Blind Love

The person who now entered the room was Fanny Mere.

But one interest was stirring in the mind of Iris now. "Do you know

where your master is?" she asked.

"I saw him go out," the maid replied. "Which way I didn't particularly

notice--" She was on the point of adding, "and I didn't particularly

care," when she checked herself. "Yesterday and to-day, my lady, things

have come to my knowledge which I must not keep to myself," the

resolute woman continued. "If a servant may say such a thing without

offence, I have never been so truly my mistress's friend as I am now. I

beg you to forgive my boldness; there is a reason for it."

So she spoke, with no presumption in her looks, with no familiarity in

her manner. The eyes of her friendless mistress filled with tears, the

offered hand of her friendless mistress answered in silence. Fanny took

that kind hand, and pressed it respectfully--a more demonstrative woman

than herself might perhaps have kissed it. She only said, "Thank you,

my lady," and went on with what she felt it her duty to relate.

As carefully as usual, as quietly as usual, she repeated the

conversation, at Lord Harry's table; describing also the manner in

which Mr. Vimpany had discovered her as a person who understood the

French language, and who had cunningly kept it a secret. In this

serious state of things, the doctor--yes, the doctor himself!--had

interfered to protect her from the anger of her master, and, more

wonderful still, for a reason which it seemed impossible to dispute. He

wanted a nurse for the foreigner whose arrival was expected on that

evening, and he had offered the place to Fanny. "Your ladyship will, I

hope, excuse me; I have taken the place."

This amazing end to the strange events which had just been narrated

proved to be more than Iris was immediately capable of understanding.

"I am in the dark," she confessed. "Is Mr. Vimpany a bolder villain

even than I have supposed him to be?"

"That he most certainly is!" Fanny said with strong conviction. "As to

what he really had in his wicked head when he engaged me, I shall find

that out in time. Anyway, I am the nurse who is to help him. When I

disobeyed you this morning, my lady, it was to go to the hospital with

Mr. Vimpany. I was taken to see the person whose nurse I am to be. A

poor, feeble, polite creature, who looked as if he couldn't hurt a

fly---and yet I promise you he startled me! I saw a likeness, the

moment I looked at him."