fromthe
woman
bit
by
bit
just
so
much
as
she
wanted
all
along
to
say
,
and
would
have
poured
in
a
stream
if
let
quite
alone
.
He
drew
from
his
distressed
friend
that
Dr.
Wolf
for
reasons
of
his
own
had
made
special
inquiries
about
the
Dodds
;
that
she
had
fortunately
or
unfortunately
heard
of
this
,
and
had
questioned
the
person
employed
,
hoping
to
hear
something
that
might
comfort
Alfred
.
“
Instead
of
that
,
”
said
she
,
“
I
find
Miss
Dodd
is
like
most
girls
;
out
of
sight
is
out
of
mind
with
her
.
”
“
What
do
you
mean
?
”
said
Alfred
,
trembling
suddenly
.
“
Do
not
ask
me
.
What
a
weak
fool
I
was
to
let
you
see
I
was
unhappy
for
you
.
”
“
The
truth
is
the
truth
,
”
gasped
Alfred
;
“
tell
me
at
once
.
”
“
Must
I
?
I
am
afraid
you
will
hate
me
;
for
I
should
hate
any
one
who
told
me
your
faults
.
Well
,
then
—
if
I
must
—
Miss
Dodd
has
a
beau
.
”
“
It
is
a
lie
!
”
cried
Alfred
furiously
.
“
I
wish
it
was
.
But
she
has
two
in
fact
,
both
of
them
clergymen
.
However
,
one
seems
the
favourite
;
at
least
they
are
engaged
to
be
married
;
it
is
Mr.
Hurd
,
the
curate
of
the
parish
she
lives
in
.
By
what
I
hear
she
is
one
of
the
religious
ones
;
so
perhaps
that
has
brought
the
pair
to
an
understanding
.
”
At
these
words
a
cold
sickness
rushed
all
over
Alfred
,
beginning
at
his
heart
.
He
stood
white
and
stupefied
a
moment
;
then
,
in
the
anguish
of
his
heart
,
broke
out
into
a
great
and
terrible
cry
;
it
was
like
a
young
lion
wounded
with
a
poisoned
shaft
.
Then
he
was
silent
,
and
stood
stock
still
,
like
petrified
despair
.
Mrs.
Archbold
was
prepared
for
an
outburst
:
but
not
of
this
kind
.
His
anguish
was
so
unlike
a
woman
's
that
it
staggered
her
.
Her
good
and
bad
angels
,
to
use
an
expressive
though
somewhat
too
poetical
phrase
,
battled
for
her
.
She
had
an
impulse
to
earn
his
gratitude
for
life
,
to
let
him
out
of
the
asylum
ere
Julia
should
be
Mrs.
Hurd
,
and
even
liberty
come
too
late
for
true
love
.
She
looked
again
at
the
statue
of
grief
by
her
side
;
and
burst
out
crying
in
earnest
.
This
was
unfortunate
.
Shallow
pity
exuding
in
salt
water
leaves
not
enough
behind
to
gush
forth
in
good
deeds
.
She
only
tried
to
undo
her
own
work
in
part
;
to
comfort
him
a
little
with
commonplaces
.
She
told
him
in
a
soothing
whisper
there
were
other
women
in
the
world
besides
this
inconstant
girl
,
others
who
could
love
him
as
he
deserved
.
He
made
no
answer
to
all
she
could
say
,
but
just
waved
his
hand
once
impatiently
.
Petty
consolation
seemed
to
sting
him
.
She
drew
back
discouraged
;
but
only
for
a
while
.
He
was
silent
.
With
one
grand
serpentine
movement
she
came
suddenly
close
to
him
,
and
,
standing
half
behind
him
,
laid
her
hand
softly
on
his
shoulder
,
and
poured
burning
love
in
his
ear
.
“
Alfred
,
”
she
murmured
,
“
we
are
both
unhappy
;
let
us
comfort
one
another
.
I
had
pity
on
you
at
Silverton
House
,
I
pity
you
now
:
pity
me
a
little
in
turn
:
take
me
out
of
this
dreadful
house
,
out
of
this
revolting
life
,
and
let
me
be
with
you
.
Let
me
be
your
housekeeper
,
your
servant
,
your
slave
.
This
news
that
has
shocked
you
so
has
torn
the
veil
from
my
eyes
.
I
thought
I
had
cooled
my
love
down
to
friendship
and
tender
esteem
;
but
no
,
now
I
see
you
as
unhappy
as
myself
,
now
I
can
speak
and
wrong
no
one
,
I
own
I
—
oh
Alfred
my
heart
burns
for
you
,
bleeds
for
you
,
yearns
for
you
,
sickens
for
you
,
dies
for
you
.
”
“
Oh
,
hush
!
hush
!
Mrs.
Archbold
.
You
are
saying
things
you
will
blush
for
the
next
moment
.
”
“
I
blush
now
,
but
cannot
hush
;
I
have
gone
too
far
.
And
your
happiness
as
well
as
mine
is
at
stake
.
No
young
girl
can
understand
or
value
such
a
man
as
you
are
:
but
I
,
like
you
,
have
suffered
;
I
,
like
you
,
am
constant
;
I
,
like
you
,
am
warm
and
tender
;
at
my
age
a
woman
's
love
is
bliss
to
him
who
can
gain
it
;
and
I
love
you
with
all
my
soul
,
Alfred
.
I
worship
the
ground
you
walk
on
,
my
sweet
,
sweet
boy
.
Say
you
the
word
,
dearest
,
and
I
will
bribe
the
servants
,
and
get
the
keys
,
and
sacrifice
my
profession
for
ever
to
give
you
liberty
(
see
how
sweet
the
open
face
of
nature
is
,
sweeter
than
anything
on
earth
,
but
love
)
;
and
all
I
ask
is
a
little
,
little
of
your
heart
in
return
.
Give
me
a
chance
to
make
you
mine
for
ever
;
and
,
if
I
fail
,
treat
me
as
I
shall
deserve
;
desert
me
at
once
;
and
then
I
'll
never
reproach
you
;
I
'll
only
die
for
you
;
as
I
have
lived
for
you
ever
since
I
first
saw
your
heavenly
face
.
”
The
passionate
woman
paused
at
last
,
but
her
hot
cheek
and
heaving
bosom
and
tender
convulsive
hand
prolonged
the
pleading
.
I
am
afraid
few
men
of
her
own
age
would
have
resisted
her
;
for
voice
and
speech
and
all
burning
,
melting
,
and
winning
;
and
then
,
so
reasonable
,
lads
;
she
did
not
stipulate
for
constancy
.
But
Alfred
turned
round
to
her
blushing
and
sorrowful
.
“
For
shame
!
”
he
said
;
“
this
is
not
love
:
you
abuse
that
sacred
word
.
Indeed
,
if
you
had
ever
really
loved
,
you
would
have
pitied
me
and
Julia
long
ago
,
and
respected
our
love
;
and
saved
us
by
giving
me
my
freedom
long
ago
.
I
am
not
a
fool
:
do
you
think
I
do
n't
know
that
you
are
my
jailer
,
and
the
cunningest
and
most
dangerous
of
them
all
?
”
“
You
cruel
,
ungrateful
!
”
she
sobbed
.
“
No
;
I
am
not
ungrateful
either
,
”
said
he
more
gently
.
“
You
have
always
come
between
me
and
that
kind
of
torture
which
most
terrifies
vulgar
souls
:
and
I
thank
you
for
it
.
Only
if
you
had
also
pitied
the
deeper
anguish
of
my
heart
,
I
should
thank
you
more
still
.
As
it
is
,
I
forgive
you
for
the
share
you
have
had
in
blasting
my
happiness
for
life
;
and
nobody
shall
ever
know
what
you
have
been
mad
enough
in
an
unguarded
moment
to
say
;
but
for
pity
's
sake
talk
no
more
of
love
,
to
mock
my
misery
.
”
Mrs.
