In the correspondence secretly carried on between the mistress in

London and the maid at Passy, it was Fanny Mere's turn to write next.

She decided on delaying her reply until she had once more given careful

consideration to the first letter received from Lady Harry, announcing

her arrival in England, and a strange discovery that had attended it.

Before leaving Paris, Iris had telegraphed instructions to Mrs. Vimpany

to meet her at the terminus in London. Her first inquiries were for her

father. The answer given, with an appearance of confusion and even of

shame, was that there was no need to feel anxiety on the subject of Mr.

Henley's illness. Relieved on hearing this good news, Iris naturally

expressed some surprise at her father's rapid recovery. She asked if

the doctors had misunderstood his malady when they believed him to be

in danger. To this question Mrs. Vimpany had replied by making an

unexpected confession.

She owned that Mr. Henley's illness had been at no time of any serious

importance. A paragraph in a newspaper had informed her that he was

suffering from nothing worse than an attack of gout. It was a wicked

act to have exaggerated this report, and to have alarmed Lady Harry on

the subject of her father's health. Mrs. Vimpany had but one excuse to

offer. Fanny's letter had filled her with such unendurable doubts and

forebodings that she had taken the one way of inducing Lady Harry to

secure her own safety by at once leaving Passy--the way by a false

alarm. Deceit, so sincerely repented, so resolutely resisted, had tried

its power of temptation again, and had prevailed.

"When I thought of you at the mercy of my vile husband," Mrs. Vimpany

said, "with your husband but too surely gained as an accomplice, my

good resolutions failed me. Is it only in books that a true repentance

never stumbles again? Or am I the one fallible mortal creature in the

world? I am ashamed of myself. But, oh, Lady Harry, I was so frightened

for you! Try to forgive me; I am so fond of you, and so glad to see you

here in safety. Don't go back! For God's sake, don't go back!"

Iris had no intention of returning, while the doctor and his patient

were still at Passy; and she found in Mrs. Vimpany's compassion good

reason to forgive an offence committed through devotion to herself, and

atoned for by sincere regret.

Fanny looked carefully over the next page of the letter, which

described Lady Harry's first interview with Mr. Mountjoy since his

illness. The expressions of happiness on renewing her relations with

her old and dear friend confirmed the maid in her first impression that

there was no fear of a premature return to Passy, with the wish to see

Lord Harry again as the motive. She looked over the later letters

next--and still the good influence of Mr. Mountjoy seemed to be in time

ascendant. There was anxiety felt for Fanny's safety, and curiosity

expressed to hear what discoveries she might have made; but the only

allusions to my lord contained ordinary inquiries relating to the state

of his health, and, on one occasion, there was a wish expressed to know

whether he was still on friendly terms with Mr. Vimpany. There seemed

to be no fear of tempting her mistress to undervalue the danger of

returning to the cottage, if she mentioned the cheering improvement now

visible in Mr. Oxbye. And yet Fanny still hesitated to trust her first

impressions, even after they had been confirmed. Her own sad experience

reminded her of the fatal influence which an unscrupulous man can

exercise over the woman who loves him. It was always possible that Lady

Harry might not choose to confide the state of her feelings towards her

husband to a person who, after all, only occupied the position of her

maid. The absence, in her letters, of any expressions of affectionate

regret was no proof that she was not thinking of my lord. So far as he

was personally concerned, the Dane's prospects of recovery would appear

to justify the action of the doctor and his accomplice. Distrusting

them both as resolutely as ever, and determined to keep Lady Harry as

long as possible at the safe distance of London, Fanny Mere, in writing

her reply, preserved a discreet silence on the subject of Mr. Oxbye's

health.




readonlinefreebook.com Copyright 2016 - 2024