For weeks Parry Glyddyr lay almost at the point of death, and there were
times when Sarah Woodham shuddered and left the room, barring the door
against all comers, as the poor wretch raved in his delirium about
poison, and the dead coming back to torture him and drag him down.
His ravings were so frightful that at times the hard, stern woman was
quite unnerved; but she refused all assistance, and returned to her
post, keeping the young wife from being present at all such scenes.
Asher had sternly refused to attend him, after being present during one
of Glyddyr's fits of raving. So the rival from the upper part of the
little Churchtown took his place, and after a week's attendance laid
before Claude and her friends the necessity for calling in further help.
The result was that the young wife insisted upon the presence of an
eminent medical man from London, and was present afterwards when the
great magnate had been in consultation.
"It is most painful, madam," he said, "to have to speak out before you;
but since you insist--"
"Yes; I do insist," said Claude firmly. "Let us all know the truth."
"The truth is this, madam," he said; "Mr Glyddyr--"
He paused, and looked round the drawing-room, where Mary, Trevithick and
Gellow were seated.
"--Mr Glyddyr, though apparently naturally of a good constitution, has
completely shattered his health by terrible excesses in the use of
stimulants. Our friend here, my brother practitioner, has done
everything possible, and has accepted a few suggestions of mine which I
hope will have good results."
"But you will save his life, Doctor?" said Claude piteously.
"I hope yes, my dear madam. I think I can say you may rely upon our
friend here. It will be a long and tedious recovery, no doubt, and
afterwards it will rest with you to save him from the temptation of
further indulgence.--And if he is not an idiot he will thank his stars
for his fate," added the great Doctor himself.
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"And I will try so hard, so hard," vowed Claude. "It was like a
judgment upon me. Yes, I will try to be his good, true wife, and bring
him back to a better life."
Thus, on her knees that night, ere she lay down to rest.
"Talks, does he, of murder, eh?" said Gellow. "Yes, Mr Trevithick,
they do at times. Never had _DT_, I suppose?"
"No, sir; I never had."
"Good job for you. I had once, and that was enough for me. I didn't
swear off, but I swore a little way on. I've had 'em, sir. Snakes in
your boots--blue-devils, things crawling all over you; it's enough to
make you shiver to think of it."
"I suppose so."
"You won't believe me, but I couldn't keep him away from the stuff."
"Then he has been in the habit of drinking a great deal?"
"Great deal isn't half big enough, sir."
"Then don't you think it would have been your duty to warn Miss Gartram
of the character of the man she was about to wed?"
"Split on my friend; get up an action for slander; set the young lady
against me; and perhaps have poor old Glyddyr knock me on the head. No,
sir: I'm not that sort of man. There, good evening. If you want me, I
shall be at the hotel. I seem to be the poor chap's only friend, and I
can't go back to town till I see him safe."
"I don't like that man," said Trevithick. "He has some hold on Glyddyr,
I am sure."
As the great doctor prophesied, it was a long, slow recovery, and there
were returns of the delirium and horrible nights when Glyddyr appeared
to be haunted by one who was always reproaching him for some deed, and
Sarah Woodham would sit, looking at him wildly, and with the past and
her oath to her dead husband slowly revolving in her mind.
Then the invalid began to mend, and became constant in his demands for
Claude.
"Where is she?" he would ask with a quick, jealous eagerness if she were
away from his room for an hour; and on her return from one of the walks
necessary for her health, he would cross-examine her, gazing at her
searchingly, as to where she had been and whom she had seen.
Claude had nothing to conceal, and she answered him quietly and without
resentment; but she did not--and she knew it--allay the pang of mad
jealousy in her husband's breast.
"It is a judgment on me," she used to say, "for I gave him cause."
Time glided on, and Glyddyr began to be about, at first in an invalid
chair, and then he was able to walk up and down a little on the terraces
of the Fort; and as the rough fishermen of the place saw him, there was
a quiet nudge passed on, as they said that the new King of the Castle
was not like the old.
As he grew better, he looked a haggard, sallow being, with wild,
restless eyes, which appeared to be always on the lookout for some
anticipated danger or trouble, and the sight of Chris Lisle passing in
the distance was sufficient at any time to make him turn angrily upon
his wife, and, clinging to her arm, bid her help him in doors.
Claude never showed even that she was hurt, but bore his taunts and
peevish remarks patiently, always with the same grave, calm pale face.
But in the solitude of her own room, or when clasped in Mary's arms, she
sobbed wildly at times to relieve her overladen breast.
Trevithick had his legal business to transact at the Fort, but he never
resented the sneers and snarls of its owner, who was constantly making
allusions as to the probable length of his bill.
"And I deserve it all, Mary, dear," Trevithick used to say. "I could do
it all by means of letters, except when I wanted a signature witnessed;
but of course I sha'n't charge."
"But why do you come?" asked Mary demurely; "I'm sure this place is
miserable enough. It's a perfect purgatory."
"For shame!" he said, with a quiet, happy smile; "why, its a perfect
paradise, dear, and unless I'm very hard at work, I'm wretched unless
I'm here.--Mary, dear?"
"Yes."
"When is it to be?"
"What?"
"Our wedding."
"How can you ask me such a thing? As if I could ever think of leaving
poor Claude. And besides, after such a lesson upon what matrimony
really is, I wonder that you should ever renew the subject."
"No, you don't, dear," he said, gaining possession of the little white
hand, which pretended to escape, and then resigned itself to its fate,
while Trevithick's countenance told how truthful were his words.
"Tell me when it shall be," he said in a whisper.
"When I can see Claude happy.--John, couldn't she have a divorce?"
"For what reason?"
"Because she does not love him; and the way in which he treats her with
his horrid jealousy is maddening."
"That's no reason."
"No reason? Why, I thought people could be divorced if they could prove
cruelty."
"Yes--legal cruelty. No, my dear, jealousy and suspicion will not do."
"Why did you come over to-day?"
"Business. I had to see old Mrs Sarson at the cottage where Mr Lisle
lodges. She's ill."
"What for? You are not a doctor."
"No," he said, with a chuckle, "but about her affairs. She thinks it
time to make a will and arrange about her savings. Curious old body."
"Why?"
"Troubled with poor Mr Gartram's complaint."
"What do you mean?"
"Distrust. She has all her savings hoarded up, and next time I go she
has promised to place them in my hands for investment."
"Don't talk about that. I hate the very name of money. I wish poor
Claude hadn't a shilling, and we were both free girls, able to do what
we liked."
Trevithick laughed.
"How can you be so cruel, sir?" cried Mary. "Oh, John, dear, that man
is killing poor Claude. Seriously, can't you discover some way to
separate them?"
Trevithick shook his head.
"Then Claude will separate herself."
"I wish she could. But how?" said Trevithick, with a sigh.
"By dying."
"What?"
"Yes," said Mary, with the tears in her eyes. "I can see beneath all
that calm, patient way of hers. Her heart is broken, John; and before
six months are over she will--"
Poor Mary could not finish, but sank upon her knees at Trevithick's
feet, laid her face in her hands, and sobbed as if her heart would
break.
Volume Three, Chapter XVII.