the next morning dr. ashleigh started from his hotel after breakfast to see sophy gregory. he shrank from what he had to do, for he knew what a terrible shock it must be to her, and he remembered how ill she had been, and how nearly she had gone out of her mind a year before, under the blow of the news of mr. harmer's sudden death. but there was no help for it: it was evident that she must be told. he knew where she lived, as letters had been exchanged several times, up to the last, which had conveyed the news of the failure of the attempt to find the will in the secret chamber. of course, it was possible that they might have since changed their abode; but if so, the people at their last lodgings would be certain to know their present address. however, this doubt was at once removed by the reply to his question, "is mrs. gregory in?"
"yes, sir, but she is in bed."
"in bed!" the doctor said, rather surprised. "is she not well?"
"don't you know, sir, she had a little baby last week?"
"god bless me!" was all the doctor could say; for sophy had not in her last letter, which, indeed, had been written some time before, made any mention of her expecting such a thing. "will you be good enough to tell her that dr. ashleigh is here, and ask her if she will see him; and do not mention that i did not know of her confinement."
the doctor was shown into the little parlour, where he sat down while mrs. billow went in to tell sophy that he was there. as he looked round on the pictures which he remembered hanging in such a different room, he wondered to himself whether the advent of this little child, who was fatherless now, was for the better or no; and he came to the conclusion that it was. sophy would have two mouths to feed instead of one, but it would be surely a comfort to her—something to cling to and love, under this terrible blow which he had to give her.
in about five minutes mrs. billow came in, and said that mrs. gregory was ready to see him now.
"she is rather low to-day, sir," she said, "for mr. gregory went away the day before yesterday, and said he should be back yesterday; but he has not come back, and mrs. gregory is fretting like about it."
dr. ashleigh went into the little room where sophy was. she was sitting up in bed, in a white wrapper, and her baby was asleep beside her. she looked, dr. ashleigh thought, years older than when he had seen her fifteen months before. she had a worn look, although the flush of pleasure and surprise which his coming had called up in her cheek made her quite pretty for the moment.
"oh, dr. ashleigh," she said, "how kind of you to come and see me! how very kind! i suppose you had heard of my confinement. is it not a fine little fellow?" and she uncovered the baby's face, that the doctor might see it. "robert did not tell me that he had written to you. i suppose he wanted to surprise me. i am so sorry he is away: he is not often away, dr. ashleigh—very, very seldom—and then always on business. he is very kind to me."
the doctor was greatly touched, accustomed as he was, and as all medical men must be, to scenes of pain and grief; yet there was something very touching in her pleading now for her husband, for whose sake she had gone through so much, and who was now lying dead, although she knew it not. he could hardly command his voice to speak steadily, as he answered,—
"i am very glad to see you again, sophy, and i came up specially to do so; but i did not know till i came to the door that you were confined, or were even expecting it; but i am very glad, for your sake, that it is so, and that you have got over it so well."
dr. ashleigh spoke very kindly, but sophy at once detected a certain gravity in his manner.
"is anything the matter?" she asked at once.
dr. ashleigh hardly knew what answer to make, and hesitated for a moment whether it would not be better to defer the communication of the fatal intelligence for a few days; but the thought of the anxiety sophy would suffer from robert's continued and unexplained silence, decided him; for he thought she would probably pine and fret so much, that in a short time she would be in a state even less fitted to stand the blow than she was at present.
"my dear sophy," he said, sitting down upon the bed, and taking her hand in his, "since i last saw you, things have greatly changed with us all. with you i need not say how much—with us also greatly."
"i am so sorry——" sophy began, as if about to lament the share she had had in all this.
"my dear sophy, we do not blame you. that was all over long ago; nor could you, at any rate, have possibly foreseen that my children could have been injured by anything you might have done to displease mr. harmer. humanly speaking, the contrary effect might have been anticipated. i only say that great changes have taken place. your little friend polly has grown into a very dear, lovable, clever woman; while agnes has suffered very much. her engagement with mr. desborough has been broken off, and she has been very ill. however, by god's mercy, she has been spared to us, but she is still in a sadly weak state."
"but there is something else, doctor—is there not?—some new misfortune? it cannot be about robert?" she said, anxiously; "you could not have heard anything of him?"
dr. ashleigh was silent.
"it is, then! oh, tell me what it is!"
