"If I could put aside my patients for a week, and invent some excuse for
taking up my abode at Jenkins House, I know I should soon find out all
the mystery," went on Dr. Knox.
"Arnold, why not take Madame St. Vincent into your confidence?"
Dr. Knox turned quickly round at the words to face his senior partner.
He held up his finger warningly.
"Things are not ripe for it," he said. "Let me get, or try to get, a
little more inkling into matters than I have at present, as touching the
domestic economy at Jenkins House. I may have to do as you say, later:
but women are only chattering magpies; marplots, often with the best
intentions; and Madame St. Vincent may be no exception."
"Will you please come to tea?" interrupted Janet, opening the door.
Miss Cattledon, in a sea-green silk gown that I'm sure I had seen many
times before, and the velvet on her thin throat, and a bow of lace on
her head, shook hands with Mr. Tamlyn and Dr. Knox, and we sat down to
tea. Little Arnold, standing by his mother in his plaid frock and white
drawers (for the time to dress little children as men had not come in
then by many a year), had a piece of bread-and-butter given to him.
While he was eating it, the nurse appeared.
"Are you ready, Master Arnold? It is quite bedtime."
"Yes, he is ready, Harriet; and he has been very good," spoke Janet. And
the little fellow went contentedly off without a word.
Miss Cattledon, stirring her tea at the moment, put the spoon down to
look at the nurse, staring at her as if she had never seen a nurse
before.
"That's not Lettice Lane," she observed sententiously, as the door
closed on Harriet. "Where is Lettice Lane?"
"She has left, Aunt Jemima."
If a look could have withered Janet, Cattledon's was severe enough to do
it. But the displeasure was meant for Lettice, not for Janet.
"What business had she to leave? Did she misbehave herself?"
"She stayed with me only two months," said Janet. "And she left because
she still continued poorly, and the two children were rather too much
for her. The baby was cutting her teeth, which disturbed Lettice
at night; and I and Arnold both thought we ought to have some one
stronger."
"Did you give her warning?" asked Cattledon, who was looking her very
grimmest at thought of the absent Lettice; "or did she give it you?"
Janet laughed presently. "I think it was a sort of mutual warning, Aunt
Jemima. Lettice acknowledged to me that she was hardly equal to the care
of the children; and I told her I thought she was not. We found her
another place."
"A rolling-stone gathers no moss," commented Cattledon. "Lettice Lane
changes her places too often."
"She stayed some time with Miss Deveen, Aunt Jemima. And she likes her
present place. She gets very good wages, better than she had with me,
and helps to keep her mother."
"What may her duties be? Is she housemaid again?"
"She is lady's-maid to Lady Jenkins, an old lady who lives up the London
Road. Lettice has grown much stronger since she went there. Why, what do
you think, Aunt Jemima?" added Janet, laughing, "Lettice has actually
been to Paris. Lady Jenkins went there just after engaging Lettice, and
took her."
Miss Cattledon tossed her head. "Much good that would do Lettice Lane!
Only fill her up with worse conceits than ever. I wonder she is not yet
off to Australia! She used always to be talking of it."
"You don't appear to like Lettice Lane, ma'am," smiled old Tamlyn.
"No, I do _not_, sir. Lettice Lane first became known to me under
unfavourable circumstances, and I have not liked her since."
"Indeed! What were they?"
"Some of Miss Deveen's jewels disappeared--were stolen; and Lettice Lane
was suspected. It turned out later that she was not guilty; but I could
not get over my dislike to her. We cannot help our likes and dislikes,
which often come to us without rhyme or reason," acknowledged Miss
Cattledon, "and I admit that I am perhaps too persistent in mine."
Not a soul present, myself excepted, had ever heard about the loss of
the emeralds: and somehow I felt sorry that Cattledon had spoken of it.
Not that she did it in ill-nature--I give her that due. Questions were
immediately poured out, and she had to give the full history.
The story interested them all, Dr. Knox especially.
"And who did take the jewels?" he asked.
But Cattledon could not enlighten him, for Miss Deveen had not betrayed
Sophie Chalk, even to her.
"I don't know who it was," tartly confessed Cattledon, the point being a
sore one with her. "Miss Deveen promised, I believe, to screen the
thief; and did so."
