Mr. Brett next requested the presence of Miss Yolland. She was
nowhere to be found. The place was searched throughout, but there
was no trace of her.
When the doctor arrived, the bottle Joseph had taken from her was
examined, and its contents discovered.
Lady Malice was grievously hurt at the examination she found had
been going on.
"Have I not nursed you like my own brother, Mr. Redmain?" she
said.
"You may be glad you have escaped a coroner's inquest in your
house, Lady Margaret!" said Mr. Brett.
"For me," said Mr. Redmain, "I have not many days left me, but
somehow a fellow does like to have his own!"
Hesper sought Mary, and kissed her with some appearance of
gratitude. She saw what a horrible suspicion, perhaps even
accusation, she had saved her from. The behavior and
disappearance of Sepia seemed to give her little trouble.
Mr. Brett got enough out of Mewks to show the necessity of his
dismissal, and the doctor sent from London a man fit to take his
place.
Almost every evening, until he left Durnmelling, Mary went to see
Mr. Redmain. She read to him, and tried to teach him, as one
might an unchildlike child. And something did seem to be getting
into, or waking up in, him. The man had never before in the least
submitted; but now it looked as if the watching spirit of life
were feeling through the dust-heap of his evil judgments, low
thoughts, and bad life, to find the thing that spirit had made,
lying buried somewhere in the frightful tumulus: when the two met
and joined, then would the man be saved; God and he would be
together.
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