MYSTIFIED PEOPLE.
John Arthur sat before a smoldering fire, gazing moodily down at the
charred embers that had lost their glow and only showed a dark red
light here and there, as if to assure one that there was fire in the
grate.
He was thinner than of old. His face wore a sickly pallor. His hands
that clutched the arms of his invalid's chair worked incessantly,
indicating surely that his nerves were in anything but a state of
calm. He was feeble, too, in body; but his mind, spite of the verdict
of the Bellair physician and the drugs of the Professor, was still
unimpaired.
In the solitude of the two rooms, out of which he had not once
stepped since first he was removed to the west wing, he had had ample
time for reflection; but he had by no means arrived at a state of
mental beatitude.
He had found it useless to struggle, useless to bluster, to argue or
to plead. Henry was a merciless jailer, and Dr. Le Guise a sarcastic
one.
His breakfast had been served, and stood upon the table beside him;
but he scarcely glanced at it. When Henry came in from the ante-room
to remove the things, he said, without looking up: "Go ask Le Guise to
come to me."
Henry carried away the tray, deposited it in the ante-room, locked the
door of the chamber carefully, and made his way to the breakfast-room.
At that moment, the incongruous mixture called the family, were there
assembled, including the Professor. The latter was just then
discussing the condition of his patient with Miss Payne, in blissful
ignorance of the fact that the young lady was fully conversant with
his mode of treatment, and the true condition of her step-father's
health.
"You see, my dear young lady," the Professor said, pompously, "his is
the worst form of insanity; the very worst. When a patient raves
constantly we know precisely what to do with him. But when he is, at
times, to all appearance, as sane as yourself, and yet liable at any
moment to blaze out a perfect madman, one dislikes to treat him as a
madman, and yet it is not safe to consider him a sane being."
Madeline nodded, with a splendid assumption of profound interest.
"It's a sad case," she said, pensively. "I almost dread the
interview."
"I think he is quite collected this morning, and he may be calm
throughout. I hope so, for I should not like to have you witness one
of his tantrums."
"I have seen him in tantrums when he was considered sane," said the
girl, with an odd intonation.
Then looking up, she saw Henry, who had entered the room and stood
staring at her in speechless amazement. Hagar had informed him that
his young mistress was in the house. But he was not prepared for the
vision of loveliness that the girl presented, as she turned toward him
clad in her morning robe of snowy cashmere bordered with swansdown,
and trailing after her like a train of snow. Luckily no one noted his
start of surprise and quick glance of recognition, and Madeline said:
"Is not that my step-father's attendant, doctor? I think he wants
you."
The "doctor" beckoned Henry to approach, and said, affably: "Well, and
how is our patient, Henry?"
"About as usual, sir. But he wants to see you."
"Oh, he does? Poor soul, I'll come directly, Henry." Then, turning to
Madeline: "Shall I break to him the news of your arrival?"
"No; not unless you think it unsafe to surprise him."
"On the contrary, an agreeable surprise might prove beneficial."
The Professor, who had received sundry instructions from Davlin,
assumed to be ignorant of the fact that the patient supposed his
step-daughter dead.
Smiling a little at the hypocrisy of the man, who pretended to have at
heart the interest of a patient supposed to be in an excessively
nervous state, yet was quite ready to expose that patient to the shock
of meeting, without previous preparation, one supposed to be dead and
in her grave, Madeline turned, and with a gesture brought Cora to her
side.
"Is Dr. Le Guise aware that my step-papa believes me to be dead?" she
asked.
Cora and the Professor looked dubiously at one another for an instant.
Then the former, seeing her cue in the face of the latter, said: "He
is not."
"Well, step-mamma, I am going up to see him soon, and, on second
thought, it will be best to have the doctor inform him of my
resurrection."
Cora nodded.
"And," pursued the girl, "I will only say that I desire you, doctor,
to inform him that I feigned death for reasons of my own. That I am
here in the flesh, and will appear in his presence soon. When you have
prepared him for my coming, have the goodness to come down and tell
me."
Saying this she turned away, after which the Professor quitted the
room to obey the summons of his patient.
Lucian Davlin had witnessed the interview, the summons and the
departure, from a distance. He had found no opportunity for conversing
with Cora, as yet, and was sorely puzzled by the present aspect of
affairs.
He had watched the two narrowly, but he found himself unable to read
the true meaning lurking beneath the soft words that fell from the
lips of Madeline. He could hear no jar in the music of her voice,
could catch no glance that would give the lie to her honeyed words.
She was playing her part like a born actress.
He had not expected to see Cora accept the situation without a
struggle. He was glad to find that there was to be no scene, and
yet--somehow he felt himself at a disadvantage.