Archbold
was
white
with
ire
long
before
he
had
done
this
sentence
.
“
You
insolent
creature
,
”
said
she
;
“
you
spurn
my
love
;
you
shall
feel
my
hate
.
”
“
So
I
conclude
,
”
said
he
coldly
:
“
such
love
as
yours
is
hard
by
hate
.
”
“
It
is
,
”
said
she
:
“
and
I
know
how
I
'll
combine
the
two
.
To-day
I
loved
you
,
and
you
spurned
me
;
ere
long
you
shall
love
me
and
I
'll
despise
you
;
and
not
spurn
you
.
”
“
I
do
n't
understand
you
,
”
said
Alfred
,
feeling
rather
uneasy
.
“
What
,
”
said
she
,
“
do
n't
you
see
how
the
superior
mind
can
fascinate
the
inferior
?
Look
at
Frank
Beverley
—
how
he
follows
you
about
and
fawns
on
you
like
a
little
dog
.
”
“
I
prefer
his
sort
of
affection
to
yours
.
”
“
A
gentleman
and
a
man
would
have
kept
that
to
himself
;
but
you
are
neither
one
nor
the
other
;
or
you
would
have
taken
my
offer
,
and
then
run
away
from
me
the
next
day
,
you
fool
.
A
man
betrays
a
woman
;
he
does
n't
insult
her
.
Ah
,
you
admire
Frank
's
affection
;
well
,
you
shall
imitate
it
.
You
could
n't
love
me
like
a
man
;
you
shall
love
me
like
a
dog
.
”
“
How
will
you
manage
that
,
pray
?
”
he
inquired
with
a
sneer
.
“
I
'll
drive
you
mad
.
”
She
hissed
this
fiendish
threat
out
between
her
white
teeth
.
“
Ay
,
sir
,
”
she
said
,
“
hitherto
your
reason
has
only
encountered
men
.
You
shall
see
now
what
an
insulted
woman
can
do
.
A
lunatic
you
shall
be
ere
long
,
and
then
I
'll
make
you
love
me
,
dote
on
me
,
follow
me
about
for
a
smile
:
and
then
I
'll
leave
off
hating
you
,
and
love
you
once
more
,
but
not
the
way
I
did
five
minutes
ago
.
”
At
this
furious
threat
Alfred
ground
his
teeth
,
and
said
,
“
Then
I
give
you
my
honour
that
the
moment
I
see
my
reason
the
least
shaken
,
I
'll
kill
you
:
and
so
save
myself
from
the
degradation
of
being
your
lover
on
any
terms
.
”
“
Threaten
your
own
sex
with
that
,
”
said
the
Archbold
contemptuously
;
“
you
may
kill
me
whenever
you
like
;
and
the
sooner
the
better
.
Only
,
if
you
do
n't
do
it
very
quickly
,
you
shall
be
my
property
,
my
brain-sick
,
love-sick
slave
.
”
CHAPTER
XLI
AFTER
a
defiance
so
bitter
and
deadly
,
Alfred
naturally
drew
away
from
his
inamorata
.
But
she
,
boiling
with
love
and
hate
,
said
bitterly
,
“
We
need
not
take
Mr.
Rooke
into
our
secrets
.
Come
,
sir
,
your
arm
!
”
He
stuck
it
out
ungraciously
,
and
averted
his
head
;
she
took
it
,
suppressed
with
difficulty
a
petty
desire
to
pinch
,
and
so
walked
by
his
side
.
He
was
as
much
at
his
ease
as
if
promenading
jungles
with
a
panther
.
She
felt
him
quiver
with
repugnance
under
her
soft
hand
;
and
prolonged
the
irritating
contact
.
She
walked
very
slowly
,
and
told
him
with
much
meaning
she
was
waiting
for
a
signal
.
“
Till
then
,
”
said
she
,
“
we
will
keep
one
another
company
;
”
biting
the
word
with
her
teeth
as
it
went
out
.
By-and-by
a
window
was
opened
in
the
asylum
,
and
a
table-cloth
hung
out
.
Mrs.
Archbold
pointed
it
out
to
Alfred
;
he
stared
at
it
;
and
after
that
she
walked
him
rapidly
home
in
silence
.
But
,
as
soon
as
the
door
was
double-locked
on
him
,
she
whispered
triumphantly
in
his
ear
—
“
Your
mother-in-law
was
expected
to-day
;
that
signal
was
to
let
me
know
she
was
gone
.
”
“
My
mother-in-law
!
”
cried
the
young
man
,
and
tried
in
vain
to
conceal
his
surprise
and
agitation
.
“
Ay
;
your
mother-in-law
,
that
shall
never
be
.
Mrs.
Dodd
.
”
“
Mrs.
Dodd
here
!
”
said
Alfred
,
clasping
his
hands
.
Then
he
reflected
,
and
said
coolly
:
“
It
is
false
;
what
should
she
come
here
for
?
”
“
To
see
your
father-in-law
.
”
“
My
father-in-law
?
What
,
is
he
here
,
too
?
”
said
Alfred
with
an
incredulous
sneer
.
“
Yes
,
the
raving
maniac
that
calls
himself
Thompson
,
and
that
you
took
to
from
the
first
:
he
is
your
precious
father-in-law
—
that
shall
never
be
.
”
Alfred
was
now
utterly
amazed
,
and
bewildered
.
Mrs.
Archbold
eyed
him
in
silent
scorn
.
“
Poor
man
,
”
said
he
at
last
;
and
hung
his
head
sorrowfully
.
“
No
wonder
then
his
voice
went
so
to
my
heart
.
How
strange
it
all
is
!
and
how
will
it
all
end
?
”
“
In
your
being
a
madman
instead
of
an
insolent
fool
,
”
hissed
the
viper
.
At
this
moment
Beverley
appeared
at
the
end
of
the
yard
.
Mrs.
Archbold
whistled
him
to
her
like
a
dog
.
He
came
running
zealously
.
“
Who
was
that
called
while
I
was
out
?
”
she
inquired
.
“
A
polite
lady
,
madam
:
she
said
sir
to
me
,
and
thanked
me
.
”
“
That
sounds
like
Mrs.
Dodd
,
”
said
the
Archbold
quietly
.
“
Ah
,
but
,
”
continued
Frank
,
“
there
was
another
with
her
a
beautiful
young
lady
;
oh
,
so
beautiful
!
”
“
Miss
Julia
Dodd
,
”
said
the
Archbold
grimly
.
Alfred
panted
,
and
his
eyes
roved
wildly
in
search
of
a
way
to
escape
and
follow
her
;
she
could
not
be
far
off
.
“
Anybody
else
,
Frank
?
”
inquired
Mrs.
Archbold
.
“
No
more
ladies
,
madam
;
but
there
was
a
young
gentleman
all
in
black
.
I
think
he
was
a
clergyman
—
or
a
butler
.
”
“
Ah
,
that
was
her
husband
that
is
to
be
;
that
was
Mr.
Hurd
.
She
can
go
nowhere
without
him
,
not
even
to
see
her
old
beau
.
”
At
these
words
,
every
one
of
them
an
adder
,
Alfred
turned
on
her
furiously
,
and
his
long
arm
shot
out
of
its
own
accord
,
and
the
fingers
opened
like
an
eagle
's
claw
.
She
saw
,
and
understood
,
but
never
blenched
.
Her
vindictive
eye
met
his
dilating
flashing
orbs
unflinchingly
.
“
You
pass
for
a
woman
,
”
he
said
,
“
and
I
am
too
wretched
for
anger
.
”
He
turned
from
her
with
a
deep
convulsive
sob
,
and
,
almost
staggering
,
leaned
his
brow
against
the
wall
of
the
house
.
She
had
done
what
no
man
had
as
yet
succeeded
in
;
she
had
broken
his
spirit
.
And
here
a
man
would
have
left
him
alone
.
