Read Complete Works of Wilkie Collins Online
Authors: Wilkie Collins
“I don’t say that,” the doctor replied. “The action of your heart is very feeble. Take the medicine that I shall prescribe; pay a little more attention to eating and drinking than ladies usually do; don’t run upstairs, and don’t fatigue yourself by violent exercise — and I see no reason why you shouldn’t live to be an old woman.”
“God forbid!” the lady said to herself. She turned away, and looked out of the window with a bitter smile.
Doctor Allday wrote his prescription. “Are you likely to make a long stay in London?” he asked.
“I am here for a little while only. Do you wish to see me again?”
“I should like to see you once more, before you go away — if you can make it convenient. What name shall I put on the prescription?”
“Miss Jethro.”
“A remarkable name,” the doctor said, in his matter-of-fact way.
Miss Jethro’s bitter smile showed itself again.
Without otherwise noticing what Doctor Allday had said, she laid the consultation fee on the table. At the same moment, the footman appeared with a letter. “From Miss Emily Brown,” he said. “No answer required.”
He held the door open as he delivered the message, seeing that Miss Jethro was about to leave the room. She dismissed him by a gesture; and, returning to the table, pointed to the letter.
“Was your correspondent lately a pupil at Miss Ladd’s school?” she inquired.
“My correspondent has just left Miss Ladd,” the doctor answered. “Are you a friend of hers?”
“I am acquainted with her.”
“You would be doing the poor child a kindness, if you would go and see her. She has no friends in London.”
“Pardon me — she has an aunt.”
“Her aunt died a week since.”
“Are there no other relations?”
“None. A melancholy state of things, isn’t it? She would have been absolutely alone in the house, if I had not sent one of my women servants to stay with her for the present. Did you know her father?”
Miss Jethro passed over the question, as if she had not heard it. “Has the young lady dismissed her aunt’s servants?” she asked.
“Her aunt kept but one servant, ma’am. The woman has spared Miss Emily the trouble of dismissing her.” He briefly alluded to Mrs. Ellmother’s desertion of her mistress. “I can’t explain it,” he said when he had done. “Can
you
?”
“What makes you think, sir, that I can help you? I have never even heard of the servant — and the mistress was a stranger to me.”
At Doctor Allday’s age a man is not easily discouraged by reproof, even when it is administered by a handsome woman. “I thought you might have known Miss Emily’s father,” he persisted.
Miss Jethro rose, and wished him good-morning. “I must not occupy any more of your valuable time,” she said.
“Suppose you wait a minute?” the doctor suggested.
Impenetrable as ever, he rang the bell. “Any patients in the waiting-room?” he inquired. “You see I have time to spare,” he resumed, when the man had replied in the negative. “I take an interest in this poor girl; and I thought — ”
“If you think that I take an interest in her, too,” Miss Jethro interposed, “you are perfectly right — I knew her father,” she added abruptly; the allusion to Emily having apparently reminded her of the question which she had hitherto declined to notice.
“In that case,” Doctor Allday proceeded, “I want a word of advice. Won’t you sit down?”
She took a chair in silence. An irregular movement in the lower part of her veil seemed to indicate that she was breathing with difficulty. The doctor observed her with close attention. “Let me see my prescription again,” he said. Having added an ingredient, he handed it back with a word of explanation. “Your nerves are more out of order than I supposed. The hardest disease to cure that I know of is — worry.”
The hint could hardly have been plainer; but it was lost on Miss Jethro. Whatever her troubles might be, her medical adviser was not made acquainted with them. Quietly folding up the prescription, she reminded him that he had proposed to ask her advice.
“In what way can I be of service to you?” she inquired.
“I am afraid I must try your patience,” the doctor acknowledged, “if I am to answer that question plainly.”
With these prefatory words, he described the events that had followed Mrs. Mosey’s appearance at the cottage. “I am only doing justice to this foolish woman,” he continued, “when I tell you that she came here, after she had left Miss Emily, and did her best to set matters right. I went to the poor girl directly — and I felt it my duty, after looking at her aunt, not to leave her alone for that night. When I got home the next morning, whom do you think I found waiting for me? Mrs. Ellmother!”
He stopped — in the expectation that Miss Jethro would express some surprise. Not a word passed her lips.
“Mrs. Ellmother’s object was to ask how her mistress was going on,” the doctor proceeded. “Every day while Miss Letitia still lived, she came here to make the same inquiry — without a word of explanation. On the day of the funeral, there she was at the church, dressed in deep mourning; and, as I can personally testify, crying bitterly. When the ceremony was over — can you believe it? — she slipped away before Miss Emily or I could speak to her. We have seen nothing more of her, and heard nothing more, from that time to this.”
He stopped again, the silent lady still listening without making any remark.
“Have you no opinion to express?” the doctor asked bluntly.
“I am waiting,” Miss Jethro answered.
“Waiting — for what?”
“I haven’t heard yet, why you want my advice.”