"my dear sophy, you have judged rightly. i do come to tell you about robert, but you must be calm and collected. remember that any excitement on your part now would be most injurious to your child—remember that any illness on your part means death on his."
sophy, with a great effort, controlled herself, and sat very quiet. the colour had faded from her cheeks now, and the marks of care seemed to come back again very plain and deep; then, after waiting a minute or two, until she felt herself quite quiet, she laid one hand on the cheek of her sleeping baby, and looked up appealingly into dr. ashleigh's face.
"my dear sophy, your husband has met with an accident, and is seriously injured."
sophy's cheeks were as white, now, as the dress she wore; she spoke not, although her lips were parted, but her eyes—at all times large, and now looking unnaturally so from the thinness of her cheeks—begged for more news.
"i'm afraid he is very ill," the doctor said.
"i must go to him!" she panted out; "i must go to him!" and she made an effort to rise.
"you cannot," dr. ashleigh said; "you cannot; it would kill you. bear it bravely, sophy; keep quiet, my child, for your own sake and your baby's."
again sophy's hand went back to the infant's face, from which in her effort to rise she had for a moment withdrawn it, and rested on the soft unconscious cheek, but she never took her eyes from the doctor's face. at last she said, in a strange far-off sort of voice,—
"tell me the worst—is he dead?"
she read the answer in his face, and gave a low short cry; and then was silent, but her eyes no longer looked at him, but gazed with a blank horror into the distance, as if they sought to penetrate all obstacles, and to seek her dead husband.
"comfort yourself, my poor child," dr. ashleigh said tenderly; "god has stricken you grievously, but he has given you your child to love."
sophy made no answer; she neither heard nor saw him, but sat rigid and stiff, the picture of mute despair. two or three times the doctor spoke to her, but nothing betokened that she heard him. he raised her hand, which was laying motionless in his; he let it go, and it fell lifelessly on the bed again. he began to be seriously alarmed—he feared that she would awaken from this state with a succession of wild shrieks, and then a series of fainting fits, the termination of which in her condition would probably be death. in the hopes of acting upon her newborn feelings of maternity, he took the child up, and placed it against her, but the arms made no movement to enclose or support it; she showed no sign of consciousness of what he was doing. then he slightly pinched the child's arm, and it woke with a loud wailing cry. in an instant a change passed over the rigid face; a human light came into the stony fixed eyes; and with a little cry, and a quick convulsive movement, she clasped the child to her breast, leaned over it, and her tears rained down freely now, as she swayed herself to and fro, and hushed it to her bosom.
dr. ashleigh knew that the worst was over now, and for a time he let her grief have its way undisturbed; he then persuaded her to lie down, and, enfeebled as she was by her recent illness, in less than an hour she cried herself to sleep.
the doctor sat by her side until she awoke, which was not for some time, and when she did so she was calmer and more composed. he then talked to her very soothingly, but did not enter into any of the details of her husband's death, beyond the fact that it was the result of an accident, and that he had died at rochester, and would be buried there; that he had sent for him, and that he had been with him to the end, and that her name had been the last word on his lips. the doctor told her he would return again in a few days to see her, and that she must not disquiet herself about the future, for that he would take care of her and her child as if they were his own.
sophy answered dreamily, although gratefully, to all he said, but she was at present too much stunned by the blow to be capable of fixing her attention; indeed, she scarce understood his words. while sophy was asleep, dr. ashleigh had gone out and told the news to mrs. billow; she was deeply concerned at it, although her regret was evidently more for sophy's sake than for that of her husband. she readily promised to do all in her power to soothe and comfort sophy, and said she was sure that as soon as she felt equal to it, one or other of her kind neighbours would be glad to come over and sit with her; and she promised that should sophy be taken worse, she would immediately telegraph for dr. ashleigh.
the doctor stayed till late in the afternoon, and then drove round to sophy's medical attendant to tell him that she had just received the news of her husband's death, and to bespeak his best care and attention on her behalf. he afterwards returned to the station, and reached home at nine o'clock. i was very pleased to see him back again, for it was not often that he was away so long as thirty hours; however, i did not ask any questions, and he did not volunteer, as he usually did, any account of his doings; and so i had no idea that he had been to more than an ordinary visit, demanding unusual time and attention; and, as i have before said, it was some months afterwards before i was told of robert gregory's death.
it was fortunate, as it turned out, that papa got back that evening, for while we were at breakfast next morning a servant brought over a letter from miss harmer. it was written on the previous evening, and said that as she had declined to see him on the day before when he had called, he might feel a difficulty in coming now to see her; but that she had a particular matter on which she was very anxious to speak to him.
i have forgotten to say that when papa came home the evening before, we had the news to give him, which indeed he had quite expected to hear, that angela harmer had died the previous evening.
