第25章

Therewasnothinglefttosuggest。Youngandinexperiencedasshewas，how（Iasked）hadshecontrivedtothinkofallthis？Sheanswered，simply"I’msureIdon’tknow；mythoughtscametomewhileIwaslookingatPhilip。"

SoonafterwardIfoundanopportunityofinquiringifHelenahadleftthehouse。Shehadjustrungherbell；andMariahadfoundher，quietlyreading，inherroom。Hoursafterward，whenIwasonthewatchatnight，IheardPhilip’sdoorsoftlytriedfromtheoutside。Herdreadfulpurposehadnotbeengivenup，evenyet。

Thedoctorcameintheevening，ashehadpromised，andfoundanimprovementinPhilip’shealth。Imentionedwhatprecautionswehadtaken，andthattheyhadbeendevisedbyEuneece。"Areyougoingtowithdrawfromthecase？"Iasked。"Iamcomingbacktothecase，"heanswered，"to—morrowmorning。"

IthadbeenadisappointmenttometoreceivenoanswertothetelegramwhichIhadsenttoMr。Dunboynetheelder。Thenextday’spostbroughttheexplanationinalettertoPhilipfromhisfather，directedtohimatthehotelhere。Thisshowedthatmytelegram，givingmyaddressatthishouse，hadnotbeenreceived。

Mr。DunboyneannouncedthathehadreturnedtoIreland，findingtheairofLondonunendurable，afterthesea—breezesathome。IfPhiliphadalreadymarried，hisfatherwouldleavehimtoalifeofgenteelpovertywithHelenaGracedieu。Ifhehadthoughtbetterofit，hiswelcomewaswaitingforhim。

LittledidMr。Dunboyneknowwhatchangeshadtakenplacesinceheandhissonhadlastmet，andwhathopemightyetpresentitselfofbrighterdaysforpoorEuneece！Ithoughtofwritingtohim。Buthowwouldthatcrabbedoldmanreceiveaconfidentialletterfromaladywhowasastranger？

MydoubtsweresetatrestbyPhiliphimself。Heaskedmetowriteafewlinesofreplytohisfather；declaringthathismarriagewithHelenawasbrokenoff——thathehadnotgivenupallhopeofbeingpermittedtoofferthesincereexpressionofhispenitencetoEuneece——andthathewouldgladlyclaimhiswelcome，assoonashewaswellenoughtoundertakethejourneytoIreland。Whenhehadsignedtheletter，IwassopleasedthatI

madeasmartremark。Isaid："Thisisatreatyofpeacebetweenfatherandson。"

Whenthedoctorarrivedinthemorning，andfoundthechangeforthebetterinhispatientconfirmed，hedidjusticetousatlast。Hespokekindly，andevengratefully，toEuneece。Nomoreallusionstothehospitalasaplaceofsafetyescapedhim。HeaskedmecautiouslyfornewsofHelena。Icouldonlytellhimthatshehadgoneoutathercustomarytime，andhadreturnedathercustomarytime。Hedidnotattempttoconcealthatmyreplyhadmadehimuneasy。

"AreyoustillafraidthatshemaysucceedinpoisoningPhilip？"

Iasked。

"Iamafraidofhercunning，"hesaid。"IfsheischargedwithattemptingtopoisonyoungDunboyne，shehassomesystemofdefense，youmayrelyonit，forwhichwearenotprepared。

There，inmyopinion，isthetruereasonforherextraordinaryinsensibilitytoherowndanger。"

Twomoredayspassed，andwewerestillsafeundertheprotectionoflockandkey。

Ontheeveningofthesecondday（whichwasaMonday）Mariacametomeingreattribulation。Oninquiringwhatwasthematter，I

receivedadisquietingreply："MissHelenaistemptingme。SheissomiserableatbeingpreventedfromseeingMr。Philip，andhelpingtonursehim，thatitisquitedistressingtoseeher。Atthesametime，miss，it’shardonapoorservant。Sheasksmetotakethekeysecretlyoutofthedoor，andlendittoheratnightforafewminutesonly。I’mreallyafraidIshallbeledintodoingit，ifshegoesonpersuadingmemuchlonger。"

IcommendedMariaforfeelingscrupleswhichprovedhertobethebestofgoodgirls，andpromisedtorelieveherfromallfearoffuturetemptation。Thiswaseasilydone。EuneecekeptthekeyofPhilip’sdoorinherpocket；andIkeptthekeyofthedining—roomdoorinmine。

CHAPTERLXI。

ATROCITY。

ONthenextday，aTuesdayintheweek，aneventtookplacewhichEuneeceandIviewedwithdistrust。Earlyintheafternoon，ayoungmancalledwithanoteforHelena。Itwastobegiventoherimmediately，andnoanswerwasrequired。

Mariahadjustclosedthehousedoor，andwasonherwayupstairswiththeletter，whenshewascalledbackbyanotherringatthebell。Ourvisitorwasthedoctor。HespoketoMariainthehall：

