“He will feel that he owes you a large debt of gratitude, Doctor, as I do,” said Mr. Warburton.
“You overrate my services, my good sir,” replied the doctor, evidently much pleased. “But I own I have been remarkably fortunate. I wonder Mr. Brereton has not come back before this. With such a wife I don’t think I should have been so long on the road.”
“But you forget, Doctor,” said Mr. Warburton, “that she didn’t look as well as she does now when he saw her last.”
“True,” replied Dr. Percival. “Still I can’t understand the delay.”
“Here he is,” exclaimed Georgette. “That’s his voice, I’m certain.”
Again she threw open the door. In another moment Stanley rushed in, and instantly perceiving his wife, who had risen on his appearance, clasped her to his breast.
“A perfectly miraculous cure has, indeed, been Wrought in you,” he exclaimed, regarding her with astonishment.
“It has been wrought by the skilful physician, Dr, Percival, who how stands beside you,” remarked Mr. Warburton.
“Yes, Mr. Brereton, and I assure you I am proud of my work,” said Dr. Percival. “I never performed a cure with more satisfaction to myself.”
Stanley took the hand offered him by the doctor, and shook it most heartily.
“I cannot thank you sufficiently, sir,” he said. “Nor can I find adequate terms to express my satisfaction at your most successful achievement.”
Then, turning to his wife, he said, “Why, you look better and younger than you did before you became mine.”
“I am glad you think so, dearest Stanley,” she replied, tenderly.
“There cannot be a doubt about it,” he rejoined. “Your father must entertain the same opinion.”
“He does,” exclaimed Mr. Warburton. “And he is rejoiced to find you think so.”
“Well, I have all along thought this the most satisfactory cure I ever performed,” said the doctor. “Now, I have no doubt about it. I wish you all good morning.”
And he quitted the room rather hastily.
“I am sorry he’s gone,” said Stanley. “I have something rather particular to say to him on the part of Lady Talmash.”
“Oh! he would have liked to hear it, I’m sure,” said the Squire, “for I know he has a great regard for her. But follow him down stairs quickly, and you’ll catch him.”
Acting on the suggestion, Stanley hurried out of the room, and caught Doctor Percival before he left the house.
The Doctor appeared much interested by the message from Lady Talmash, though it was merely to tell him she was unwell, and meant to consult him on her return.
“Nothing serious, I hope, is the matter with her?” he inquired, “I may not always be as fortunate as I have been with your wife.”
“Did you hear of the suicide of poor Charles Kynaston, to whom her ladyship was engaged?” asked Stanley. “He was an irreclaimable gambler, and her reproaches unquestionably drove him to the rash act. She takes the matter greatly to heart, and her regrets have no doubt materially affected her health. This is the case.”
“It appears more mental than bodily,” said the doctor. “Well, I’ll do my best. She is a charming creature, and I have a great regard for her. But I don’t profess to cure a broken heart. The surest remedy would be another suitor.”
“She is already provided with one — but he is rather elderly — the Comte de Clairvaux.”
“De Clairvaux! I know him — a most agreeable, most accomplished gentleman. Oh! she’ll get better speedily in his hands. He’s a much better doctor than I am, and if he comes with her, she won’t want me.”
“She thinks otherwise,” said Stanley.
“I suppose they will all shortly return from Nice?” remarked the doctor.
“They must have started by this time, on the homeward journey, I should think,” replied Stanley.
“But the Comte de Clairvaux may induce them to make a short halt at Paris. And now, let me thank you again, my dear Doctor, for the great service you have rendered me.”
“I really do deserve your thanks,” replied the other. “Had you lost your wife, you would have lost a treasure.”
“I am quite of that opinion,” said Stanley.
A slight smile played upon the doctor’s good-humoured countenance. —
Stanley did not notice it, but said, while taking leave of him at the door, “We shall see you here tomorrow.”
“There is no reason why you should,” replied the doctor. “But your wife won’t dismiss me, so I suppose I must make my appearance.”
“Certainly, your dismissal must come from her, not from me,” replied Stanley, smiling.
“By-the-bye, hasn’t Lady Starkey a very pretty niece?” inquired the doctor.
