Blind Love

Three days afterwards a hansom cab drove to the offices of the very

respectable firm of solicitors who managed the affairs of the Norland

family. They had one or two other families as well, and in spite of

agricultural depression, they made a very good thing indeed out of a

very comfortable business. The cab contained a lady in deep widow's

weeds.

Lady Harry Norland expected to be received with coldness and suspicion.

Her husband, she knew, had not led the life expected in these days of a

younger son. Nor had his record been such as to endear him to his elder

brother. Then, as may be imagined, there were other tremors, caused by

a guilty knowledge of certain facts which might by some accident "come

out." Everybody has tremors for whom something may come out. Also, Iris

had had no experience of solicitors, and was afraid of them.

Instead of being received, however, by a gentleman as solemn as the

Court of Chancery and as terrible as the Court of Assize, she found an

elderly gentleman, of quiet, paternal manners, who held both her hands,

and looked as if he was weeping over her bereavement. By long practice

this worthy person could always, at a moment's notice, assume the

appearance of one who was weeping with his client.

"My dear lady!" he murmured. "My dear lady! This is a terrible time for

you."

She started. She feared that something had come out.

"In the moment of bereavement, too, to think of business."

"I have brought you," she replied curtly, "my husband's--my late

husband's--will."

"Thank you. With your permission--though it may detain your ladyship--I

will read it. Humph! it is short and to the point. This will certainly

give us little trouble. I fear, however, that, besides the insurances,

your ladyship will not receive much."

"Nothing. My husband was always a poor man, as you know. At the time of

his death he left a small sum of money only. I am, as a matter of fact,

greatly inconvenienced."

"Your ladyship shall be inconvenienced no longer. You must draw upon

us. As regards Lord Harry's death, we are informed by Dr. Vimpany, who

seems to have been his friend as well as his medical adviser--"

"Dr. Vimpany had been living with him for some time."

--"that he had a somewhat protracted illness?"

"I was away from my husband. I was staying here in London--on

business--for some time before his death. I was not even aware that he

was in any danger. When I hurried back to Passy I was too late. My

husband was--was already buried."