"IthinkIseeanoteinyourhand。Wasitgiventoyoubytheyoungmanwhohasjustleftthehouse？"

"Yes，sir。

"Ifhe’syoursweetheart，mydear，Ihavenothingmoretosay。"

"Goodgracious，doctor，howyoudotalk！Ineversawtheyoungmanbeforeinmylife。"

"Inthatcase，Maria，Iwillaskyoutoletmelookattheaddress。Aha！Mischief！"

ThemomentIheardthatIthrewopenthedining—roomdoor。

Curiosityisnoteasilysatisfied。Whenithears，itwantstosee；whenitsees，itwantstoknow。Everyladywillagreewithmeinthisobservation。

"Praycomein，"Isaid。

"Oneminute，MissJillgall。Mygirl，whenyougiveMissHelenathatnote，trytogetaslylookatherwhensheopensit，andcomeandtellmewhatyouhaveseen。"Hejoinedmeinthedining—room，andclosedthedoor。"Theotherday，"hewenton，"whenItoldyouwhatIhaddiscoveredinthechemist’sshop，I

thinkImentionedayoungmanwhowascalledtospeaktoaquestionofidentity——anassistantwhoknewMissHelenaGracedieubysight。"

"Yes，yes！"

"ThatyoungmanleftthenotewhichMariahasjusttakenupstairs。"

"Whowroteit，doctor，andwhatdoesitsay？"

"Questionsnaturallyasked，MissJillgall——andnoteasilyanswered。WhereisEunice？Herquickwitmighthelpus。"

ShehadgoneouttobuysomefruitandflowersforPhilip。

Thedoctoracceptedhisdisappointmentresignedly。"Letustrywhatwecandowithouther，"hesaid。"Thatyoungman’smasterhasbeeninconsultation（youmayrememberwhy）withhislawyer，andHelenamaybethreatenedbyaninvestigationbeforethemagistrates。Ifthiswildguessofmineturnsouttohavehitthemark，thepoisonerupstairshasgotawarning。"

Iaskedifthechemisthadwrittenthenote。FoolishenoughofmewhenIcametothinkofit。ThechemistwouldscarcelyactafriendlyparttowardHelena，whenshewasanswerablefortheawkwardpositioninwhichhehadplacedhimself。Perhapstheyoungmanwhohadleftthewarningwasalsothewriterofthewarning。ThedoctorremindedmethathewasallbutastrangertoHelena。"Wearenotusuallyinterested，"heremarked，"inapersonwhomweonlyknowbysight。"

"Rememberthatheisayoungman，"Iventuredtosay。Thiswasastronghint，butthedoctorfailedtoseeit。Hehadevidentlyforgottenhisownyouth。Imadeanotherattempt。

"AndvileasHelenais，"Icontinued，"wecannotdenythatthisdisgracetohersexisahandsomeyounglady。"

Hesawitatlast。"Woman’swit！"hecried。"Youhavehitit，MissJillgall。Theyoungfoolissmittenwithher，andhasgivenherachanceofmakingherescape。"

"Doyouthinkshewilltakethechance？"

"Foralloursakes，IprayGodshemay！ButIdon’tfeelsureaboutit。"

"Why？"

"RecollectwhatyouandEunicehavedone。Youhaveshownyoursuspicionofherwithoutanattempttoconcealit。Ifyouhadputherinprisonyoucouldnothavemorecompletelydefeatedherinfernaldesign。Doyouthinksheisalikelypersontosubmittothat，withoutanefforttobeevenwithyou？"

Justashesaidthoseterrifyingwords，Mariacamebacktous。Heaskedatoncewhathadkepthersolongupstairs。

Thegirlhadevidentlysomethingtosay，whichhadinflatedher（ifImayusesuchanexpression）withasenseofherownimportance。

"Pleasetoletmetellit，sir，"sheanswered，"inmyownway。

MissHelenaturnedaspaleasasheswhensheopenedtheletter，andthenshetookaturnintheroom，andthenshelookedatmewithasmile——well，miss，IcanonlysaythatIfeltthatsmileinthesmallofmyback。Itriedtogettothedoor。Shestoppedme。Shesays：’Where’sMissEunice？’Isays：’Goneout。’Shesays：’Isthereanybodyinthedrawing—room？’Isays：’No，miss。’

Shesays：’TellMissJillgallIwanttospeaktoher，andsayI

amwaitinginthedrawing—room。’It’severywordofittrue！And，ifapoorservantmaygiveanopinion，Idon’tlikethelookofit。"

ThedoctordismissedMaria。"Whateveritis，"hesaidtome，"youmustgoandhearit。"

Iamnotacourageouswoman；Iexpressedmyselfasbeingwillingtogotoher，ifthedoctorwentwithme。Hesaidthatwasimpossible；shewouldprobablyrefusetospeakbe