Doctor Allday’s observation of humanity had hitherto reckoned want of caution among the deficient moral qualities in the natures of women. He set down Miss Jethro as a remarkable exception to a general rule.
“I want you to advise me as to the right course to take with Miss Emily,” he said. “She has assured me she attaches no serious importance to her aunt’s wanderings, when the poor old lady’s fever was at its worst. I don’t doubt that she speaks the truth — but I have my own reasons for being afraid that she is deceiving herself. Will you bear this in mind?”
“Yes — if it’s necessary.”
“In plain words, Miss Jethro, you think I am still wandering from the point. I have got to the point. Yesterday, Miss Emily told me that she hoped to be soon composed enough to examine the papers left by her aunt.”
Miss Jethro suddenly turned in her chair, and looked at Doctor Allday.
“Are you beginning to feel interested?” the doctor asked mischievously.
She neither acknowledged nor denied it. “Go on” — was all she said.
“I don’t know how
you
feel,” he proceeded; “
I
am afraid of the discoveries which she may make; and I am strongly tempted to advise her to leave the proposed examination to her aunt’s lawyer. Is there anything in your knowledge of Miss Emily’s late father, which tells you that I am right?”
“Before I reply,” said Miss Jethro, “it may not be amiss to let the young lady speak for herself.”
“How is she to do that?” the doctor asked.
Miss Jethro pointed to the writing table. “Look there,” she said. “You have not yet opened Miss Emily’s letter.”
Absorbed in the effort to overcome his patient’s reserve, the doctor had forgotten Emily’s letter. He opened it immediately.
After reading the first sentence, he looked up with an expression of annoyance. “She has begun the examination of the papers already,” he said.
“Then I can be of no further use to you,” Miss Jethro rejoined. She made a second attempt to leave the room.
Doctor Allday turned to the next page of the letter. “Stop!” he cried. “She has found something — and here it is.”
He held up a small printed Handbill, which had been placed between the first and second pages. “Suppose you look at it?” he said.
“Whether I am interested in it or not?” Miss Jethro asked.
“You may be interested in what Miss Emily says about it in her letter.”
“Do you propose to show me her letter?”
“I propose to read it to you.”
Miss Jethro took the Handbill without further objection. It was expressed in these words:
“MURDER. 100 POUNDS REWARD. — Whereas a murder was committed on the thirtieth September, 1877, at the Hand-in-Hand Inn, in the village of Zeeland, Hampshire, the above reward will be paid to any person or persons whose exertions shall lead to the arrest and conviction of the suspected murderer. Name not known. Supposed age, between twenty and thirty years. A well-made man, of small stature. Fair complexion, delicate features, clear blue eye s. Hair light, and cut rather short. Clean shaven, with the exception of narrow half-whiskers. Small, white, well-shaped hands. Wore valuable rings on the two last fingers of the left hand. Dressed neatly in a dark-gray tourist-suit. Carried a knapsack, as if on a pedestrian excursion. Remarkably good voice, smooth, full, and persuasive. Ingratiating manners. Apply to the Chief Inspector, Metropolitan Police Office, London.”
Miss Jethro laid aside the Handbill without any visible appearance of agitation. The doctor took up Emily’s letter, and read as follows:
“You will be as much relieved as I was, my kind friend, when you look at the paper inclosed. I found it loose in a blank book, with cuttings from newspapers, and odd announcements of lost property and other curious things (all huddled together between the leaves), which my aunt no doubt intended to set in order and fix in their proper places. She must have been thinking of her book, poor soul, in her last illness. Here is the origin of those ‘terrible words’ which frightened stupid Mrs. Mosey! Is it not encouraging to have discovered such a confirmation of my opinion as this? I feel a new interest in looking over the papers that still remain to be examined — ”
Before he could get to the end of the sentence Miss Jethro’s agitation broke through her reserve.
“Do what you proposed to do!” she burst out vehemently. “Stop her at once from carrying her examination any further! If she hesitates, insist on it!”
At last Doctor Allday had triumphed! “It has been a long time coming,” he remarked, in his cool way; “and it’s all the more welcome on that account. You dread the discoveries she may make, Miss Jethro, as I do. And
you
know what those discoveries may be.”
“What I do know, or don’t know, is of no importance.” she answered sharply.
“Excuse me, it is of very serious importance. I have no authority over this poor girl — I am not even an old friend. You tell me to insist. Help me to declare honestly that I know of circumstances which justify me; and I may insist to some purpose.”
Miss Jethro lifted her veil for the first time, and eyed him searchingly.
“I believe I can trust you,” she said. “Now listen! The one consideration on which I consent to open my lips, is consideration for Miss Emily’s tranquillity. Promise me absolute secrecy, on your word of honour.”
He gave the promise.
“I want to know one thing, first,” Miss Jethro proceeded. “Did she tell you — as she once told me — that her father had died of heart-complaint?”
“Yes.”
“Did you put any questions to her?”
“I asked how long ago it was.”
“And she told you?”