"Perhaps it was really Lettice Lane?"
"I believe not. I am sure not. It was a lady, Miss Deveen told me that
much. No; of that disgraceful act Lettice Lane was innocent: but I
should never be surprised to hear of her falling into trouble. She is
capable of it."
"Of poisoning somebody, perhaps?" spoke Dr. Knox.
"Yes," acquiesced Cattledon, grimly.
How prejudiced she was against Lettice Lane! But she had given this last
answer only in the same jesting spirit in which it appeared to have been
put, not really meaning it.
"To be wrongly suspected, as poor Lettice Lane was, ought to make people
all the more considerate to her," remarked Janet, her thoughts no doubt
reverting to the time when she herself was falsely suspected--and
accused.
"True, my dear," answered old Tamlyn. "Poor Lettice must have had her
troubles."
"And she has had her faults," retorted Cattledon.
But this story had made an impression on Dr. Knox that Cattledon never
suspected, never intended. He took up the idea that Lettice Lane was
guilty. Going into Mr. Tamlyn's sitting-room for "Martin Chuzzlewit,"
when tea was over, I found his hand on my shoulder. He had silently
followed me.
"Johnny Ludlow," he said, looking down into my eyes in the dim room,
which was only lighted by the dim fire, "I don't like this that I have
heard of Lettice Lane."
And the next to come in was Tamlyn. Closing the door, he walked up to
the hearthrug where we stood, and stirred the fire into a blaze.
"I am telling Johnny Ludlow that this story of Miss Deveen's emeralds
has made an unfavourable impression on me," quoth Dr. Knox to him. "It
does not appear to me to be at all clear that Lettice Lane did not take
them; and that Miss Deveen, in her benevolence, screened her from the
consequences."
"But, indeed----" I was beginning, when Dr. Knox stopped me.
"A moment, Johnny. I was about to add that a woman who is capable of one
crime can sometimes be capable of another; and I should not be surprised
if it is Lettice Lane who is tampering with Lady Jenkins."
"But," I repeated, "Lettice Lane did _not_ take the jewels. She knew
nothing about it. She was perfectly innocent."
"You cannot answer for it, Johnny."
"Yes, I can; and do. I know who did take them."
"_You_ know, Johnny Ludlow?" cried old Tamlyn, while Dr. Knox looked at
me in silence.
"I helped Miss Deveen to find it out. At least, she had me with her
during the progress of the discovery. It was a lady who took the
jewels--as Miss Cattledon told you. She fainted away when it was brought
home to her, and fell on my shoulder."
I believe they hardly knew whether to give me credit or not. Of course
it did sound strange that I, young Johnny Ludlow, should have been
entrusted by Miss Deveen with a secret she would not disclose even to
her many years' companion and friend, Jemima Cattledon.
"Who was it, then, Johnny?" began Mr. Tamlyn.
"I should not like to tell, sir. I do not think it would be right to
tell. For the young lady's own sake, Miss Deveen hushed the matter up,
hoping it would be a warning to her in future. And I dare say it has
been."
"Young, was she?"
"Yes. She has married since then. I could not, in honour, tell you her
name."
"Well, I suppose we must believe you, Johnny," said Dr. Knox, making the
admission unwillingly. "Lettice Lane did get fingering the jewels, it
appears; you admit that."
"But she did not take them. It was--another." And, cautiously choosing
my words, so as not to say anything that could direct suspicion to
Sophie Chalk--whose name most likely they had never heard in their
lives--I gave them an outline of the way in which Miss Deveen had
traced the matter out. The blaze lighted up Mr. Tamlyn's grey face as
I told it.
"You perceive that it could not have been Lettice Lane, Dr. Knox," I
said, in conclusion. "I am sorry Miss Cattledon should have spoken
against her."
"Yes, I perceive Lettice could not have been guilty of stealing the
jewels," answered Dr. Knox. "Nevertheless, a somewhat unfavourable
impression of the girl has been made upon me, and I shall look a little
after her. Why does she want to emigrate to Australia?"
"Only because two of her brothers are there. I dare say it is all idle
talk--that she will never go."
They said no more to me. I took up my book and quitted the room, leaving
them to talk it out between themselves.