But
the
rejected
beauty
put
her
lips
to
his
ear
,
and
whispered
into
them
,
“
This
is
only
the
beginning
.
”
Then
she
left
him
and
went
to
his
room
and
stole
all
his
paper
,
and
pens
,
and
ink
,
and
his
very
Aristotle
.
He
was
to
have
no
occupation
now
,
except
to
brood
,
and
brood
,
and
brood
.
As
for
Alfred
,
he
sat
down
upon
a
bench
in
the
yard
a
broken
man
:
up
to
this
moment
he
had
hoped
his
Julia
was
as
constant
as
himself
.
But
no
;
either
she
had
heard
he
was
mad
,
and
with
the
universal
credulity
had
believed
it
,
or
perhaps
,
not
hearing
from
him
at
all
believed
herself
forsaken
;
and
was
consoling
herself
with
a
clergyman
.
Jealousy
did
not
as
yet
infuriate
Alfred
.
Its
first
effect
resembled
that
of
a
heavy
blow
.
Little
Beverley
found
him
actually
sick
,
and
ran
to
the
Robin
.
The
ex-prizefighter
brought
him
a
thimbleful
of
brandy
,
but
he
would
not
take
it
.
“
Ah
no
,
my
friends
,
”
he
said
,
“
that
cannot
cure
me
;
it
is
not
my
stomach
;
it
is
my
heart
.
Broken
,
broken
!
”
The
Robin
retired
muttering
.
Little
Beverley
kneeled
down
beside
him
,
and
kissed
his
hand
with
a
devotion
that
savoured
of
the
canine
.
Yet
it
was
tender
,
and
the
sinking
heart
clung
to
it
.
“
Oh
,
Frank
!
”
he
cried
,
“
my
Julia
believes
me
mad
,
or
thinks
me
false
,
or
something
,
and
she
will
marry
another
before
I
can
get
out
to
tell
her
all
I
have
endured
was
for
loving
her
.
What
shall
I
do
?
God
protect
my
reason
!
What
will
become
of
me
?
”
He
moaned
,
and
young
Frank
sorrowed
over
him
,
till
the
harsh
voice
of
Rooke
summoned
him
to
some
menial
duty
.
This
discharged
,
he
came
running
back
;
and
sat
on
the
bench
beside
his
crushed
benefactor
without
saying
a
word
.
At
last
he
delivered
this
sapient
speech
:
“
I
see
.
You
want
to
get
out
of
this
place
.
”
Alfred
only
sighed
hopelessly
.
“
Then
I
must
try
and
get
you
out
,
”
said
Frank
.
Alfred
shook
his
head
.
“
Just
let
me
think
,
”
said
Frank
solemnly
;
and
he
sat
silent
looking
like
a
young
owl
:
for
thinking
soon
puzzled
him
,
and
elicited
his
intellectual
weakness
,
whereas
in
a
groove
of
duties
he
could
go
as
smoothly
as
half
the
world
,
and
but
for
his
official
,
officious
Protector
,
might
just
as
well
have
been
Boots
at
the
Swan
,
as
Boots
and
Chambermaid
at
the
Wolf
.
So
now
force
and
cunning
had
declared
war
on
Alfred
,
and
feebleness
in
person
enlisted
in
his
defence
.
His
adversary
lost
no
time
;
that
afternoon
Rooke
told
him
he
was
henceforth
to
occupy
a
double
bedded
room
with
another
patient
.
“
If
he
should
be
violent
in
the
middle
of
the
night
,
sing
out
,
and
we
will
come
—
if
we
hear
you
,
”
said
the
keeper
with
a
malicious
smile
.
The
patient
turned
out
to
be
the
able
seaman
.
Here
Mrs.
Archbold
aimed
a
double
stroke
;
to
shake
Alfred
's
nerves
,
and
show
him
how
very
mad
his
proposed
father-in-law
was
.
She
thought
that
,
if
he
could
once
be
forced
to
realise
this
,
it
might
reconcile
him
to
not
marrying
the
daughter
.
The
first
night
David
did
get
up
and
paraded
an
imaginary
deck
for
four
mortal
hours
.
Alfred
's
sleep
was
broken
;
but
he
said
nothing
,
and
David
turned
in
again
,
his
watch
completed
.
Not
a
day
passed
now
but
a
blow
was
struck
.
Nor
was
the
victim
passive
;
debarred
writing
materials
,
he
cut
the
rims
off
several
copies
of
the
Times
,
and
secreted
them
:
then
catching
sight
of
some
ink-blots
on
the
back
of
Frank
's
clothes-brush
,
scraped
them
carefully
off
,
melted
them
in
a
very
little
water
,
and
with
a
toothpick
scrawled
his
wrongs
to
the
Commissioners
;
he
rolled
the
slips
round
a
half-crown
,
and
wrote
outside
,
“
Good
Christian
,
keep
this
half-crown
,
and
take
the
writing
to
the
Lunacy
Commissioners
at
Whitehall
,
for
pity
's
sake
.
”
This
done
,
he
watched
,
and
when
nobody
was
looking
,
flung
his
letter
,
so
weighted
,
over
the
gates
;
he
heard
it
fall
on
the
public
road
.
Another
day
he
secreted
a
spoonful
of
black
currant
preserve
,
diluted
it
with
a
little
water
,
and
wrote
a
letter
,
and
threw
it
into
the
road
as
before
:
another
day
,
hearing
the
Robin
express
disgust
at
the
usage
to
which
he
was
now
subjected
,
he
drew
him
apart
,
and
offered
him
a
hundred
pounds
to
get
him
out
.
Now
the
ex-prizefighter
was
rather
a
tender-hearted
fellow
,
and
a
great
detester
of
foul
play
.
What
he
saw
made
him
now
side
heartily
with
Alfred
;
and
all
he
wanted
was
to
be
indemnified
for
his
risk
.
He
looked
down
and
said
,
“
You
see
,
sir
,
I
have
a
wife
and
child
to
think
of
.
”
Alfred
offered
him
two
hundred
pounds
.
“
That
is
more
than
enough
,
sir
,
”
said
the
Robin
;
“
but
you
see
I
ca
n't
do
it
alone
.
I
must
have
a
pal
in
it
.
Could
you
afford
as
much
to
Garrett
?
He
is
the
likeliest
;
I
've
heard
him
say
as
much
as
that
he
was
sick
of
the
business
.
”
Alfred
jumped
at
the
proposal
:
he
would
give
them
two
hundred
apiece
.
“
I
'll
sound
him
,
”
said
the
Robin
;
“
do
n't
you
speak
to
him
,
whatever
.
He
might
blow
the
gaff
.
I
must
begin
by
making
him
drunk
,
then
he
'll
tell
me
his
real
mind
.
”
One
fine
morning
the
house
was
made
much
cleaner
than
usual
;
the
rotatory
chair
,
in
which
they
used
to
spin
a
maniac
like
a
teetotum
,
the
restraint
chairs
,
and
all
the
paraphernalia
were
sent
into
the
stable
,
and
so
disposed
that
,
even
if
found
,
they
would
look
like
things
scorned
and
dismissed
from
service
:
for
Wolf
,
mind
you
,
professed
the
non-restraint
system
.
Alfred
asked
what
was
up
,
and
found
all
this
was
in
preparation
for
the
quarterly
visit
of
the
Commissioners
:
a
visit
intended
to
be
a
surprise
;
but
Drayton
House
always
knew
when
they
were
coming
,
and
the
very
names
of
the
two
thunderbolts
that
thought
to
surprise
them
.
Mrs.
Archbold
communicated
her
knowledge
in
off-hand
terms
.
“
It
is
only
two
old
women
:
Bartlett
and
Terry
.
”
The
gentlemen
thus
flatteringly
heralded
arrived
next
day
.
