Part 60 (1/2)

There was no address given in the letter. This alone was mysterious. If Lady Harry was in London and the letter was posted at the General Post Office--why should she not give her address? If she was abroad, why should she hide her address? In any case, why should she do without a maid--she who had never been without a maid--to whom a maid was as necessary as one of her hands? Oh! she could never get along at all without a maid. As for Iris's business in London and her part in the conspiracy, of course f.a.n.n.y neither knew nor suspected.

She had recourse again to her only friend--Mrs. Vimpany--to whom she sent Lady Harry's letter, and imploring her to lay the whole before Mr.

Mountjoy.

”He is getting so much stronger,” Mrs. Vimpany wrote back, ”that I shall be able to tell him every thing before long. Do not be in a hurry. Let us do nothing that may bring trouble upon her. But I am sure that something is going on--something wicked. I have read your account of what has happened over and over again. I am as convinced as you could possibly be that my husband and Lord Harry are trading on the supposed death of the letter. We can do nothing. Let us wait.”

Three days afterwards she wrote again.

”The opportunity for which I have been waiting has come at last. Mr.

Mountjoy is, I believe, fully recovered. This morning, seeing him so well and strong, I asked him if I might venture to place in his hands a paper containing a narrative.

”'Is it concerning Iris?' he asked.

”'It has to do with Lady Harry--indirectly.'

”For a while he made no reply. Then he asked me if it had also to do with her husband.

”'With her husband and with mine,' I told him.

”Again he was silent.

”After a bit he looked up and said, 'I had promised myself never again to interfere in Lady Harry Norland's affairs. You wish me to read this doc.u.ment, Mrs. Vimpany?”

”'Certainly; I am most anxious that you should read it and should advise upon it.'

”'Who wrote it?'

”'f.a.n.n.y Mere, Lady Harry's maid.'

”'If it is only to tell me that her husband is a villain,' he said, 'I will not read it.'

”'If you were enabled by reading it to keep Lady Harry from a dreadful misfortune?' I suggested.

”'Give me the doc.u.ment,' he said.

”Before I gave it to him--it was in my pocket--I showed him a newspaper containing a certain announcement.

”'Lord Harry dead?' he cried. 'Impossible! Then Iris is free.'

”'Perhaps you will first read the doc.u.ment.' I drew it out of my pocket, gave it to him, and retired. He should be alone while he read it.

”Half an hour afterwards I returned. I found him in a state of the most violent agitation, without, however, any of the weakness which he betrayed on previous occasions.

”'Mrs. Vimpany,' he cried, 'this is terrible! There is no doubt--not the least doubt--in my mind that the man Oxbye is the man buried under the name of Lord Harry, and that he was murdered--murdered in cold blood--by that worst of villains----'

”'My husband,' I said.

”'Your husband--most unfortunate of wives! As for Lord Harry's share in the murder, it is equally plain that he knew of it, even if he did not consent to it. Good heavens! Do you understand? Do you realise what they have done? Your husband and Iris's husband may be tried--actually tried--for murder and put to a shameful death. Think of it!'