“Rose Hylton is generally considered pretty,” replied Stanley, with affected indifference.
“Is she going to be married?” inquired the doctor. “I heard so.”
“Not just yet, at any rate,” replied Stanley.
And Doctor Percival went his way.
Stanley then returned to the boudoir, where he found Mildred alone, all the others having left the room. So he took the seat recently occupied by Sister Aline.
For a few minutes he gazed at his lovely wife in silence, and she smiled at him sweetly the while.
“I didn’t think it possible you could have regained your good looks in this marvellous manner,” he said. “There must be sorcery in it.”
“No, I have simply recovered my health,” she replied.
“You have recovered more than your health,” he said. “You have added to your charms. You seem to have bathed in the Bath of Beauty.”
“Don’t flatter me, I beg of you,” she rejoined, with a very slight manifestation of displeasure. “I have quite lost my taste for that sort of thing.”
“Nay, my admiration is genuine, and really irrepressible,” replied Stanley. “Surely I may say what I think of you?”
“Of course, but I am quite unaccustomed to such fine speeches, and really don’t care for them. Let us turn to some one else who is pretty. How is Rose looking?”
“Just as well as when you saw her last,” he replied. “But pray don’t let a thought concerning her trouble you. Now that she has heard of your surprising recovery, she indulges in no idle dreams.”
“Are you quite sure of that, Stanley? I begin to feel I might be jealous. It is a very unworthy feeling, and I will subdue it, if I can.”
“You will have no cause for jealousy, of that I am certain, dearest Mildred,” he said, earnestly. “And I hope you won’t destroy your own happiness by any unjust suspicions.”
Seeing he looked a little annoyed, she thought it necessary to explain her meaning.
“If it were the case, dear Stanley,” she said, “I couldn’t blame either you or Rose. When I thought myself on the point of death I strongly urged you to choose her as a wife, because I thought she would exactly suit you, and if you have entered into any engagement with her I cannot blame either you or her.”
“Whatever may have passed between us, all is now completely at an end,” replied Stanley. “Clearly understand that Rose, herself, on hearing of your wondrous cure, positively declared it must be so. You may place implicit confidence in her. She is truth itself.”
“I know it,” replied Mildred. “I shall, therefore, dismiss all uneasiness, and welcome her as a sister.”
“I am truly glad to hear it,” replied Stanley.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
DR. PERCIVAL’S ADVICE TO LADY TALMASH.
A few days afterwards Lady Starkey and Rose arrived, accompanied by Lady Talmash, and came at once to Berkeley Square.
A telegram from Paris, announcing their return, had been received by Mr. Warburton, on the previous day, so that all preparations were made for them.
They were quite amazed by the improvement in Mildred’s appearance, and declared she looked handsomer than she had ever done before — thus confirming Sta
nley’s opinion.
Their exclamations of astonishment and delight had scarcely ceased, when Dr. Percival himself came in with Stanley, and received a very warm welcome from all — especially from Lady Talmash.
“I don’t know what we can do to manifest our gratitude to Dr. Percival, and our high opinion of his skill,” said the Squire.
“Your son-in-law and yourself have already done too much,” said the doctor. “And such praises, as I have just received from the ladies, are worth more to me than the richest gifts. But I am sorry to observe that Nice doesn’t seem to have agreed with you all. Lady Starkey is the only one who appears to have profited by the visit.”
“They have suffered from the mistral, I suppose,” replied her ladyship. “But you must kindly take them in hand, Doctor.”
“Oh, they don’t want medical aid,” he said. “Indeed, we do,” they both rejoined.
“Have you left the Comte de Clairvaux and Sir Randal de Blundeville in Paris?” asked the Squire.
“No, they came with us to London,” replied Lady Starkey. “They are gone to the Grosvenor to secure rooms, and will be here presently.”
“Both are old friends of mine,” remarked the doctor, “and I shall be rejoiced to meet them again.”
This meeting took place in the drawing-room, and Dr. Percival therefore easily found an opportunity of taking Lady Talmash aside, and said to her —
“I hope your ladyship is better?”
“Not much,” she replied. “Come and see me tomorrow morning, and I will explain all.”