One
an
aged
,
infirm
man
,
with
a
grand
benevolent
head
,
bald
front
and
silver
hair
,
and
the
gold-headed
cane
of
his
youth
,
now
a
dignified
crutch
:
the
other
an
ordinary
looking
little
chap
enough
,
with
this
merit
—
he
was
what
he
looked
.
They
had
a
long
interview
with
Mrs.
Archbold
first
,
for
fear
they
should
carry
a
naked
eye
into
the
asylum
.
Mr.
Bartlett
,
acting
on
instructions
,
very
soon
inquired
about
Alfred
;
Mrs.
Archbold
's
face
put
on
friendly
concern
directly
.
“
I
am
sorry
to
say
he
is
not
so
well
as
he
was
a
fortnight
ago
—
not
nearly
so
well
.
We
have
given
him
walks
in
the
country
,
too
;
but
I
regret
to
say
they
did
him
no
real
good
;
he
came
back
much
excited
,
and
now
he
shuns
the
other
patients
,
which
he
used
not
to
do
.
”
In
short
,
she
gave
them
the
impression
that
Alfred
was
a
moping
melancholiac
.
“
Well
,
I
had
better
see
him
,
”
said
Mr.
Bartlett
,
“
just
to
satisfy
the
Board
.
”
Alfred
was
accordingly
sent
for
,
and
asked
with
an
indifferent
air
how
he
was
.
He
said
he
was
very
well
in
health
,
but
in
sore
distress
of
mind
at
his
letters
to
the
Commissioners
being
intercepted
by
Mrs.
Archbold
or
Dr.
Wolf
.
Mrs.
Archbold
smiled
pityingly
.
Mr.
Bartlett
caught
her
glance
,
and
concluded
this
was
one
of
the
patient
's
delusions
.
(
Formula
.
)
Alfred
surprised
the
glances
,
and
said
,
“
You
can
hardly
believe
this
,
because
the
act
is
illegal
.
But
a
great
many
illegal
acts
,
that
you
never
detect
,
are
done
in
asylums
.
However
,
it
is
not
a
question
of
surmise
;
I
sent
four
letters
in
the
regular
way
since
I
came
.
Here
are
their
several
dates
.
Pray
make
a
note
to
inquire
whether
they
have
reached
Whitehall
or
not
.
”
“
Oh
,
certainly
,
to
oblige
you
,
”
said
Mr.
Bartlett
,
and
made
the
note
.
Mrs.
Archbold
looked
rather
discomposed
at
that
.
“
And
now
,
gentlemen
,
”
said
Alfred
,
“
since
Mrs.
Archbold
has
had
a
private
interview
,
which
I
see
she
has
abused
to
poison
your
mind
against
me
,
I
claim
as
simple
justice
a
private
interview
to
disabuse
you
.
”
“
You
are
the
first
patient
ever
told
me
to
walk
out
of
my
own
drawing-room
,
”
said
Mrs.
Archbold
,
rising
white
with
ire
and
apprehension
,
and
sweeping
out
of
the
room
.
By
this
piece
of
female
petulance
she
gave
the
enemy
a
point
in
the
game
;
for
,
if
she
had
insisted
on
staying
,
Mr.
Bartlett
was
far
too
weak
to
have
dismissed
her
.
As
it
was
,
he
felt
shocked
at
Alfred
's
rudeness
:
and
so
small
a
thing
as
justice
did
not
in
his
idea
counterbalance
so
great
a
thing
as
discourtesy
;
so
he
listened
to
Alfred
's
tale
with
the
deadly
apathy
of
an
unwilling
hearer
.
“
Pour
on
:
I
will
endure
,
”
as
poor
Lear
says
.
As
for
Dr.
Terry
,
he
was
pictorial
,
but
null
;
effete
;
emptied
of
brains
by
all-scooping-Time
.
If
he
had
been
detained
that
day
at
Drayton
House
,
and
Frank
Beverley
sent
back
in
his
place
to
Whitehall
,
it
would
have
mattered
little
to
him
,
less
to
the
nation
,
and
nothing
to
mankind
.
At
last
Mr.
Bartlett
gave
Alfred
some
hopes
he
was
taking
in
the
truth
;
for
he
tore
a
leaf
out
of
his
memorandum-book
,
wrote
on
it
,
and
passed
it
to
Dr.
Terry
.
The
ancient
took
it
with
a
smile
,
and
seemed
to
make
an
effort
to
master
it
,
but
failed
;
it
dropped
simultaneously
from
his
finger
and
his
mind
.
Not
a
question
was
put
to
Alfred
;
so
he
was
fain
to
come
to
an
end
;
he
withdrew
suddenly
,
and
caught
Mrs.
Archbold
at
the
keyhole
.
“
Noble
adversary
!
”
said
he
,
and
stalked
away
,
and
hid
himself
hard
by
:
and
no
sooner
did
the
inspectors
come
out
,
and
leave
the
coast
clear
,
than
he
darted
in
and
looked
for
the
paper
Mr.
Bartlett
had
passed
to
Dr.
Terry
.
He
found
it
on
the
floor
:
and
took
it
eagerly
up
;
and
full
of
hope
,
and
expectation
,
read
these
words
:
WHAT
IS
THE
NAME
OF
THE
STUFF
THE
MATRON
'S
GOWN
IS
MADE
OF
?
I
SHOULD
LIKE
TO
BUY
MRS.
BARTLETT
ONE
LIKE
IT
.
Alfred
stood
and
read
this
again
,
and
again
he
searched
for
some
hidden
symbolical
meaning
in
the
words
.
High-minded
,
and
deeply
impressed
with
his
own
wrongs
,
he
could
not
conceive
a
respectable
man
,
paid
fifteen
hundred
a
year
to
spy
out
wrongs
,
being
so
heartless
hard
as
to
write
this
single
comment
during
the
earnest
recital
of
a
wrong
so
gigantic
as
his
.
Poor
Alfred
learned
this
to
his
cost
,
that
to
put
small
men
into
great
places
is
to
create
monsters
.
When
he
had
realised
the
bitter
truth
,
he
put
the
stony-hearted
paper
in
his
pocket
,
crept
into
the
yard
,
and
sat
down
,
and
,
for
all
he
could
do
,
scalding
tears
ran
down
his
cheeks
.
“
Homunculi
quanti
sunt
!
”
he
sobbed
;
“
homunculi
quanti
sunt
!
”
Presently
he
saw
Dr.
Terry
come
wandering
towards
him
alone
.
The
Archbold
had
not
deigned
to
make
him
safe
;
senectitude
had
done
that
.
Alfred
,
all
heart
—
sick
as
he
was
,
went
to
the
old
gentleman
out
of
veneration
for
the
outside
of
his
head
—
which
was
Shakespearian
—
and
pity
for
his
bodily
infirmity
;
and
offered
him
an
arm
.
The
doctor
thanked
him
sweetly
,
and
said
,
“
Pray
,
young
man
,
have
you
anything
to
communicate
?
”
Then
Alfred
saw
that
the
ancient
man
had
already
forgotten
his
face
,
and
so
looking
at
him
with
that
rare
instrument
of
official
inspection
,
the
naked
eye
,
had
seen
he
was
sane
;
and
consequently
taken
him
for
a
keeper
.
How
swiftly
the
mind
can
roam
,
and
from
what
a
distance
gather
the
materials
of
a
thought
!
Flashed
like
lightning
through
Alfred
's
mind
this
line
from
one
of
his
pets
,
the
Greek
philosophers
:
και
τοντο
μεγιστησ
εστι
τεχνης
αγαθα
ποιειν
τα
κακα
“
And
this
is
the
greatest
stroke
of
art
,
to
turn
an
evil
into
a
good
.
”
Now
the
feebleness
of
this
aged
Inspector
was
an
evil
:
the
thing
then
was
to
turn
it
into
a
good
.
Shade
of
Plato
,
behold
how
thy
disciple
worked
thee
!
“
Sir
,
”
said
he
,
sinking
his
voice
mysteriously
,
“
I
have
:
but
I
am
a
poor
man
:
you
wo
n't
say
I
told
you
:
it
's
as
much
as
my
place
is
worth
.
