Blind Love

Iris had only to remember the manner in which she and Mountjoy had

disappointed her father, to perceive the serious necessity of

preventing Mountjoy's rival from paying a visit at Mr. Henley's house.

She wrote at once to Lord Harry, at the hotel which Mr. Vimpany had

mentioned, entreating him not to think of calling on her. Being well

aware that he would insist on a meeting, she engaged to write again and

propose an appointment. In making this concession, Iris might have

found it easier to persuade herself that she was yielding to sheer

necessity, if she had not been guiltily conscious of a feeling of

pleasure at the prospect of seeing Lord Harry again, returning to her

an innocent man. There was some influence, in this train of thought,

which led her mind back to Hugh. She regretted his absence--wondered

whether he would have proposed throwing her letter to the Irish lord

into the fire--sighed, closed the envelope, and sent the letter to the

post.

On the next day, she had arranged to drive to Muswell Hill, and to pay

the customary visit to Rhoda. Heavy rain obliged her to wait for a

fitter opportunity. It was only on the third day that the sky cleared,

and the weather was favourable again. On a sunshiny autumn morning,

with a fine keen air blowing, she ordered the open carriage. Noticing,

while Fanny Mere was helping her to dress, that the girl looked even

paler than usual, she said, with her customary kindness to persons

dependent on her, "You look as if a drive in the fresh air would do you

good--you shall go with me to the farm, and see Rhoda Bennet."

When they stopped at the house, the farmer's wife appeared, attending a

gentleman to the door. Iris at once recognised the local medical man.

"You're not in attendance, I hope, on Rhoda Bennet?" she said.

The doctor acknowledged that there had been some return of the nervous

derangement from which the girl suffered. He depended mainly (he said)

on the weather allowing her to be out as much as possible in the fresh

air, and on keeping her free from all agitation. Rhoda was so far on

the way to recovery, that she was now walking in the garden by his

advice. He had no fear of her, provided she was not too readily

encouraged, in her present state, to receive visitors. Her mistress

would be, of course, an exception to this rule. But even Miss Henley

would perhaps do well not to excite the girl by prolonging her visit.

There was one other suggestion which he would venture to make, while he

had the opportunity. Rhoda was not, as he thought, warmly enough

clothed for the time of year; and a bad cold might be easily caught by

a person in her condition.