Part 45 (2/2)
The door opened; the respectable servant came out with a respectful air.
”Is Mr. Salter at home, sir?”
”No, madam. Mr. Coyne is in charge to-day.”
Lady Ba.s.sett was glad to hear that, and asked if she might be allowed to see Mr. Coyne.
”Certainly, madam. I'll tell him at once,” was the reply.
Determined to enter the place, Lady Ba.s.sett requested her people to open the carriage door, and she was in the act of getting out when Mr.
Coyne appeared, a little oily, bustling man, with a good-humored, vulgar face, liable to a subservient pucker; he wore it directly at sight of a fine woman, fine clothes, fine footmen, and fine horses.
”Mr. Coyne, I believe,” said Lady Ba.s.sett, with a fascinating smile.
”At your service, madam.”
”May I have a word in private with you, sir?”
”Certainly, madam.”
”We have come a long way. May the horses be fed?”
”I am afraid,” said the little man, apologetically, ”I must ask you to send them to the inn. It is close by.”
”By all means.” (To one of the outriders:) ”You will wait here for orders.”
Mary Wells had been already instructed to wait in the hall and look out sharp for Sir Charles's keeper and nurse, and tell them her ladys.h.i.+p wanted to speak to them privately, and it would be money in their way.
Lady Ba.s.sett, closeted with Mr. Coyne, began first to congratulate herself. ”Mr. Ba.s.sett,” said she, ”is no friend of mine, but he has done me a kindness in sending Sir Charles here, when he might have sent him to some place where he might have been made worse instead of better. Here, I conclude, gentlemen of your ability will soon cure his trifling disorder, will you not?”
”I have good hopes, your ladys.h.i.+p; he is better to-day.”
”Now I dare say you could tell me to a month when he will be cured.”
”Oh, your ladys.h.i.+p exaggerates my skill too much.”
”Three months?”
”That is a short time to give us; but your ladys.h.i.+p may rely on it we will do our best.”
”Will you? Then I have no fear of the result. Oh, by-the-by, Dr. Willis wanted me to take a message to you, Mr. Coyne. He knows you by reputation.”
”Indeed! Really I was not aware that my humble--”
”Then you are better known than you in your modesty supposed. Let me see: what was the message? Oh, it was a peculiarity in Sir Charles he wished you to know. Dr. Willis has attended him from a boy, and he wished me to tell you that morphia and other sedatives have some very bad effects on him. I told Dr. Willis you would probably find that and every thing else out without a hint from him or any one else.”
”Yes; but I will make a note of it, for all that.”
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