FACT: RELATED BY FANNY
THE person who now entered the room was Fanny Mere.
But one interest was stirring in the mind of Iris now. "Do you know
where your master is?" she asked.
"I saw him go out," the maid replied. "Which way I didn't particularly
notice--" She was on the point of adding, "and I didn't particularly
care," when she checked herself. "Yesterday and to-day, my lady, things
have come to my knowledge which I must not keep to myself," the
resolute woman continued. "If a servant may say such a thing without
offence, I have never been so truly my mistress's friend as I am now. I
beg you to forgive my boldness; there is a reason for it."
So she spoke, with no presumption in her looks, with no familiarity in
her manner. The eyes of her friendless mistress filled with tears, the
offered hand of her friendless mistress answered in silence. Fanny took
that kind hand, and pressed it respectfully--a more demonstrative woman
than herself might perhaps have kissed it. She only said, "Thank you,
my lady," and went on with what she felt it her duty to relate.
As carefully as usual, as quietly as usual, she repeated the
conversation, at Lord Harry's table; describing also the manner in
which Mr. Vimpany had discovered her as a person who understood the
French language, and who had cunningly kept it a secret. In this
serious state of things, the doctor--yes, the doctor himself!--had
interfered to protect her from the anger of her master, and, more
wonderful still, for a reason which it seemed impossible to dispute. He
wanted a nurse for the foreigner whose arrival was expected on that
evening, and he had offered the place to Fanny. "Your ladyship will, I
hope, excuse me; I have taken the place."
This amazing end to the strange events which had just been narrated
proved to be more than Iris was immediately capable of understanding.
"I am in the dark," she confessed. "Is Mr. Vimpany a bolder villain
even than I have supposed him to be?"
"That he most certainly is!" Fanny said with strong conviction. "As to
what he really had in his wicked head when he engaged me, I shall find
that out in time. Anyway, I am the nurse who is to help him. When I
disobeyed you this morning, my lady, it was to go to the hospital with
Mr. Vimpany. I was taken to see the person whose nurse I am to be. A
poor, feeble, polite creature, who looked as if he couldn't hurt a
fly---and yet I promise you he startled me! I saw a likeness, the
moment I looked at him."
"A likeness to anybody whom I know?" Iris asked.
"To the person in all the world, my lady, whom you know most nearly--a
likeness to my master."
"What!"
"Oh, it's no fancy; I am sure of what I say. To my mind, that Danish
man's likeness to my lord is (if you will excuse my language) a nasty
circumstance. I don't know why or wherefore--all I can say is, I don't
like it; and I shan't rest until I have found out what it means.
Besides this, my lady, I must know the reason why they want to get you
out of their way. Please to keep up your heart; I shall warn you in
time, when I am sure of the danger."
Iris refused to sanction the risk involved in this desperate design.
"It's _you_ who will be in danger!" she exclaimed.
In her coolest state of obstinacy, Fanny answered: "That's in your
ladyship's service--and that doesn't reckon."
Feeling gratefully this simple and sincere expression of attachment,
Iris held to her own opinion, nevertheless.
"You are in my service," she said; "I won't let you go to Mr. Vimpany.
Give it up, Fanny! Give it up!"
"I'll give it up, my lady, when I know what the doctor means to do--not
before."
The assertion of authority having failed, Iris tried persuasion next.
"As your mistress, it is my duty to set you an example," she resumed.
"One of us must be considerate and gentle in a dispute--let me try to
be that one. There can be no harm, and there may be some good, in
consulting the opinion of a friend; some person in whose discretion we
can trust."
"Am I acquainted with the person your ladyship is thinking of?" Fanny
inquired. "In that case, a friend will know what we want of her by
to-morrow morning. I have written to Mrs. Vimpany."
"The very person I had in my mind, Fanny! When may we expect to hear
from her?"
"If Mrs. Vimpany can put what she has to say to us into few words,"
Fanny replied, "we shall hear from her to-morrow by telegraph."
As she answered her mistress in those cheering words, they were
startled by a heavy knock at the door of the room. Under similar
circumstances, Lord Harry's delicate hand would have been just loud
enough to be heard, and no more. Iris called out suspiciously: "Who's
there?"
The doctor's gross voice answered: "Can I say a word, if you please, to
Fanny Mere?"
The maid opened the door. Mr. Vimpany's heavy hand laid bold of her
arm, pulled her over the threshold, and closed the door behind her.
After a brief absence, Fanny returned with news of my lord.
A commissioner had arrived with a message for the doctor; and Fanny was
charged to repeat it or not, just as she thought right under the
circumstances. Lord Harry was in Paris. He had been invited to go to
the theatre with some friends, and to return with them to supper. If he
was late in getting home, he was anxious that my lady should not be
made uneasy. After having authorised Mr. Vimpany's interference in the
garden, the husband evidently had his motives for avoiding another
interview with the wife. Iris was left alone, to think over that
discovery. Fanny had received orders to prepare the bedroom for the
doctor's patient.