THE trouble was made by Iris herself.
In this way —
She saw Fanny’s advertisement. Her first impulse was to take her back into her service. But she remembered the necessity for concealment. She must not place herself — she realised already the fact that she had done a thing which would draw upon her the vengeance of the law — and her husband in the power of this woman, whose fidelity might not stand the shock of some fit of jealousy, rage, or revenge for fancied slight. She must henceforth be cut off altogether from all her old friends.
She therefore answered the letter by one which contained no address, and which she posted with her own hand at the General Post Office. She considered her words carefully. She must not say too much or too little.
“I enclose,” she said, “a bank note for ten pounds to assist you. I am about to travel abroad, but must, under existing circumstances, dispense with the services of a maid. In the course of my travels I expect to be in Brussels. If, therefore, you have anything to tell me or to ask of me, write to me at the Poste Restante of that city, and in the course of six mouths or so I am tolerably sure to send for the letter. In fact, I shall expect to find a letter from you. Do not think that I have forgotten you or your faithful services, though for a moment I am not able to call you to my side. Be patient.”
There was no address given in the letter. This alone was mysterious. If Lady Harry was in London and the letter was posted at the General Post Office — why should she not give her address? If she was abroad, why should she hide her address? In any case, why should she do without a maid — she who had never been without a maid — to whom a maid was as necessary as one of her hands? Oh! she could never get along at all without a maid. As for Iris’s business in London and her part in the conspiracy, of course Fanny neither knew nor suspected.
She had recourse again to her only friend — Mrs. Vimpany — to whom she sent Lady Harry’s letter, and imploring her to lay the whole before Mr. Mountjoy.
“He is getting so much stronger,” Mrs. Vimpany wrote back, “that I shall be able to tell him every thing before long. Do not be in a hurry. Let us do nothing that may bring trouble upon her. But I am sure that something is going on — something wicked. I have read your account of what has happened over and over again. I am as convinced as you could possibly be that my husband and Lord Harry are trading on the supposed death of the letter. We can do nothing. Let us wait.”
Three days afterwards she wrote again.
“The opportunity for which I have been waiting has come at last. Mr. Mountjoy is, I believe, fully recovered. This morning, seeing him so well and strong, I asked him if I might venture to place in his hands a paper containing a narrative.
“‘Is it concerning Iris?’ he asked.
“‘It has to do with Lady Harry — indirectly.’
“For a while he made no reply. Then he asked me if it had also to do with her husband.
“‘With her husband and with mine,’ I told him.
“Again he was silent.
“After a bit he looked up and said, ‘I had promised myself never again to interfere in Lady Harry Norland’s affairs. You wish me to read this document, Mrs. Vimpany?”
“‘Certainly; I am most anxious that you should read it and should advise upon it.’
“‘Who wrote it?’
“‘Fanny Mere, Lady Harry’s maid.’
“‘If it is only to tell me that her husband is a villain,’ he said, ‘I will not read it.’
“‘If you were enabled by reading it to keep Lady Harry from a dreadful misfortune?’ I suggested.
“‘Give me the document,’ he said.
“Before I gave it to him — it was in my pocket — I showed him a newspaper containing a certain announcement.
“‘Lord Harry dead?’ he cried. ‘Impossible! Then Iris is free.’
“‘Perhaps you will first read the document.’ I drew it out of my pocket, gave it to him, and retired. He should be alone while he read it.
“Half an hour afterwards I returned. I found him in a state of the most violent agitation, without, however, any of the weakness which he betrayed on previous occasions.
“‘Mrs. Vimpany,’ he cried, ‘this is terrible! There is no doubt — not the least doubt — in my mind that the man Oxbye is the man buried under the name of Lord Harry, and that he was murdered — murdered in cold blood — by that worst of villains ——’
“‘My husband,’ I said.
“‘Your husband — most unfortunate of wives! As for Lord Harry’s share in the murder, it is equally plain that he knew of it, even if he did not consent to it. Good heavens! Do you understand? Do you realise what they have done? Your husband and Iris’s husband may be tried — actually tried — for murder and put to a shameful death. Think of it!’
“‘I do think of it, Heaven knows! I think of it every day — I think of it all day long. But, remember, I will say nothing that will bring this fate upon them. And Fanny will say nothing. Without Fanny’s evidence there cannot be even a suspicion of the truth.’
“‘What does Iris know about it?’
“‘I think that she cannot know anything of the murder. Consider the dates. On Wednesday Fanny was dismissed; on Thursday she returned secretly and witnessed the murder. It was on Thursday morning that Lady Harry drove to Victoria on her return to Passy, as we all supposed, and as I still suppose. On Saturday Funny was back again. The cottage was deserted. She was told that the man Oxbye had got up and walked away; that her mistress had not been at the house at all, but was travelling in Switzerland; and that Lord Harry was gone on a long journey. And she was sent into Switzerland to get her out of the way. I gather from all this that Lady Harry was taken away by her husband directly she arrived — most likely by night — and that of the murder she knew nothing.’
“‘No — no — she could know nothing! That, at least, they dared not tell her. But about the rest? How much does she know? How far has she lent herself to the conspiracy? Mrs. Vimpany, I shall go back to London to-night. We will travel by the night train. I feel quite strong enough.’
“I began this letter in Scotland; I finish it in London.
“We are back again in town. Come to the hotel at o............