”
“
Confidence
,
strict
confidence
,
”
replied
Nestor
,
going
over
beaten
tracks
;
for
he
had
kept
many
a
queer
secret
with
the
loyalty
which
does
his
profession
so
much
honour
.
“
Then
,
sir
,
there
's
a
young
gentleman
confined
here
,
who
is
no
more
mad
than
you
and
I
;
and
never
was
mad
.
”
“
You
do
n't
say
so
.
”
“
That
I
do
,
sir
:
and
they
know
they
are
doing
wrong
,
sir
,
for
they
stop
all
his
letters
to
the
Commissioners
;
and
that
is
unlawful
,
you
know
.
Would
you
like
to
take
a
note
of
it
all
,
sir
?
”
The
old
fogie
said
he
thought
he
should
,
and
groped
vaguely
for
his
note-book
:
he
extracted
it
at
last
like
a
loose
tooth
,
fumbled
with
it
,
and
dropped
it
:
Alfred
picked
it
up
fuming
inwardly
.
The
ancient
went
to
write
,
but
his
fingers
were
weak
and
hesitating
,
and
by
this
time
he
had
half
forgotten
what
he
was
going
to
say
.
Alfred
's
voice
quavered
with
impatience
;
but
he
fought
it
down
,
and
offered
as
coolly
as
he
could
to
write
it
for
him
:
the
offer
was
accepted
,
and
he
wrote
down
in
a
feigned
hand
,
very
clear
—
“
DRAYTON
HOUSE
,
Oct.
5.
—
A
sane
patient
,
Alfred
Hardie
,
confined
here
from
interested
motives
.
Has
written
four
letters
to
the
Commissioners
,
all
believed
to
be
intercepted
.
Communicated
to
me
in
confidence
by
an
attendant
in
the
house
.
Refer
to
the
party
himself
,
and
his
correspondence
with
the
Commissioners
from
Dr.
Wycherley
's
:
also
to
Thomas
Wales
,
another
attendant
;
and
to
Dr.
Wycherley
:
also
to
Dr.
Eskell
and
Mr.
Abbott
,
Commissioners
of
Lunacy
.
”
After
this
stroke
of
address
Alfred
took
the
first
opportunity
of
leaving
him
,
and
sent
Frank
Beverley
to
him
.
Thus
Alfred
,
alarmed
by
the
hatred
of
Mrs.
Archbold
,
and
racked
with
jealousy
,
exerted
all
his
intelligence
and
played
many
cards
for
liberty
.
One
he
kept
in
reserve
;
and
a
trump
card
too
.
Having
now
no
ink
nor
colouring
matter
,
he
did
not
hesitate
,
but
out
penknife
,
up
sleeve
,
and
drew
blood
from
his
arm
,
and
with
it
wrote
once
more
to
the
Commissioners
,
but
kept
this
letter
hidden
for
an
ingenious
purpose
.
What
that
purpose
was
my
reader
shall
divine
.
CHAPTER
XLII
WE
left
Julia
Dodd
a
district
visitor
.
Working
in
a
dense
parish
she
learned
the
depths
of
human
misery
,
bodily
and
mental
.
She
visited
an
honest
widow
,
so
poor
that
she
could
not
afford
a
farthing
dip
,
but
sat
in
the
dark
.
When
friends
came
to
see
her
they
sometimes
brought
a
candle
to
talk
by
.
She
visited
a
cripple
who
often
thanked
God
sincerely
for
leaving
her
the
use
of
one
thumb
.
She
visited
a
poor
creature
who
for
sixteen
years
had
been
afflicted
with
a
tumour
in
the
neck
,
and
had
lain
all
those
years
on
her
back
with
her
head
in
a
plate
;
the
heat
of
a
pillow
being
intolerable
.
Julia
found
her
longing
to
go
,
and
yet
content
to
stay
:
and
praising
God
in
all
the
lulls
of
that
pain
which
was
her
companion
day
and
night
.
But
were
I
to
enumerate
the
ghastly
sights
,
the
stifling
loathsome
odours
,
the
vulgar
horrors
upon
horrors
this
refined
young
lady
faced
,
few
of
my
readers
would
endure
on
paper
for
love
of
truth
what
she
endured
in
reality
for
love
of
suffering
humanity
,
and
of
Him
whose
servant
she
aspired
to
be
.
Probably
such
sacrifices
of
selfish
ease
and
comfort
are
never
quite
in
vain
;
they
tend
in
many
ways
to
heal
our
own
wounds
:
I
wo
n't
say
that
bodily
suffering
is
worse
than
mental
;
but
it
is
realised
far
more
vividly
by
a
spectator
.
The
grim
heart-breaking
sights
she
saw
arrayed
Julia
's
conscience
against
her
own
grief
;
the
more
so
when
she
found
some
of
her
most
afflicted
ones
resigned
,
and
even
grateful
.
“
What
,
”
said
she
,
“
can
they
,
all
rags
,
disease
and
suffering
,
bow
so
cheerfully
to
the
will
of
Heaven
,
and
have
I
the
wickedness
,
the
impudence
,
to
repine
?
”
And
then
,
happier
than
most
district
visitors
,
she
was
not
always
obliged
to
look
on
helpless
,
or
to
confine
her
consolations
to
good
words
.
Mrs.
Dodd
was
getting
on
famously
in
her
groove
.
She
was
high
in
the
confidence
of
Cross
and
Co.
,
and
was
inspecting
eighty
ladies
,
as
well
as
working
;
her
salary
and
profits
together
were
not
less
than
five
hundred
pounds
a
year
,
and
her
one
luxury
was
charity
,
and
Julia
its
minister
.
She
carried
a
good
honest
basket
,
and
there
you
might
see
her
Bible
wedged
in
with
wine
and
meat
,
and
tea
and
sugar
:
and
still
,
as
these
melted
in
her
round
,
a
little
spark
of
something
warm
would
sometimes
come
in
her
own
sick
heart
.
Thus
by
degrees
she
was
attaining
not
earthly
happiness
,
but
a
grave
and
pensive
composure
.
Yet
across
it
gusts
of
earthly
grief
came
sweeping
often
;
but
these
she
hid
till
she
was
herself
again
.
To
her
mother
and
brother
she
was
kinder
,
sweeter
,
and
dearer
,
if
possible
,
than
ever
.
They
looked
on
her
as
a
saint
;
but
she
knew
better
;
and
used
to
blush
with
honest
shame
when
they
called
her
so
.
“
Oh
do
n't
,
pray
do
n't
,
”
she
would
say
with
unaffected
pain
.
“
Love
me
as
if
I
was
an
angel
;
but
do
not
praise
me
;
that
turns
my
eyes
inward
and
makes
me
see
myself
.
I
am
not
a
Christian
yet
,
nor
anything
like
one
.
”
Returning
one
day
from
her
duties
very
tired
,
she
sat
down
to
take
off
her
bonnet
in
her
own
room
,
and
presently
heard
snatches
of
an
argument
that
made
her
prick
those
wonderful
little
ears
of
hers
which
could
almost
hear
through
a
wall
.
The
two
concluding
sentences
were
a
key
to
the
whole
dialogue
.
“
Why
disturb
her
?
”
said
Mrs.
Dodd
.
“
She
is
getting
better
of
'
the
Wretch
;
'
and
my
advice
is
,
say
nothing
:
what
harm
can
that
do
?
”
“
But
then
it
is
so
unfair
,
so
ungenerous
,
to
keep
anything
from
the
poor
girl
that
may
concern
her
.
”
At
this
moment
Julia
came
softly
into
the
room
with
her
curiosity
hidden
under
an
air
of
angelic
composure
.
Her
mother
asked
after
Mrs.
Beecher
,
to
draw
her
into
conversation
.
She
replied
quietly
that
Mrs.