He had viewed the situation from his stand-point, however, and had
decided upon his course of action.
First, he was resolved not to quit the field until he had made a
desperate attempt to regain his power over the heiress of Oakley.
Second, he would use stratagem in order to obtain an interview with
her.
In due time, Dr. Le Guise came among them once more, and announced to
Madeline his readiness to conduct her into the presence of his
patient.
"He is quite prepared to see me, then?" questioned Madeline.
"Quite, although I left him a trifle agitated and upset."
As they paused at the door leading from the hall of the west wing, she
said:
"I will go in alone, Dr. Le Guise."
"As you please." Then, as it were an afterthought. "I really believe,
for your own safety, you had better keep Henry near you."
"I shall be in no danger," she replied, and entered the outer chamber,
closing and locking the door after herself.
In answer to her knock, the door of the ante-chamber was unlocked and
opened by Henry. Madeline swept across the threshold and extended her
hand to the faithful fellow, saying:
"Henry, I am glad to see you. I hope you do not find your present
duties too heavy?"
"Not since I knew I was serving you, miss," said the man,
respectfully.
"You are serving me, Henry. I need you here very much; and rest
assured you shall have your reward for all you have done or may do for
me."
Evidently the prospect of reward was not unpleasing to him. His
countenance beamed satisfaction.
"And, Henry," continued his mistress, "attend to this. You are not, on
any account, to give your charge any more of the medicine prepared for
him by the doctor."
A look of surprise shone from the eyes of the negro, but he answered
simply, like the well-trained servant he was: "Yes, miss."
"Above all, Henry, you are to let the doctor think that you administer
all that he gives you."
Henry signified that he fully understood and would obey his
instructions. Then he opened the inner door, and John Arthur and
Madeline Payne stood once more face to face!
For a moment, the two eyed each other in silence. Then John Arthur
said, with a sneer on his lip, and in a tone which proved clearly that
time and imprisonment had not taught him meekness:
"So, you young jade, what escapade have you been up to now? And how
dare you come back here like a young princess? Why don't you keep out
of my house?"
Madeline laughed scornfully. "_Your_ house!--But I forgive you,
step-papa; of course you are not accountable for your words."
Her tone was mockery itself. The man found it difficult to restrain
his wrath as he looked in her scornful face and said: "Don't dare to
pretend to believe that I am crazy! Are you in league against me,
too?"
Wishing to draw from him just how much of the baseness of Cora he
believed in, or suspected, she dropped her voice and asked, in assumed
surprise: "Is it possible that you believe some one to be plotting
against you?"
"Is it _possible_! How else could I be kept shut up a prisoner in my
own house?"
The girl seemed to ponder. "Who is your enemy?" she asked.
"Every one in this house."
"What! Surely not your wife?"
"I'm not so certain of that."
"But she, too, has been sick."
"Have they locked _her_ up?" snapped he.
Madeline smiled. "Well, not exactly; she is not allowed much liberty,
though."
"Why won't she come and see me?"
"Mercy! She is too delicate."
"Seems to me you are well informed for one so lately arrived."
"I _am_ well informed, Mr. Arthur. But I am not a late arrival."
"What do you mean?" sullenly.
"Just what I say," with an odd laugh. "I have been in this house since
you were first put in these rooms."
He sat like one stupefied. At last he sprang up and fairly yelled, "In
the fiend's name, explain this chicanery. Why are you here? Who is
keeping me a prisoner, and wherefore? Is it _you_, you little virago?"
"Softly, step-papa; one thing at a time. I am here because _you_ are
here," she said in a voice of unruffled calm. "Who is keeping you a
prisoner, you ask? I am."
Once more he seemed on the point of giving way to a paroxysm of rage,
but controlled himself and said, sullenly:
"I suppose I may thank you for my imprisonment from first to last."
"You may thank me if you choose, but it will be bestowing your
gratitude upon the wrong party. I did not lock you up. I simply
permitted it."
"And why have you leagued with my wife--curse her--to shut me up like
a thief?"
"Why?" her voice rising in angry scorn, "Do you ask me _why_? Why did
you make my mother almost a prisoner in her own home? Why did you
crush her in life, and blaspheme her in death? Why did you drive her
daughter from the home that was hers, to escape from your cruelty,
your insults, your avarice? John Arthur, how dare you ask me _why_ you
are here!"
Again the flashing eye, the ringing, wrathful voice, the white,
uplifted hand. They menaced him again, as on that June evening when
she had defied him and then fled out into the darkness, not to return,
save in dreams, until now.
Again he felt a thrill of terror, and he sat before her mute and
cowering. At last he found voice to say: "Do you mean that you intend
to keep me a prisoner?"
Her eyes met his full. They were cold as snow and resolute as fate.
