Page:The Woman in White.djvu/339

 "You hesitate?" he said. "Mr. Fairlie! I understand that hesitation. You object&mdash;see, sir, how my sympathies look straight down into your thoughts!&mdash;you object that Lady Glyde is not in health and not in spirits to take the long journey, from Hampshire to this place, by herself.  Her own maid is removed from her, as you know; and, of other servants fit to travel with her, from one end of England to another, there are none at Blackwater Park.  You object, again, that she cannot comfortably stop and rest in London, on her way here, because she cannot comfortably go alone to a public hotel where she is a total stranger.  In one breath, I grant both objections&mdash;in another breath, I remove them.  Follow me, if you please, for the last time.  It was my intention, when I returned to England with Sir Percival, to settle myself in the neighbourhood of London.  That purpose has just been happily accomplished. I have taken, for six months, a little furnished house in the quarter called St. John's Wood. Be so obliging as to keep this fact in your mind, and observe the programme I now propose. Lady Glyde travels to London (a short journey)&mdash;I myself meet her at the station&mdash;I take her to rest and sleep at my house, which is also the house of her aunt&mdash;when she is restored, I escort her to the station again&mdash;she travels to this place, and her own maid (who is now under your roof) receives her at the carriage-door. Here is comfort consulted; here are the interests of propriety consulted; here is your own duty&mdash;duty of hospitality, sympathy, protection, to an unhappy lady in need of all three&mdash;smoothed and made easy, from the beginning to the end. I cordially invite you, sir, to second my efforts in the sacred interests of the Family. I seriously advise you to write, by my hands, offering the hospitality of your house (and heart), and the hospitality of my house (and heart), to that injured and unfortunate lady whose cause I plead to-day."

He waved his horrid hand at me; he struck his infectious breast; he addressed me oratorically&mdash;as if I was laid up in the House of Commons. It was high time to take a desperate course of some sort. It was also high time to send for Louis, and adopt the precaution of fumigating the room.

In this trying emergency, an idea occurred to me&mdash;an inestimable idea which, so to speak, killed two intrusive birds with one stone. I determined to get rid of the Count's tiresome eloquence, and of Lady Glyde's tiresome troubles, by complying with this odious foreigner's request, and writing the letter at once. There was not the least danger of the