Beecher
was
no
better
,
but
very
thankful
for
the
wine
Mrs.
Dodd
had
sent
her
.
This
answer
given
,
she
went
without
any
apparent
hurry
and
sat
by
Edward
,
and
fixed
two
loving
imploring
eyes
on
him
in
silence
.
Oh
,
subtle
sex
!
This
feather
was
to
turn
the
scale
,
and
make
him
talk
unquestioned
.
It
told
.
She
was
close
to
him
too
,
and
mamma
at
the
end
of
the
room
.
“
Look
here
,
Ju
,
”
said
he
,
putting
his
hands
in
his
pockets
,
“
we
two
have
always
been
friends
as
well
as
brother
and
sister
;
and
somehow
it
does
not
seem
like
a
friend
to
keep
things
dark
;
”
then
to
Mrs.
Dodd
:
“
She
is
not
a
child
,
mother
,
after
all
;
and
how
can
it
be
wrong
to
tell
her
the
truth
,
or
right
to
suppress
the
truth
?
Well
then
,
Ju
,
there
's
an
advertisement
in
the
'
Tiser
,
and
it
's
a
regular
riddle
.
Now
mind
,
I
do
n't
really
think
there
is
anything
in
it
;
but
it
is
a
droll
coincidence
,
very
droll
;
if
it
was
n't
there
are
ladies
present
,
and
one
of
them
a
district
visitor
,
I
would
say
,
d
—
d
droll
.
So
droll
,
”
continued
he
,
getting
warm
,
“
that
I
should
like
to
punch
the
advertiser
's
head
.
”
“
Let
me
see
it
,
dear
,
”
said
Julia
.
“
I
dare
say
it
is
nothing
worth
punching
about
.
”
“
There
,
”
said
Edward
.
“
I
've
marked
it
.
”
Julia
took
the
paper
,
and
her
eye
fell
on
this
short
advertisement
:
AILEEN
AROON
.
—
DISTRUST
APPEARANCES
.
Looking
at
her
with
some
anxiety
,
they
saw
the
paper
give
one
sharp
rustle
in
her
hands
,
and
then
quiver
a
little
.
She
bowed
her
head
over
it
,
and
everything
seemed
to
swim
.
But
she
never
moved
:
they
could
neither
of
them
see
her
face
,
she
defended
herself
with
the
paper
.
The
letters
cleared
again
,
and
,
still
hiding
her
face
,
she
studied
and
studied
the
advertisement
.
“
Come
,
tell
us
what
you
think
of
it
,
”
said
Edward
.
“
Is
it
anything
?
or
a
mere
coincidence
?
”
“
It
is
a
pure
coincidence
,
”
said
Mrs.
Dodd
,
with
an
admirable
imitation
of
cool
confidence
.
Julia
said
nothing
;
but
she
now
rose
and
put
both
arms
round
Edward
's
neck
,
and
kissed
him
fervidly
again
and
again
,
holding
the
newspaper
tight
all
the
time
.
“
There
,
”
said
Mrs.
Dodd
:
“
see
what
you
have
done
.
”
“
Oh
,
it
is
all
right
,
”
said
Edward
cheerfully
.
“
The
British
fireman
is
getting
hugged
no
end
.
Why
,
what
is
the
matter
?
have
you
got
the
hiccough
,
Ju
?
”
“
No
;
no
!
You
are
a
true
brother
.
I
knew
all
along
that
he
would
explain
all
if
he
was
alive
:
and
he
is
alive
.
”
So
saying
she
kissed
the
'
Tiser
violently
more
than
once
;
then
fluttered
away
with
it
to
her
own
room
ashamed
to
show
her
joy
,
and
yet
not
able
to
hide
it
.
Mrs.
Dodd
shook
her
head
sorrowfully
:
and
Edward
began
to
look
rueful
,
and
doubt
whether
he
had
done
wisely
.
I
omit
the
discussion
that
followed
.
But
the
next
time
his
duties
permitted
him
to
visit
them
Mrs.
Dodd
showed
him
the
'
Tiser
in
her
turn
,
and
with
her
pretty
white
taper
finger
,
and
such
a
look
,
pointed
to
the
following
advertisement
:
AILEEN
AROON
.
—
I
do
DISTRUST
APPEARANCES
.
But
if
you
ever
loved
me
explain
them
at
once
.
I
have
something
for
you
from
your
dear
sister
.
“
Poor
simple
girl
,
”
said
Mrs.
Dodd
,
“
not
to
see
that
,
if
he
could
explain
at
all
,
he
would
explain
,
not
go
advertising
an
enigma
after
acting
a
mystification
.
And
to
think
of
my
innocent
dove
putting
in
that
she
had
something
for
him
from
his
sister
;
a
mighty
temptation
for
such
a
wretch
!
”
“
It
was
wonderfully
silly
,
”
said
Edward
;
“
and
such
a
clever
girl
,
too
;
but
you
ladies
ca
n't
stick
to
one
thing
at
a
time
;
begging
your
pardon
,
mamma
.
”
Mrs.
Dodd
took
no
notice
of
this
remark
.
“
To
see
her
lower
herself
so
!
”
she
said
.
“
Oh
,
my
son
,
I
am
mortified
.
”
And
Mrs.
Dodd
leaned
her
cheek
against
Edward
's
,
and
sighed
.
“
Now
do
n't
you
cry
,
mammy
,
”
said
he
sorrowfully
.
“
I
'll
break
every
bone
in
his
skin
for
your
comfort
.
”
“
Heaven
forbid
!
”
cried
Mrs.
Dodd
anxiously
;
“
what
,
are
you
not
aware
she
would
hate
you
?
”
“
Hate
me
:
her
brother
!
”
“
She
would
hate
us
all
if
we
laid
a
finger
on
that
wretch
.
Pray
interfere
no
more
,
love
;
foolish
child
,
talking
to
me
about
women
,
and
it
is
plain
you
know
nothing
of
their
hearts
:
and
a
good
thing
for
you
.
”
She
then
put
on
maternal
authority
(
nobody
could
do
it
more
easily
)
and
solemnly
forbade
all
violence
.
He
did
not
venture
to
contradict
her
now
;
but
cherished
his
resolution
all
the
more
,
and
longed
for
the
hour
when
he
might
take
“
the
Wretch
”
by
the
throat
,
and
chastise
him
,
the
more
publicly
the
better
.
Now
,
the
above
incident
that
revealed
Julia
's
real
heart
,
which
she
had
been
hiding
more
or
less
all
this
time
from
those
who
could
not
sympathise
with
her
,
took
eventually
a
turn
unfavourable
to
“
the
Wretch
.
”
So
he
might
well
be
called
.
Her
great
and
settled
fear
had
always
been
that
Alfred
was
dead
.
Under
the
immediate
influence
of
his
father
's
cunning
,
she
had
for
a
moment
believed
he
was
false
;
but
so
true
and
loving
a
heart
could
not
rest
in
that
opinion
.
In
true
love
so
long
as
there
is
one
grain
of
uncertainty
,
there
is
a
world
of
faith
and
credulous
ingenuity
.
So
,
as
Alfred
had
never
been
seen
since
,
as
nobody
could
say
he
was
married
to
another
,
there
was
a
grain
of
uncertainty
as
to
his
unfaithfulness
,
and
this
her
true
heart
magnified
to
a
mountain
.
But
now
matters
wore
another
face
.
She
was
sure
he
had
written
the
advertisement
.
Who
but
he
,
out
of
the
few
that
take
the
words
of
any
song
to
heart
,
admired
Aileen
Aroon
?
Who
but
he
out
of
the
three
or
four
people
who
might
possibly
care
for
that
old
song
,
had
appearances
to
explain
away
?
And
who
but
he
knew
they
took
in
the
Morning
Advertiser
?
She
waited
then
for
the
explanation
she
had
invited
.
She
read
the
advertising
column
every
day
over
and
over
.
