensive attire, so different from the simple dress of the hospital nurse he had always been accustomed to see her in. It might prove inconvenient to her, at some future time, were this man to entertain any suspicions as to her mode of living, so she said, with a pretty attempt at a bashful smile, ”You must not call me Miss Riley now, Dr. Duncan. I have changed my name.”
”Let me congratulate you? May I ask by what name I am to call you for the future?”
”Well I have changed my name and yet not changed it--I am Mrs. Riley--I have married a cousin. But, doctor! I am so glad to have met you, I am anxious to know how poor Mary Grimm is now. Have you heard from your sister lately?”
”I am very glad to have good news to tell you, Mrs. Riley. I saw Miss Grimm yesterday. Her health is certainly improving very rapidly. I am looking forward to her complete recovery, at an early date.”
”Ah! you saw her yesterday; did she say whether her aunt had been there lately?”
”I don't think Mrs. King has been down there for about a week.”
”Indeed! She told me she was going to Farnham yesterday.”
”She was certainly not there before I left, and that was late in the afternoon.”
”And shall you see Mary again soon, doctor?”
Mary's letter was in his pocket; he had received it that morning, and had been beside himself with delight ever since. His exultation rang in his voice as he replied:
”I am going to see her to-morrow morning.”
Susan perceived the expression in his eyes, and his joy irritated her excessively. ”Well, good-night, Dr. Duncan,” she said, in a harder tone.
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