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With all his suspicion of the man, Mr. Redmain did not suspect how false Mewks was: he did not know that Miss Yolland had bewitched him for the sake of having an ally in the enemy's camp. All he could hear and the dressing-room door was handy the fellow duly reported to her. Already, instructed by her fears, she had almost divined what Mr. Redmain meant to do.
He brought a request from his master that she would go to his room. She rose and went, taking her bag with her. "You may go now, Mrs. Redmain," said her husband when Mary entered. "Get out, Mewks," he added; and both lady and valet disappeared. "So!" he said, with a grin of pleasure. "Here's a pretty business! You may sit down, though. You haven't got the ring in that bag there?"
Hesper shrunk, almost with horror, certainly with disgust, from the idea of having anything to do with her husband as an invalid. When she had the choice of her company, she said, she would not choose his. Mewks was sent for at once, but did not arrive before the patient had had some experience of Mary's tendance; nor, after he came, was she altogether without opportunity of ministering to him.
Mewks was driven to the end of his wits, and they were not a few, to find excuses for going into the room, and for delaying to go out again, while with all his ears he listened. But both client and lawyer were almost too careful for him; and he had learned positively nothing when the latter rose to depart.
He, hurrying into the chamber, saw Mary already entered. When Sepia learned who it was that had scared her, she felt she could kill her with less compunction than Mr. Redmain. She hated her far worse. "You must get the viper out of-the house, Mewks," she said. "It is all your fault she got into the room." "I'm sure I'm willing enough," he answered, " even if it wasn't you as as't me, miss!
"Who's that whispering?" murmured the patient, angrily, though half asleep. Mewks went in, and answered: "Only me and Jemima, sir." "Where's Miss Marston?" "She's not come yet, sir." "I want to go to sleep again. You must wake me the moment she comes." "Yes, sir." Mewks went back to Sepia. "His voice is much altered," she said.
What he might already have done, she could nowise help; what he might yet do, it would be well to prevent. Once more, therefore, she impressed upon Mewks, and that in the names of Mrs. Redmain and Lady Margaret, as well as in her own person, the absolute necessity of learning as much as possible of what might pass between his master and the lawyer.
She dared not suggest the thing to Hesper or Lady Malice of all people they were those in relation to whom she feared their possible contents and she dared not show herself in Mr. Redmain's room. Was Mewks to be trusted to the point of such danger as grew in her thought? The day wore on. Toward evening he had a dreadful attack.
The drops on his brow rose from the pit of his agony; every breath was a torture; it were mercy to help him across the verge; if to more life, he would owe her thanks; if to endless rest, he would never accuse her. She took the vial from her pocket. A hand was on the lock of the door! She turned and fled through the dressing-room and study, waking Mewks as she passed.
"This is a serious affair," said Joseph. "To have a dying man believe you false to him would be dreadful! We must find some way in. Let us go to the kitchen-door." "If Jemima happened to be near, then, perhaps!" rejoined Mary; "but if they want to keep me out, you may be sure Mewks has taken care of one door as well as another. He knows I'm not so easy to keep out."
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