Not
a
word
more
.
Then
her
womanly
pride
was
deeply
wounded
.
What
,
had
she
courted
an
explanation
where
most
ladies
would
have
listened
to
none
;
and
courted
it
in
vain
!
Her
high
spirit
revolted
.
Her
heart
swelled
against
the
repeated
insults
she
had
received
:
this
last
one
filled
the
bitter
cup
too
high
.
And
then
her
mother
came
in
and
assured
her
he
had
only
inserted
that
advertisement
to
keep
her
in
his
power
.
He
has
heard
you
are
recovering
,
and
are
admired
by
others
more
worthy
of
your
esteem
.
Julia
cried
bitterly
at
these
arguments
,
for
she
could
no
longer
combat
them
.
And
Mr.
Hurd
was
very
attentive
and
kind
.
And
when
he
spoke
to
Julia
,
and
Julia
turned
away
,
her
eye
was
sure
to
meet
Mrs.
Dodd
's
eye
imploring
her
secretly
not
to
discourage
the
young
man
too
much
.
And
so
she
was
gently
pulled
by
one
,
and
gently
thrust
by
another
,
away
from
her
first
lover
and
towards
his
successor
.
It
is
an
old
,
old
story
.
Fate
seems
to
exhaust
its
malice
on
our
first
love
.
For
the
second
the
road
is
smoother
.
Matters
went
on
so
some
weeks
,
and
it
was
perfectly
true
that
Mr.
Hurd
escorted
both
ladies
one
day
to
Drayton
House
,
at
Julia
's
request
,
and
not
Mrs.
Dodd
's
.
Indeed
,
the
latter
lady
was
secretly
hurt
at
his
being
allowed
to
come
with
them
.
One
Saturday
afternoon
,
Mrs.
Dodd
went
alone
to
Drayton
House
by
appointment
.
David
was
like
a
lamb
,
but
,
as
usual
,
had
no
knowledge
of
her
.
Mrs.
Archbold
told
her
a
quiet
,
intelligent
,
patient
had
taken
a
great
fancy
to
him
,
and
she
thought
this
was
adding
much
to
his
happiness
.
“
May
I
see
him
to
thank
him
?
”
asked
Mrs.
Dodd
.
“
Oh
,
certainly
,
”
said
Mrs.
Archbold
;
“
I
'll
inquire
for
him
.
”
She
went
out
but
soon
returned
,
saying
,
“
He
is
gone
out
for
a
walk
with
the
head
keeper
:
we
give
him
as
much
air
and
amusement
as
we
can
;
we
hope
soon
to
send
him
out
altogether
cured
.
”
“
Truly
kind
and
thoughtful
,
”
said
Mrs.
Dodd
.
Soon
after
,
she
kissed
Mrs.
Archbold
,
and
pressed
a
valuable
brooch
upon
her
:
and
then
took
leave
.
However
,
at
the
gate
she
remembered
her
parasol
.
Mrs.
Archbold
said
she
would
go
back
for
it
.
Mrs.
Dodd
would
not
hear
of
that
:
Mrs.
Archbold
insisted
,
and
settled
the
question
by
going
.
She
was
no
sooner
in
the
house
,
than
young
Frank
Beverley
came
running
to
Mrs.
Dodd
,
and
put
the
missing
parasol
officiously
into
her
hand
.
“
Oh
,
thank
you
,
sir
,
”
said
she
;
“
will
you
be
so
kind
as
to
tell
Mrs.
Archbold
I
have
it
.
”
And
with
this
they
parted
,
and
the
porter
opened
the
gate
to
her
,
and
she
got
into
her
hired
cab
.
She
leaned
her
head
back
,
and
,
as
usual
was
lost
in
the
sorrowful
thoughts
of
what
had
been
,
and
what
now
was
.
Poor
wife
,
each
visit
to
Drayton
House
opened
her
wound
afresh
.
On
reaching
the
stones
,
there
was
a
turnpike
This
roused
her
up
;
she
took
out
her
purse
and
paid
it
.
As
she
drew
back
to
her
seat
,
she
saw
out
of
the
tail
of
her
feminine
eye
the
edge
of
something
white
under
her
parasol
.
She
took
up
the
parasol
,
and
found
a
written
paper
pinned
on
to
it
:
she
detached
this
paper
,
and
examined
it
all
over
with
considerable
curiosity
.
It
consisted
of
a
long
slip
about
an
inch
and
a
quarter
broad
,
rolled
like
tape
,
and
tied
with
packthread
.
She
could
not
see
the
inside
,
of
course
,
but
she
read
the
superscription
:
it
was
firmly
but
clearly
written
,
in
red
ink
apparently
.
Of
the
words
I
shall
only
say
at
present
that
they
were
strong
and
simple
,
and
that
their
effect
on
the
swift
intelligence
and
tender
heart
of
Mrs.
Dodd
was
overpowering
.
They
knocked
at
her
heart
;
they
drew
from
her
an
audible
cry
of
pity
more
eloquent
than
a
thousand
speeches
:
and
the
next
moment
she
felt
a
little
faint
;
for
she
knew
now
the
appeal
was
not
in
red
ink
,
but
in
something
very
fit
to
pass
between
the
heart
of
woe
and
the
heart
of
pity
.
She
smelt
at
her
salts
,
and
soon
recovered
that
weakness
:
and
next
her
womanly
bosom
swelled
so
with
the
milk
of
human
kindness
that
her
breath
came
short
.
After
a
little
struggle
she
gushed
out
aloud
,
“
Ah
,
that
I
will
,
poor
soul
;
this
very
moment
.
”
Now
,
by
this
time
she
was
close
to
her
own
house
.
She
stopped
the
cab
at
her
door
,
and
asked
the
driver
if
his
horse
was
fresh
enough
to
carry
her
to
the
Board
of
Lunacy
:
“
It
is
at
Whitehall
,
sir
,
”
said
she
.
“
Lord
bless
you
,
ma'am
,
”
said
the
cabman
,
“
Whitehall
?
Why
,
my
mare
would
take
you
to
Whitechapel
and
back
in
an
hour
,
let
alone
Whitehall
.
”
Reassured
on
that
point
Mrs.
Dodd
went
in
just
to
give
the
servant
an
order
:
but
as
she
stood
in
the
passage
,
she
heard
her
children
's
voices
and
also
a
friend
's
;
the
genial
,
angry
tones
of
Alexander
Sampson
,
M
.
D
.
She
thought
,
“
Oh
,
I
must
just
show
them
all
the
paper
,
before
I
go
with
it
;
”
and
so
after
a
little
buzz
about
dinner
and
things
with
Sarah
,
mounted
the
stairs
,
and
arrived
among
them
singularly
apropos
,
as
it
happened
.
Men
like
Sampson
,
who
make
many
foes
,
do
also
make
stauncher
friends
than
ever
the
Hare
does
,
and
are
faithful
friends
themselves
.
The
boisterous
doctor
had
stuck
to
the
Dodds
in
all
their
distresses
;
and
if
they
were
ever
short
of
money
,
it
certainly
was
not
his
fault
:
for
almost
his
first
word
,
when
he
found
them
in
a
lodging
,
was
,
“
Now
,
ye
'll
be
wanting
a
Chick
.
Gimme
pen
and
ink
,
and
I
'll
just
draw
ye
one
;
for
a
hundre
.
”
This
being
declined
politely
by
Mrs.
Dodd
,
he
expostulated
.
“
Mai
—
dear
—
Madam
,
how
on
airth
can
ye
go
on
in
such
a
place
as
London
without
a
Chick
?
”
He
returned
to
the
charge
at
his
next
visit
and
scolded
her
well
for
her
pride
.
“
Who
iver
hard
of
refusing
a
Chick
?
a
small
inoffensive
chick
,
from
an
old
friend
like
me
?
Come
now
,
behave
!
Just
a
wee
chick
,
I
'll
let
y
'
off
for
fifty
.
