Cursed by a Fortune

by George Manville Fenn

  CHAPTER FORTY SIX.

  "His wife!"

  The words kept repeating themselves in Pierce Leigh's brain like thebeating of some artery charged to bursting, and the agony seemed greaterthan he could bear; while the revelation which had been so briefly madetold of misery and a terrible despair which had driven the woman heloved to this desperate act. But for one thought he would have rushedmadly away to try and forget everything by a similar act, for the meanswere at home, ready to his hand, his suffering being more than he couldbear.

  But there was that thought; she was in peril of her life, and thehusband had flown unconsciously to him for help. He might be able tosave her--make her owe that life to him--and this thought fought againsthis weakness, and for the time being made him strong enough to followGarstang to the library door, just as poor Becky darted away anddisappeared through the doorway leading to the basement.

  As Leigh entered and saw Kate lying motionless upon the sofa, with thehousekeeper kneeling by her side, a pang shot through him which seemedto cleave his heart; then as it passed away he was the calm sternphysician once more.

  "You had better go, sir," he said sharply, "and leave me with thenurse."

  "No: do your work," said Garstang harshly; "I stay here."

  Leigh made no answer, but took the housekeeper's place, to examine thesufferer's dilated pupils and test the pulsation, and then he turnedquickly to Garstang.

  "Where are the bottle and glass?" he said sharply.

  "What bottle--what glass?" replied Garstang, taken by surprise.

  "The symptoms seem to accord with what you say, but I want to makeperfectly sure. Where is the drug she took?"

  "Oh, it was in the tea, sir, there," cried the housekeeper.

  Garstang turned upon her with a savage gesture, and Leigh saw it. Hissuspicions were raised.

  "Here, sir," said the woman, pointing to the pot.

  "Oh yes," said Garstang hurriedly: "she took it in her tea."

  "She did not, sir!" cried the woman desperately.

  "Hold your tongue!" roared Garstang.

  "I won't, doctor, if I die for it," cried the woman. "He drugged her,poor dear. I was obliged to do as he said."

  "The woman's mad," cried Garstang. "Go on with your work."

  A savage instinct seemed to drive Leigh, on hearing this, to bound atGarstang, seize him by the throat and strangle him; but a glance at Katechecked it, and the physician regained the ascendancy.

  He poured a little of the tea into a clean cup, smelt, tasted, and spatit out.

  "Quite right," he said firmly. "Don't let that tea-pot be touchedagain."

  Garstang winced, for the words were to him charged with death, a trialfor murder, and the silent evidence of the crime.

  "Here, you help me," said Leigh, quickly; and he rinsed out the cup withwater from the urn, poured a couple of teaspoonfuls from a bottle intothe cup, and kneeling by the couch while the housekeeper held theinsensible girl's head, tried to insert the spoon between the closelyset teeth.

  The effort was vain, and he was forced to trickle the antidote he triedto administer through the teeth, but there was no effort made toswallow; the insensibility was too deep.

  "Better?" said Garstang, after watching the doctor's efforts to revivehis patient for quite half an hour.

  "Better?" he said, fiercely. "Can you not see, man, that she issteadily passing away?"

  "No, no, she seems calmer, and more like one asleep. Oh, persevere,doctor!"

  "I want help here--the counsel and advice of the best man you can get.Send instantly for Sir Edward Lacey, Harley Street."

  "No," said Garstang, frowning darkly. "You seem an able practitioner.It is a matter of time for the effects of the potent drug to die out, isit not?"

  "Yes, of course; but I fear the worst."

  "Go on with what you are doing, doctor; I have faith in you."

  At that moment Leigh felt that nothing more could be done--that naturewas the great physician; and he once more knelt down by the side of thecouch for a time, while a terrible silence seemed to have fallen on theplace, even the housekeeper looking now as if she were turned to stone,and dared not move her lips as she intently watched the calm white faceupon the pillow.

  "I can do no more," said Leigh at last, in a hoarse whisper. "God helpme! How weak and helpless one feels at a time like this!"

  The words came involuntarily from his lips, for at that moment he seemedto be alone with the sufferer, his patient once again, whose life hewould have given his own to save.

  "Oh, come, come, doctor!" said Garstang, breaking in harshly upon theterrible stillness, and there was a forced gaiety in his tone. "It wasa little sleeping draught; surely the effects will soon pass off. Youare taking too serious a view of the case."

  "I take the view of it, sir," said Leigh, gravely, as he bent lower overthe marble face before him, fighting hard to control the wild desire topress his lips to the temple where an artery throbbed, "I take the viewgiven to us by experience. You had better send for further help atonce."

  "No, no. It is only making an expose, where none is necessary. I willnot believe that she is so bad. You medical men are so prone to magnifysymptoms."

  "Indeed?" said Leigh, who dared not look at the speaker, but bent oncemore over his patient. "You came and told me that your wife was dying."

