The New Magdalen

"I took her to the sea-side a week since by medical advice."

"Has the change of air don e her no good?"

"None whatever. If anything, the change of air has made her worse.

Sometimes she sits for hours together, as pale as death, without looking

at anything, and without uttering a word. Sometimes she brightens up,

and seems as if she was eager to say something; and then Heaven only

knows why, checks herself suddenly as if she was afraid to speak. I

could support that. But what cuts me to the heart, Julian, is, that she

does not appear to trust me and to love me as she did. She seems to be

doubtful of me; she seems to be frightened of me. If I did not know that

it was simply impossible that such a thing could be, I should really

think she suspected me of believing what that wretch said of her. In one

word (and between ourselves), I begin to fear she will never get over

the fright which caused that fainting-fit. There is serious mischief

somewhere; and, try as I may to discover it, it is mischief beyond my

finding."

"Can the doctor do nothing?"

Lady Janet's bright black eyes answered before she replied in words,

with a look of supreme contempt.

"The doctor!" she repeated, disdainfully. "I brought Grace back last

night in sheer despair, and I sent for the doctor this morning. He is at

the head of his profession; he is said to be making ten thousand a year;

and he knows no more about it than I do. I am quite serious. The great

physician has just gone away with two guineas in his pocket. One guinea,

for advising me to keep her quiet; another guinea for telling me to

trust to time. Do you wonder how he gets on at this rate? My dear boy,

they all get on in the same way. The medical profession thrives on two

incurable diseases in these modern days--a He-disease and a She-disease.

She-disease--nervous depression; He-disease--suppressed gout. Remedies,

one guinea, if _you_ go to the doctor; two guineas if the doctor goes

to _you_. I might have bought a new bonnet," cried her ladyship,

indignantly, "with the money I have given to that man! Let us change the

subject. I lose my temper when I think of it. Besides, I want to know

something. Why did you go abroad?"

At that plain question Julian looked unaffectedly surprised. "I wrote to

explain," he said. "Have you not received my letter?"

"Oh, I got your letter. It was long enough, in all conscience; and, long

as it was, it didn't tell me the one thing I wanted to know."

"What is the 'one thing'?"

Lady Janet's reply pointed--not too palpably at first--at that second

motive for Julian's journey which she had suspected Julian of concealing

from her.