Part 40 (1/2)

”It seems hard; but I have no discretion in the matter. The patient only came yesterday--much excited. He is better to-day, and an interview with you would excite him again.”

”Oh no! no! no! I can always soothe him. I will be so mild, so gentle.

You can be present, and hear every word I say. I will only kiss him, and tell him who has done this, and to be brave, for his wife watches over him; and, sir, I will beg him to be patient, and not blame you nor any of the people here.”

”Very proper, very proper; but really this interview must be postponed till you have an order, or Dr. Suaby returns. He can violate his own rules if he likes; but I cannot, and, indeed, I dare not.”

”Dare not let a lady see her husband? Then you are not a man. Oh, can this be England? It is too inhuman.”

Then she began to cry and wring her hands.

”This is very painful,” said Mr. Salter, and left the room.

The respectable servant looked in soon after, and Lady Ba.s.sett told him, between her sobs, that she had brought some clothes and things for her husband. ”Surely, sir,” said she, ”they will not refuse me that?”

”Lord, no, ma'am,” said the man. ”You can give them to the keeper and nurse in charge of him.”

Lady Ba.s.sett slipped a guinea into the man's hand directly. ”Let me see those people,” said she.

The man winked, and vanished: he soon reappeared, and said, loudly, ”Now, madam, if you will order the things into the hall.”

Lady Ba.s.sett came out and gave the order.

A short, bull-necked man, and rather a pretty young woman with a flaunting cap, bestirred themselves getting down the things; and Mr.

Salter came out and looked on.

Lady Ba.s.sett called Mary Wells, and gave her a five-pound note to slip into the man's hand. She telegraphed the girl, who instantly came near her with an India rubber bath, and, affecting ignorance, asked her what that was.

Lady Ba.s.sett dropped three sovereigns into the bath, and said, ”Ten times, twenty times that, if you are kind to him. Tell him it is his cousin's doing, but his wife watches over him.”

”All right,” said the girl. ”Come again when the doctor is here.”

All this pa.s.sed, in swift whispers, a few yards from Mr. Salter, and he now came forward and offered his arm to conduct Lady Ba.s.sett to the carriage.

But the wretched, heart-broken wife forgot her art of pleasing. She shrank from him with a faint cry of aversion, and got into her carriage unaided. Mary Wells followed her.

Mr. Salter was unwilling to receive this rebuff. He followed, and said, ”The clothes shall be given, with any message you may think fit to intrust to me.”

Lady Ba.s.sett turned away sharply from him, and said to Mary Wells, ”Tell him to drive home. Home! I have none now. Its light is torn from me.”

The carriage drove away as she uttered these piteous words.

She cried at intervals all the way home; and could hardly drag herself upstairs to bed.

Mr. Angelo called next day with bad news. Not a magistrate would move a finger against Mr. Ba.s.sett: he had the law on his side. Sir Charles was evidently insane; it was quite proper he should be put in security before he did some mischief to himself or Lady Ba.s.sett. ”They say, why was he hidden for two months, if there was not something very wrong?”

Lady Ba.s.sett ordered the carriage and paid several calls, to counteract this fatal impression.

She found, to her horror, she might as well try to move a rock. There was plenty of kindness and pity; but the moment she began to a.s.sure them her husband was not insane she was met with the dead silence of polite incredulity. One or two old friends went further, and said, ”My dear, we are told he could not be taken away without two doctors'

certificates: now, consider, they must know better than you. Have patience, and let them cure him.”

Lady Ba.s.sett withdrew her friends.h.i.+p on the spot from two ladies for contradicting her on such a subject; she returned home almost wild herself.