"You will never leave these rooms until you accede to the terms I have
to propose."
Her audacity fairly stunned him. He fell back a pace as he said:
"What--terms?"
"First, you are to agree to resign the guardianship of my property.
Second, you are to leave Oakley forthwith and forever, and to keep
ever and always away from me and all that is mine."
"Bah!" he cried, angrily, "do you think I am a fool? I won't resign my
guardianship; the property is _mine_, not yours!"
"Then I will choose a new guardian immediately. How ignorant of law
you are, step-papa! Don't you know that you are legally _dead_? Don't
you know that a lunatic can't hold property? Legally, I can choose a
guardian to-morrow."
"You she-devil! But I am not a lunatic!" sneered he.
"How obtuse you are, step-papa! You _are_ a lunatic; we have the
certificates of two physicians to that effect; and that is all the law
requires. Now, be reasonable; what can you do?"
"I'll get out, by heavens," he yelled; "and I'll put you in State's
prison for false imprisonment!"
She turned upon him with the utmost composure. "My dear sir, you have
not one witness to prove that you are a sane man. There are many to
prove that you have been subject to violent fits of madness."
She turned again, and he, no longer seeking to control his rage,
sprang toward her, uttering a volley of curses.
During their entire interview, Henry had stood like a sentinel at the
outer door of the ante-room, while that leading into the chamber of
the prisoner stood wide open. At the first accent of rage, he darted
forward; and as the girl sprang away from her step-father, that
gentleman felt himself seized and hurled with scant ceremony to the
middle of the room.
"Don't you try that, sir!" cried Henry, in high wrath. "You won't find
me a friend, if you do."
"So," panted the old man, "this is one of your hirelings, is it? And
pray, sir, what is this young fiend to pay you for your services?"
"That's my affair," responded the man, coolly. "You can't buy me off;
and if you try that game again, you will get yourself into a straight
jacket."
Madeline laughed, and said: "There, Henry, you need not be alarmed for
me. But when you report this attack to the doctor, tell him that I
think he had better take measures to secure his safety and yours, in
case your patient should be again seized with a fit of violence."
John Arthur immediately saw that he had damaged his own cause.
"You had better sleep upon my proposition, Mr. Arthur," said Madeline,
from the threshold. "If you pine for liberty, send for me. And don't
think, for a moment, that I shall allow you to go free without taking
the necessary precautions to insure myself against any trouble you
might desire to make me. Adieu, Mr. Arthur." And she swept from the
room.
John Arthur stood for many minutes in the same place and attitude.
When his anger would permit him, he began to wonder. She had come and
gone, and how much the wiser was he? Where had she been all these
months? Why had she allowed them to think her dead? Who were her
friends, for friends she must have found? Why had her presence in the
house, if she had been here, been kept from him? How had she gained
the ascendancy over every one in that house? He thought so long and
intensely that he started up, at last, almost beginning to fear that
he was becoming mad.
When Dr. Le Guise again came into his presence, he began to question
him. But it was labor lost. Dr. Le Guise would not admit that he was a
sane man. Dr. Le Guise knew nothing, absolutely nothing, outside the
range of his professional duties. He was sorry for his patient; very
sorry. He assumed to take all assertions on the part of Mr. Arthur as
so many fresh evidences of insanity.
[Illustration: "Don't try that, sir!" cried Henry, in high
wrath.--page 375.]
He was very grave, was Dr. Le Guise, but not to be moved. In fact, the
prisoner fancied that he could observe in the doctor's tone, manner,
and countenance, an unusual degree of complacency, and relish for his
position and authority. And the prisoner was right. The reason for
the doctor's placidity of manner was simply this:
Madeline on leaving the rooms of the west wing, had encountered the
worthy "doctor" just at the turn of the passage, and she had paused,
saying:
"Dr. Le Guise, you were right about my unfortunate step-father. He is
quite mad, and really a dangerous charge. An ordinary fee is too
little to offer you, considering what you have undertaken. I don't
know what terms my step-mamma has made with you, but I will volunteer
to double her price. You will be amply remunerated, and must consider
the house and everything in it at your disposal, so long as you keep
your patient safe, and do not permit him to do any mischief."
The astute Professor had taken in the full meaning of her words, which
served to quiet the fears that had haunted him since the advent of
Miss Payne; fears that the young lady would prove to be an enemy, and
one keen enough to fathom the secret they were keeping hidden in the
west wing.
He had seen that, for some reason, neither Cora nor Davlin dared, or
did, oppose her. Now he fancied he understood the reason; it was
because they did not fear her, for her interests were in common with
theirs.
"He is certainly a dangerous man," said the Professor, gravely; "I
will obey your instructions to the letter."