Part 46 (2/2)
”Oh, it's no fancy; I am sure of what I say. To my mind, that Danish man's likeness to my lord is (if you will excuse my language) a nasty circ.u.mstance. I don't know why or wherefore--all I can say is, I don't like it; and I shan't rest until I have found out what it means.
Besides this, my lady, I must know the reason why they want to get you out of their way. Please to keep up your heart; I shall warn you in time, when I am sure of the danger.”
Iris refused to sanction the risk involved in this desperate design.
”It's _you_ who will be in danger!” she exclaimed.
In her coolest state of obstinacy, f.a.n.n.y answered: ”That's in your ladys.h.i.+p's service--and that doesn't reckon.”
Feeling gratefully this simple and sincere expression of attachment, Iris held to her own opinion, nevertheless.
”You are in my service,” she said; ”I won't let you go to Mr. Vimpany.
Give it up, f.a.n.n.y! Give it up!”
”I'll give it up, my lady, when I know what the doctor means to do--not before.”
The a.s.sertion of authority having failed, Iris tried persuasion next.
”As your mistress, it is my duty to set you an example,” she resumed.
”One of us must be considerate and gentle in a dispute--let me try to be that one. There can be no harm, and there may be some good, in consulting the opinion of a friend; some person in whose discretion we can trust.”
”Am I acquainted with the person your ladys.h.i.+p is thinking of?” f.a.n.n.y inquired. ”In that case, a friend will know what we want of her by to-morrow morning. I have written to Mrs. Vimpany.”
”The very person I had in my mind, f.a.n.n.y! When may we expect to hear from her?”
”If Mrs. Vimpany can put what she has to say to us into few words,”
f.a.n.n.y replied, ”we shall hear from her to-morrow by telegraph.”
As she answered her mistress in those cheering words, they were startled by a heavy knock at the door of the room. Under similar circ.u.mstances, Lord Harry's delicate hand would have been just loud enough to be heard, and no more. Iris called out suspiciously: ”Who's there?”
The doctor's gross voice answered: ”Can I say a word, if you please, to f.a.n.n.y Mere?”
The maid opened the door. Mr. Vimpany's heavy hand laid bold of her arm, pulled her over the threshold, and closed the door behind her.
After a brief absence, f.a.n.n.y returned with news of my lord.
A commissioner had arrived with a message for the doctor; and f.a.n.n.y was charged to repeat it or not, just as she thought right under the circ.u.mstances. Lord Harry was in Paris. He had been invited to go to the theatre with some friends, and to return with them to supper. If he was late in getting home, he was anxious that my lady should not be made uneasy. After having authorised Mr. Vimpany's interference in the garden, the husband evidently had his motives for avoiding another interview with the wife. Iris was left alone, to think over that discovery. f.a.n.n.y had received orders to prepare the bedroom for the doctor's patient.
CHAPTER XLVI
MAN AND WIFE
TOWARDS evening, the Dane was brought to the cottage.
A feeling of pride which forbade any display of curiosity, strengthened perhaps by an irresistible horror of Vimpany, kept Iris in her room.
Nothing but the sound of footsteps, outside, told her when the suffering man was taken to his bed-chamber on the same floor. She was, afterwards informed by f.a.n.n.y that the doctor turned down the lamp in the corridor, before the patient was helped to ascend the stairs, as a means of preventing the mistress of the house from plainly seeing the stranger's face, and recognising the living likeness of her husband.
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