papa had a strong suspicion what it was that miss harmer wished to see him about. while the horses were being put into the carriage, he had a little consultation with polly in his study, and they agreed that for sophy's sake he should try to lull as far as possible any suspicions miss harmer might entertain of robert's having had a part in the affair. besides, it was quite certain that unless any suspicions which she might have were laid at rest, she would at last destroy the will,—although that was a very secondary matter now, as there did not seem the most remote probability of its ever coming to light, even if it should be in existence, for years. papa then started for harmer place, and on arriving was shown at once into the drawing-room, orders evidently having been given to that effect; in a few minutes miss harmer joined him. her forehead was bandaged up, and her general aspect was more stiff and forbidding than ever. after the first few remarks were over, she proceeded at once to the point.
"it would be a strange step to have taken, dr. ashleigh, in the position in which we stand to each other, for me to have asked you to have come over here, had i not had very powerful reasons for so doing. but it appears to me that i have, for i have very strong suspicions concerning the events which have taken place here in the last two days. have you heard the particulars?"
"yes, miss harmer; when i called here the day before yesterday, dr. sadman gave me the details of them, so far as he knew."
"did you hear that these burglars—" and miss harmer strongly emphasized the word—"did not attempt to take anything downstairs?" the doctor bowed assent. "did you hear that they tortured my sister to make her tell them something?"
"i did, miss harmer. i have before heard of people being threatened, or even absolutely tortured, to oblige them to tell where their valuables are concealed; but it is a very rare occurrence, and surprised me at the time, almost as much as it shocked me. as a general thing, burglars when they attempt a robbery, ascertain previously where the valuables are kept, and act accordingly. it is possible that in this case it was not so. these men may have been merely passing vagrants, or they may have been thieves from london, who may have heard that there was a very fine collection of plate here. taking into consideration the lonely position of the place, and the fact that the only males in it are servants who sleep in a remote corner of the house, they may have thought that it would be at once quicker, and would save them the trouble of breaking open a number of doors in the search for the plate-closet, to come at once to the owners, whom, they imagined, would readily be frightened into revealing its exact whereabouts."
"your supposition, dr. ashleigh, is nearly that of the detective who has been sent down here, and who, knowing nothing of my private affairs, could not without a clue come to any other conclusion. he says it was a strange and unusual, although not an unprecedented affair. this clue i have not yet given him, although i intend to do so upon leaving this room, as i have not the least doubt in my own mind that my suspicions are correct. my sister, dr. ashleigh, was not tortured to tell where any plate was hidden: she was treated as she was to make her divulge the supposed hiding-place of what—in spite of all we can say—it still appears that some of you persist in believing to be in existence,—i mean my late brother's will."
dr. ashleigh made a movement of astonishment.
"yes, dr. ashleigh, i have no doubt that it was so. i need not say that i do not for a moment suspect you or yours of having the slightest knowledge or complicity in this villainous plot, to which my poor sister has fallen a victim; but there is another who is interested in this supposed will, and who to the murder of my brother has now added the murder of my poor sister. i mean robert gregory. thank god, the law can and will avenge this murder, if it could not the other."
"miss harmer," papa said very quietly, "you have had much to agitate and trouble you, and i am not therefore surprised at your thus fixing upon him; indeed in the way you put it, it does seem reasonable; but i believe that you will regret your hastiness when i tell you that you are actually accusing a dead man."
"dead!—robert gregory dead!" miss harmer exclaimed, greatly astonished; "i had no idea of that. how long has he been dead?"
"only a short time," dr. ashleigh answered. "i am not surprised that you are ignorant of the fact, for it is hardly likely that sophy would have written to tell you. this poor young widow was only confined last week. i had to go to town on business, after i left here the day before yesterday, and i called to see her and her child. she has been keeping herself, until she was confined, by giving lessons in music."
"did you know of her husband's death before you saw her then?" miss harmer asked.
"most assuredly i did," the doctor answered; "i heard of it at the time when he died. and now, miss harmer, i trust that i have quite dissipated your suspicions. robert gregory is dead, his wife is on a sick bed, and my children, you acknowledge, are very unlikely to have entered into a plot of this sort."
"quite, dr. ashleigh; in fact it cannot be otherwise; and i am exceedingly glad that i spoke to you before putting the matter into the hands of the detective, for it would have perhaps put him off the right clue, and would have led to the discussion of very painful matters. about sophy"—and here she hesitated—"is she in very bad circumstances? because, even looking at her in the way i do, and always shall do, as my brother's murderess, i should not like her to——"
"you need not be uneasy on that score miss harmer," papa said rather coldly, "i have already told sophy that my house is a home for her and her child, whenever she may choose to come. whether she will use it as such, i cannot say; but i think i can assert with certainty that she would rather lay her head in the streets than owe a shelter to your favour. is there anything else you wish to ask me about, or in which i can be of any service to you?"