”
“
Give
us
your
company
and
your
friendship
,
”
said
Mrs.
Dodd
;
“
we
value
them
above
gold
:
we
will
not
rob
your
dear
children
,
while
we
have
as
many
fingers
on
our
hands
as
other
people
.
”
On
the
present
occasion
Dr.
Sampson
,
whose
affectionate
respect
for
the
leading
London
physicians
has
already
displayed
itself
,
was
inveighing
specially
against
certain
specialists
,
whom
,
in
the
rapidity
of
his
lusty
eloquence
,
he
called
the
Mad
Ox
.
He
favoured
Julia
and
Edward
with
a
full
account
of
the
maniform
enormities
he
had
detected
them
in
during
thirty
years
'
practice
;
and
so
descended
to
his
present
grievance
.
A
lady
,
an
old
friend
of
his
,
was
being
kept
in
a
certain
asylum
month
after
month
because
she
had
got
money
and
relations
,
and
had
once
been
delirious
.
“
And
why
was
she
delirious
?
because
she
had
a
brain
fever
,
she
got
well
in
a
fortnight
.
”
This
lady
had
thrown
a
letter
over
the
wall
addressed
to
him
;
somebody
had
posted
it
:
he
had
asked
the
Commissioners
to
let
him
visit
her
;
they
had
declined
for
the
present
.
“
Yon
Board
always
sides
with
the
strong
against
the
weak
,
”
said
he
.
So
now
he
had
bribed
the
gardener
,
and
made
a
midnight
assignation
with
the
patient
;
and
was
going
to
it
with
six
stout
fellows
to
carry
her
off
by
force
.
“
That
is
my
recipe
for
alleged
Insanity
,
”
said
he
.
“
The
business
will
be
more
like
a
mejaeval
knight
carrying
off
a
namorous
nun
out
of
a
convint
,
than
a
good
physician
saving
a
pashint
from
the
Mad
Ox
.
However
,
Mrs.
Saampson
's
in
the
secret
;
I
daunt
say
sh
'
approves
it
;
for
she
does
n't
.
She
says
,
'
Go
quietly
to
the
Board
o
'
Commissioners
.
'
Sis
I
,
'
My
dear
,
Boards
are
a
sort
of
cattle
that
go
too
slow
for
Saampson
,
and
no
match
at
all
for
the
Mad
Ox
.
'
”
At
this
conjuncture
,
or
soon
after
,
Mrs.
Dodd
came
in
with
her
paper
in
her
hand
,
a
little
flurried
for
once
,
and
after
a
hasty
curtsey
,
said
—
“
Oh
,
Doctor
Sampson
,
oh
,
my
dears
,
what
wickedness
there
is
in
the
world
!
I
'm
going
to
Whitehall
this
moment
;
only
look
at
what
was
pinned
on
my
parasol
at
Drayton
House
.
”
The
writing
passed
from
hand
to
hand
,
and
left
the
readers
looking
very
gravely
at
one
another
.
Julia
was
quite
pale
and
horror-stricken
.
All
were
too
deeply
moved
,
and
even
shocked
,
to
make
any
commonplace
comment
;
for
it
looked
and
read
like
a
cry
from
heart
to
hearts
.
“
If
you
are
a
Christian
,
if
you
are
human
,
pity
a
sane
man
here
confined
in
,
fraud
,
and
take
this
to
the
Board
of
Lunacy
at
Whitehall
.
Torn
by
treachery
from
her
I
love
,
my
letters
all
intercepted
,
pens
and
paper
kept
from
me
,
I
write
this
with
a
toothpick
and
my
blood
on
a
rim
of
'
The
Times
.
'
Oh
God
,
direct
it
to
some
one
who
has
suffered
,
and
can
feel
for
another
's
agony
.
”
Dr.
Sampson
was
the
first
to
speak
.
“
There
,
”
said
he
,
under
his
breath
:
“
did
n't
I
tell
you
?
This
man
is
sane
.
There
's
sanity
in
every
line
.
”
“
Well
,
but
,
”
said
Edward
,
“
do
you
mean
to
say
that
in
the
present
day
—
”
“
Mai
—
dearr
—
sirr
.
Mankind
niver
changes
.
Whativer
the
muscles
of
man
can
do
in
the
light
,
the
mind
and
conscience
of
man
will
consent
to
do
in
the
dark
.
”
Julia
said
never
a
word
.
Mrs.
Dodd
,
too
,
was
for
action
not
for
talk
.
She
bade
them
all
a
hasty
adieu
,
and
went
on
her
good
work
.
Ere
she
got
to
the
street
door
,
she
heard
a
swift
rustle
behind
her
;
and
it
was
Julia
flying
down
to
her
,
all
glowing
and
sparkling
with
her
old
impetuosity
,
that
had
seemed
dead
for
ever
.
“
No
,
no
,
”
she
cried
,
panting
with
generous
emotion
;
“
it
is
to
me
it
was
sent
.
I
am
torn
from
him
I
love
,
and
by
some
treachery
I
dare
say
:
and
I
have
suffered
—
oh
you
shall
never
know
what
I
have
suffered
.
Give
it
me
,
oh
pray
,
pray
,
pray
give
it
me
.
I
'll
take
it
to
Whitehall
.
”
CHAPTER
XLIII
IF
we
could
always
know
at
the
time
what
we
are
doing
.
Two
ladies
carried
a
paper
to
Whitehall
out
of
charity
to
a
stranger
.
Therein
the
elder
was
a
benefactress
to
a
man
she
had
never
spoken
of
but
as
“
the
Wretch
;
”
the
younger
held
her
truant
bridegroom
's
heart
,
I
may
say
,
in
her
hand
all
the
road
and
was
his
protectress
.
Neither
recognised
the
hand-writing
;
for
no
man
can
write
his
own
hand
with
a
toothpick
.
They
reached
Whitehall
,
and
were
conducted
upstairs
to
a
gentleman
of
pleasant
aspect
but
powerful
brow
,
seated
in
a
wilderness
of
letters
.
He
waved
his
hand
,
and
a
clerk
set
them
chairs
:
he
soon
after
laid
down
his
pen
,
and
leaned
gravely
forward
to
hear
their
business
.
They
saw
they
must
waste
no
time
;
Julia
looked
at
her
mother
,
rose
,
and
took
Alfred
's
missive
to
his
desk
,
and
handed
it
him
with
one
of
her
eloquent
looks
,
grave
and
pitiful
.
He
seemed
struck
by
her
beauty
and
her
manner
.
“
It
was
pinned
on
my
parasol
,
sir
,
by
a
poor
prisoner
at
Drayton
House
,
”
said
Mrs.
Dodd
.
“
Oh
,
indeed
,
”
said
the
gentleman
,
and
began
to
read
the
superscription
with
a
cold
and
wary
look
.
But
thawed
visibly
as
he
read
.
He
opened
the
missive
and
ran
his
eye
over
it
.
The
perusal
moved
him
not
a
little
:
a
generous
flush
mounted
to
his
brow
;
he
rang
the
bell
sharply
.
A
clerk
answered
it
;
the
gentleman
wrote
on
a
slip
of
paper
,
and
said
earnestly
,
“
Bring
me
every
letter
that
is
signed
with
that
name
,
and
all
our
correspondence
about
him
.
”
He
then
turned
to
Mrs.
Dodd
,
and
put
to
her
a
few
questions
,
which
drew
out
the
main
facts
I
have
just
related
.
The
papers
were
now
brought
in
.
“
Excuse
me
a
moment
,
”
said
he
,
and
ran
over
them
.
“
I
believe
the
man
is
sane
,
”
said
he
,
“
and
that
you
will
have
enabled
us
to
baffle
a
conspiracy
,
a
heartless
conspiracy
.
”
“
We
do
hope
he
will
be
set
free
,
sir
,
”
said
Mrs.
Dodd
piteously
.
“
