Part 37 (2/2)
f.a.n.n.y submitted, so far. But she had a new form of persuasion to try, before her reserves of resistance were exhausted. ”If the doctor comes back,” she continued, ”will your ladys.h.i.+p give me leave to go out, whenever I ask for it?”
This was surely presuming on my indulgence. ”Are you not expecting a little too much?” I suggested--not unkindly.
”If you say that, my lady,” she answered, ”I shall be obliged to ask you to suit yourself with another maid.”
There was a tone of dictation in this, which I found beyond endurance.
In my anger, I said: ”Leave me whenever you like.”
”I shall leave you when I'm dead--not before,” was the reply that I received. ”But if you won't let me have my liberty without going away from you, for a time, I must go--for your sake.”
(For my sake! Pray observe that.)
She went on:
”Try to see it, my lady, as I do! If we have the doctor with us again, I must be able to watch him.”
”Why?”
”Because he is your enemy, as I believe.”
”How can he hurt me, f.a.n.n.y?”
”Through your husband, my lady, if he can do it in no other way. Mr.
Vimpany shall have a spy at his heels. Dishonourable! oh, dishonourable again! Never mind. I don't pretend to know what that villain means to do, if he and my lord get together again. But this I can tell you, if it's in woman's wit to circ.u.mvent him, here I am with my mind made up.
With my mind, made up!” she repeated fiercely--and recovered on a sudden her customary character as a quiet well-trained servant, devoted to her duties. ”I'll take my master's letter to the post now,” she said. ”Is there anything your ladys.h.i.+p wants in the town?”
What do you think of f.a.n.n.y Mere? Ought I to have treated this last offer of her services, as I treated her proposal to open the letter? I was not able to do it.
The truth is, I was so touched by her devotion to me, that I could not prevail on myself to mortify her by a refusal. I believe there may be a good reason for the distrust of the doctor which possesses her so strongly; and I feel the importance of having this faithful and determined woman for an ally. Let me hope that Mr. Vimpany's return (if it is to take place) may be delayed until you can safely write, with your own hand, such a letter of wise advice as I sadly need.
In the meantime, give my love to Hugh, and say to this dear friend all that I might have said for myself, if I had been near him. But take care that his recovery is not r.e.t.a.r.ded by anxiety for me. Pray keep him in ignorance of the doubts and fears with which I am now looking at the future. If I was not so fond of my husband, I should be easier in my mind. This sounds contradictory, but I believe you will understand it.
For a while, my dear, good-bye.
CHAPTER x.x.xVI
THE DOCTOR MEANS MISCHIEF
ON the day after Lord Harry's description of the state of his mind reached London, a gentleman presented himself at the publis.h.i.+ng office of Messrs. Boldside Brothers, and asked for the senior partner, Mr.
Peter Boldside. When he sent in his card, it bore the name of ”Mr.
Vimpany.”
”To what fortunate circ.u.mstance am I indebted, sir, for the honour of your visit?” the senior partner inquired. His ingratiating manners, his genial smile, his roundly resonant voice, were personal advantages of which he made a merciless use. The literary customer who entered the office, hesitating before the question of publis.h.i.+ng a work at his own expense, generally decided to pay the penalty when he encountered Mr.
Peter Boldside.
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