"nothing, dr. ashleigh. i really feel much obliged to you for having set my mind at rest upon a point which has been troubling me much for the last three days. indeed, by the information that this bad man has gone to his end, you have set me greatly at ease on my own account; for—believing as i did that he was the perpetrator of this dreadful deed—i should have never felt safe until he had met with his deserts at the hand of the law that some such murderous attack might not have been perpetrated upon me. i am, i believe, no coward; still, with the idea that it was my life or his in question, i should have offered a reward for his apprehension which would have set every policeman in england on the look-out for him. i am glad to hear that your daughter agnes is better. goodbye, dr. ashleigh; i am sorry that we cannot be friends, but at least we need not be enemies." she held out her hand to dr. ashleigh, which he took, and then retired, well pleased that he had, without any actual sacrifice of the truth, been enabled to save sophy, and perhaps some day sophy's child, from the pain and shame of the exposure which must have followed, had not miss harmer's suspicions been averted.
on the following week papa again went up to london to see sophy. he found her recovering from the blow; still pale and thin, but upon the whole as well as could have been expected. papa again offered her a home with us, but she declined, gratefully but decidedly; she had, she said, even when it was supposed that she was an heiress, been looked down upon on account of the misfortune of her birth; and now, with the story of her elopement and mr. harmer's sudden death fresh on the memory, she would rather beg her bread in the streets than live there.
"would she accept money for her present uses?"
again she thanked papa, but declined. "she had," she said, "plenty of money; she had been putting by nearly four pounds a week for ten months, and was therefore provided for for a long time." all that she would promise at last was, that if she should ever be really in distress for money, she would not hesitate to write and apply to him for it. when this point had been discussed at length, sophy insisted upon knowing all particulars of robert's death, and papa—after in vain endeavouring to persuade her to be content with what she knew already—was obliged at last to tell her, softening all the worst points as much as he could; and saying only that robert had gone at night with two men, in the hopes of frightening angela harmer into disclosing where the will was hidden; how they had been disturbed by miss harmer, who had fired a pistol, which had wounded robert, and how he had been carried to rochester to die. he told her, too—for he feared she might see it in the papers—that angela harmer had died the same evening from the fright, but he suppressed all mention of the cruelty or violence. he partly told her how miss harmer had entertained suspicions of the truth, and how he had, he believed, succeeded in laying them at rest, and that he felt sure that the subject would not be pursued further in that direction; still, for her sake and the child's, should any one, under any pretence or other, come and make inquiries as to the date of robert's death, that she should mention that it took place a short time earlier than it really did.
sophy heard the doctor through more tranquilly than he had expected. she asked a few questions here and there, but was very pale and composed. when he had quite done, she said,—
"you do not surprise me, dr. ashleigh. my husband has so frequently asked me questions about the positions of the different rooms, and has so often said that he would try for it some day, that when you came and told me that he was killed by accident, and did not say how, or when, or where, i guessed that it was somehow in trying to get the will. if you please, we will not say any more about it now; i want to think it all over, and my head aches sadly. i am much obliged to you for all your kindness."
and so sophy held out her hand, and papa came away, still very uneasy about her, and repeating his former direction to mrs. billow to send for him at once in the event of sophy being taken ill.
a week after, a letter came from sophy to me. it began by again thanking papa for his kindness to her, but saying that she was determined, if possible, to earn a living for herself and child; should she, however, from illness or other cause, fail in the attempt, she would then, for her child's sake, accept his kindness. the letter went on—
"my child will be one chief object of my life; and i have another, in the success of which he will be interested. i am determined, next to my child, to devote my life to finding the stolen will. you have tried, and failed. robert tried, and laid down his life in the attempt. i alone, by whose conduct the will was lost, have not tried; but i will do so; it shall be the purpose of my life. every thought and energy shall be given to it, for the sake of my child, and of you who have innocently been punished for my fault. i am not going to act now; i know it would be useless; but some day—it may be years on—some day i will try, and when i do i will succeed. do not seek to dissuade me from this; my determination is irrevocable."
we did write, and tried to argue with her. she answered briefly, that nothing would alter her resolve. from time to time we exchanged letters, but at longer intervals, until at last she did not answer one of mine, and from that time years past before i again heard of sophy gregory.
