Such an accident could not occur without the news spreading pretty
quickly; and in the course of the morning several of the neighbours
drove over to make inquiries, the trouble having been so far magnified
that, as it travelled in different directions, the number of drowned had
varied from one to half-a-dozen; the most sensational report having it
that the pleasure-boat had been sunk as well, and that men were busy at
work trying to recover it up by the weir.
The groom had returned; the patient had partaken of his sedative draught
and sunk into a heavy sleep, watched by his wife; while the doctor had
gone to lie down for a few hours' rest, for, as he said, the excitement
was at an end, and all that was needful now was plenty of sleep. Arthur
Prayle had betaken himself to the garden, where he read, moralised, and
watched John Monnick, who in his turn dug, moralised, and watched the
visitor from beneath his overhanging brows.
Aunt Sophia and Naomi were in the drawing-room reading and answering
letters; the former doing the reading, the latter the answering from
dictation; for there was a cessation from the visiting that had gone on
all the morning.
"Now I do hope they will leave us at peace," said Aunt Sophia. "Talk,
talk, talk, and always in the same strain. I do hate country
visiting-calls; and I will not have my correspondence get behind.--Now
then, my dear, where were we?"
"East Boodle silver-lead mines," said Naomi. "Ah, of course. Expect to
pay a dividend of twelve and a half per cent?"
"Yes, aunt dear," said the girl, referring to a prospectus.
"Humph! That's very different from consols. I think I shall have some
of those shares, Naomi."
"Do you, aunt?"
"Do I, child? Why, of course. It's like throwing money in the gutter,
to be content with three per cent, when you can have twelve and a half.
Write and tell Mr Saxby to buy me fifty shares."
"Yes, aunt dear. But do you think it would be safe?"
"Safe, child? Yes, of course. You read what all those captains said--
Captain Pengummon and Captain Trehum and Captain Polwhiddle."
"But Mr Saxby said, aunt, that some of these Cornish mines were very
risky speculations; don't you remember?"
"No, my dear; I don't. I wonder that I remember anything, after
yesterday's shock."
"But I remember, aunt dear," said the girl. "He said that if these
mines would pay such enormous dividends, was it likely that the shares
would go begging, and the owners be obliged to advertise to get them
taken up."
"Yes; and Captain Polwhiddle in his printed Report says that there is a
lode of unexampled richness not yet tapped; though one would think the
silver-lead was in a melted state, for them to have to tap it."
"Yes, aunt dear; but Mr Saxby said that these people always have a bit
of rich ore on purpose to make a show."
"I don't believe people would be so dishonest, my dear; and as for Mr
Saxby--he's a goose. No more courage or speculation in him than a frog.
Not so much. A frog will travel about and investigate things; while
Mr Saxby sits boxed up in his office all day long, and as soon as a
good opportunity occurs, he spoils it. I might have made a large
fortune by now, if it had not been for him. Write and tell him to buy
me a hundred twenty-pound shares."
The letter was written, read over by Aunt Sophia, in a very judicial
manner, through her gold-rimmed eyeglass, approved, and had just been
addressed and stamped, when there was the sound of wheels once more, and
the servant shortly after announced Lady Martlett.
At the same moment the visitor and Doctor Scales entered the
drawing-room from opposite doors, the latter feeling bright and
refreshed by his nap; and Aunt Sophia and Naomi looked on wonderingly as
Lady Martlett stopped short and the doctor smiled.
Her Ladyship was the first to recover herself, and walked towards Aunt
Sophia with stately carriage and extended hand. "I have only just heard
of the accident," she said in a sweet rich voice. "My dear Miss
Raleigh, I am indeed deeply grieved." She bent forward and kissed Aunt
Sophia, and then embraced Naomi, before drawing herself up in a stately
statuesque manner, darting a quick flash of her fine eyes at the doctor
and haughtily waiting to be introduced.
"It's very kind of you, my dear Lady Martlett," said Aunt Sophia--"very
kind indeed; and I'm glad to say that, thanks to Doctor Scales here, my
poor nephew has nearly recovered from the shock.--But I forgot; you have
not been introduced. Lady Martlett; Doctor Scales."
"Doctor Scales and I have had the pleasure of meeting before," said Lady
Martlett coldly.
"Yes," said the doctor; "I had the pleasure of being of a little
assistance to her Ladyship;" and as he spoke he took a sixpence out of
his pocket, turned it over, advanced a step with the coin between his
finger and thumb, as if about to hand it to its former owner; but
instead of doing so, he replaced it in his pocket and smiled.
Lady Martlett apparently paid no heed to this movement, but bowed and
turned to Aunt Sophia; while the doctor said to himself: "Now, that was
very weak, and decidedly impertinent. I deserved a snub."
"Doctor Scales and I met last week--the day before--really, I hardly
recollect," said Lady Martlett. "It was while I was out for a morning
ride. He was polite enough to open a gate for me."