  "His wife, sir?" cried the housekeeper, indignantly. "It's a wickedlie!"

  Garstang turned savagely upon the woman, but he had to face Leigh, whosprang to his feet with a wild exaltation making every pulse throb andthrill.

  "Not his wife!" he cried fiercely.

  "No, sir, and never would be."

  "Curse you!" roared Garstang, making at her; but Leigh thrust him back.

  "Then there has been foul play here."

  "How dare you?" cried Garstang. "I called you in to--But go on withyour work, sir. Can you not see that the woman drinks?--she is maddrunk now. Hysterical, and does not know what she is saying. The ladyis my wife, and I insist upon your attending to your professional dutiesor leaving the house. Is this the conduct of a physician?"

  "It is the conduct of a man, sir, who finds himself face to face with ascoundrel."

  "You insolent hound!"

  "John Garstang--"

  "John Garstang!"

  "Yes, John Garstang; you see I know you! It is true then that you haveabducted this lady, or lured her into this place, where you have kepther secluded from her friends. There is no need to ask the reason. Ican guess that."

  "You--you--" cried Garstang, ghastly now in his surprise. "Who are youthat you dare to speak to me like this?"

  "I, sir, am the physician you called in to see his old patient, dying, Ifear, from the effects of the drug you have administered," said Leigh,with unnatural calmness; "the man whose instinct tempts him to try andcrush out your wretched life as he would that of some noxious beast.But we have laws, and whatever the result is here, my duty is to handyou over to the police."

  "Oh, doctor! doctor!" cried the woman wildly, from behind the couch."Quick, quick! Look! Oh, my poor, poor child!"

  Leigh sprang back to the couch and fell upon his knees, for a violenttwitching had convulsed the girl's motionless form.

  Garstang, his face wild with fear, stood gazing down over the doctor'sshoulder, and then strode quickly to the back of the library, bent overa table, and took something from a drawer, before striding back, tostand looking on, trembling violently now, as he witnessed the strangeconvulsions, which gradually died out, and a low gasping sound escapedthe sufferer's lips.

  Garstang drew a long, deep breath, turned quickly, and made for thedoor; but as he reached it Leigh's hand was upon his collar, and he wasswung violently round and back into the room.

  He nearly fell, but recovered himself, and stood with his hand in hisbreast.

  "Stand away from that door," he cried.

  "To let you escape?" said Leigh, firmly. "No; whether that convulsionmeans de
ath or life to your victim, sir, you are my prisoner till thepolice are here. You--woman, go to the door, and send for or fetch thepolice."

  The housekeeper started forward, but with one heavy swing of the armGarstang sent her staggering back, and then approached Leigh slowly,with a half-crouching movement, like some beast about to spring.

  "Stand away from that door, and let me pass," he said, huskily.

  "Go back and sit down in that chair," said Leigh sternly; and he nowstepped slowly and watchfully toward him.

  "Stand away from that door," said Garstang again.

  "Hah!" ejaculated Leigh, as he caught a glimpse of something in theman's hand; and he sprang at him to dash it aside, when there was aflash, a loud report, and as a puff of smoke was driven in his face,Leigh spun round suddenly, and fell half across the farther table with aheavy thud.

  At the same moment, Garstang thrust a pistol into his breast, darted toand flung open the door, to run right into the hall, where he was seizedby a man, and a tremendous struggle ensued, Garstang striving fiercelyto escape, his adversary to force him back toward the staircase; chairswere driven here and there, one of the marble statues fell with a crash,and twice over Garstang nearly shook his opponent off.

  But he was wrestling with a younger man, who was tough, wiry, and ingood training, while, in spite of the desperate strength given for themoment by fear, Garstang was portly, and his breath came and went ingasps.

  "Here, you girl, open the door; call help--can't hold him!" came ingasps.

  A low wailing sound was the only response, and poor Becky, who was bythe front door, with her face tied up, covered it entirely with herhands, and seemed ready to faint.

  The struggle went on here and there, and once more there was the gleamof a pistol and a voice rang out:

  "Ah! coward, fight fair."

  As utterance was given to these words the speaker made a desperatespring to try and catch the pistol, his weight driving Garstang back,whose heels caught against a heavy fragment of the broken piece ofstatuary, and its owner went down with the back of his head strikingviolently against another piece of the marble.

  The next moment, fainting and exhausted, his adversary was seated on thefallen man's chest, wresting the pistol from his grasp.

  "Thought he'd done me. Here, you're a pretty sort of a one, you are!Why didn't you call the police?"

  "Oh, I dursen't! I dursen't!" sobbed Becky.

  "You dursen't, you dursen't!" grumbled the speaker. "Hi! help,somebody! Hi, Kate! are you in there? What, Doctor! Then you've gothere, after all. I did go to your house."

  For Pierce Leigh suddenly appeared at the library door, where he stood,supporting himself by the side.