"Oh, indeed!" said Aunt Sophia quietly; and she wondered why the visitor
should be so impressive about so trifling a matter.
"And now, tell me all about the accident," said Lady Martlett; "I am so
fond of the water, and it seems so shocking for such an innocent
amusement to be attended with so much risk."
"I was always afraid of the water," said Aunt Sophia; "and not without
reason," she added severely; "but against my own convictions I went."
"But Sir James is in no danger?"
"O dear, no," said the doctor quickly.
"I am glad of that," said the visitor, without turning her head, and
taking the announcement as if it had come from Aunt Sophia.
"Thanks to Doctor Scales's bravery and able treatment," said Aunt
Sophia.
"Pray, spare me," said the doctor, laughing. "I am so accustomed to
blame, that I cannot bear praise."
"I am not praising you," said Aunt Sophia, "but telling the simple
truth.--What do you say, Naomi?"
"I did not speak, aunt," replied the girl.
"Tut! child; who said you did?" cried Aunt Sophia pettishly. "You know
that the doctor saved your cousin's life."
"O yes, indeed," cried Naomi, blushing, and looking up brightly and
gratefully; and then shrinking and seeming conscious, as her eyes met
those of their visitor gazing at her with an aspect mingled of contempt
and anger--a look that made gentle, little, quiet Naomi retire as it
were within herself, closing up her petals like some sensitive bud
attacked by sun or rain.
The doctor saw it, and had his thoughts upon the matter, as, upon his
threatening to beat a retreat, Aunt Sophia said: "Well, never mind; I
can think what I please."
"Think, then, by all means," he said merrily.--"Flattery is hard to
bear, Lady Martlett."
"I am not accustomed to flattery," said the visitor coldly, and she
turned away her head.
"That is a fib," said the doctor to himself, as he watched the handsome
woman intently. "You are used to flattery--thick, slab, coarse
flattery--to be told that you are extremely beautiful, and to receive
adulation of the most abject kind. You are very rich, and people make
themselves your slaves, till you think and look and move in that
imperious way: and yet, some of these days, _ma belle dame_, you will be
prostrate, and weak, and humble, and ready to implore Doctor somebody or
another to restore you to health. Let's see, though. I called you
_belle dame_. Rather suggestive, when shortened and pronounced after
the old English fashion.--Well, Miss Raleigh, of what are you thinking?"
he said aloud, as he turned and found Naomi watching him; Lady Martlett
having risen and walked with Aunt Sophia into the conservatory.
"I--I--"
"Ah, ah!" said the doctor, laughing. "Come, confess; no evasions. You
must always be frank with a medical man. Now then?"
"You would be angry with me if I were to tell you," said Naomi.
"Indeed, no. Come, I'll help you."
"Oh, thank you--do," cried the girl with a sigh of relief, which seemed
to mean: "You will never guess."
"You were thinking that I admired Lady Martlett."
"Yes! How did you know?" cried the girl, starting.
"Diagnosed it, of course!" said the doctor, laughing. "Ah, you don't
know how easily we medical men read sensitive young faces like yours,
and--Oh, here they come back."
In effect, Lady Martlett and Aunt Sophia returned to the drawing-room,
the former lady entirely ignoring the presence of the doctor till she
left, which she did soon afterwards, leaving the kindest of messages for
Lady Scarlett, all full of condolence, and quite accepting the apologies
for her non-appearance. Then there was the warmest of partings, while
the doctor stood back, wondering whether he was to be noticed or passed
over, the latter seeming to be likely; when, just as she reached the
door, Lady Martlett turned and bowed in the most distant way.
Then John Scales, M.D., stood alone in the drawing-room, listening to
the voices in the hall as the door swung to.
"Humph!" he said to himself. "What a woman! She's glorious! I like
her pride and that cool haughty way of hers! And what a voice!
"No; it won't do," he muttered, after a short pause. "I'm not a
marrying man--not likely to be a marrying man; and if I were, her
Ladyship would say, with all reason upon her side: `The fellow must be
mad! His insolence and assumption are not to be borne.'
"I wish I had not shown her the sixpence, she will think me quite
contemptible."
"Talking to yourself, doctor?" said Lady Scarlett, entering the room,
looking very pale and anxious.
"Yes, Lady Scarlett; it is one of my bad habits.--How is my patient?"
"Sleeping pretty easily," she said. "I came to ask you to come and look
at him, though."
"What's the matter?" cried the doctor sharply; and he was half-way to
the door as he spoke.
"Nothing, I hope," exclaimed Lady Scarlett, trembling; "but he alarms
me. I--I am afraid that I am quite unnerved."
The doctor did not make any comment till he had been and examined the
patient for a few minutes, Lady Scarlett hardly daring to breathe the
while; then he turned to her with a satisfied nod: "Only the sedative.
You are over-anxious, and must have some rest."
This she refused to take, and the doctor had to give way.
Volume 1, Chapter XIV.