“Without waiting till to-morrow, I can tell you what is the matter with you. You reproach yourself with being the cause of Charles Kynaston’s death.”
“You have guessed the truth, dear Doctor,” she replied. “That dreadful occurrence weighs upon my spirits, and I fear will kill me. Since his death I have discovered how much I loved him. I cannot replace him, and would now give all I possess to bring him to life again.”
“Had you married him, you would not have been happy,” said the doctor. “Console yourself with that reflection,”
“I might not have been perfectly happy, but I should not be wretched, as I now am.”
“I am told the Comte de Clairvaux is devoted to you. Is it so?”
“He has already offered me his hand.”
“Then accept him. You may not love him as you did Charles Kynaston, but he will cause you no uneasiness. Were Kynaston still living I should recommend this course. Think the matter over and let me know your decision to-morrow.”
“Were I to accept the Comte, I feel as if I should do an injustice to Charles’s memory.”
“In what way? Having broken his word, Charles Kynaston had forfeited all right to your hand. The Comte de Clairvaux, I am convinced, is vastly his superior in every respect.”
“No, there you are mistaken, Doctor. Charles Kynaston was young, and very handsome.”
“But he had a serious fault, which would have militated against your chance of happiness with him. It seems a harsh thing to say, but I really believe you are well rid of him.”
“Oh, Doctor, how cruel you are!” she exclaimed. “Upon my word, I don’t think so,” he rejoined. “Indeed, I am convinced he would have made you very unhappy had you married him.”
Their discourse was here interrupted by the entrance of the Comte and Sir Randal.
“Why there he is!” exclaimed the doctor. “There is the Comte. Always the same air de bon ton about him! always the same distinguished manner! Charles Kynaston can never have been anything like that,” he muttered.
Welcomed by the Squire and Stanley, the newcomers were conducted by them to Mildred, who occupied a sofa with Rose at the further end of the room, and like everybody else they were enraptured by the improvement in her appearance.
“C’est merveilleux!” exclaimed the Comte, in astonishment “I could not have believed in the change, unless I had seen it.”
“Nor I,” added Sir Randal.
The former invalid, who had risen at their approach, repaid their praises with the sweetest smile imaginable.
“I am entirely indebted to Doctor Percival for my wondrous restoration to health,” she said.
“Ah! I always had a high opinion of him,” said Sir Randal. “But I did not imagine he could work miracles.”
“C’est incroyable!” exclaimed the Comte.
At this moment Stanley came up with the doctor, and presented him to the two gentlemen, by whom he was received with enthusiasm. —
“I don’t deserve half your commendations, gentlemen,” he said. “But I own they are very gratifying to me.”
“If you can perform such cures as this, Doctor, you ought to have a European reputation,” said Sir Randal.
“To restore health is one thing, to restore beauty is another,” said the Comte. “You have achieved both. Prenez mon conseil.” he added in a mysterious whisper, “Il faut venir á Paris, et soigner toutes nos plus belles malades.”
“A good idea,” replied the doctor, laughing. “Perhaps I may act upon it.”
Just then luncheon was announced, and the Squire, after begging Sir Randal to take charge of his wife, went in search of Lady Talmash. The Comte de Clairvaux offered his arm to Mildred, but she declined, and so did Rose. Presently all the party, except the two occupants of the sofa, had left the room.
“Now I can say a word to you,” cried Rose.
“I shall be glad to hear anything you have to tell me,” replied Mildred, regarding her very affectionately.
“First of all, I wish you to understand that I am most sincerely rejoiced at your wonderful recovery. I must ever feel deeply grateful for the interest you have taken in me, but I entreat you to believe that I have completely banished all thoughts from my mind, which you once encouraged me to indulge. Had I not done so you would not see me here.”
“I have the most perfect reliance in you, dearest Rose,” replied Mildred, taking her hand; “and I still think you would have suited Stanley far better than myself. I therefore desired to make him and you amends for separating you, and wished you to understand that I was favourable to your union. But since my health has been most unexpectedly restored, and I may count on a new lease of life, my feelings are naturally changed. I must retain Stanley.”
“Of course,” cried Rose. “I would not deprive you of him for the world. Nor should I have listened to him for a moment had I not understood that it was your wish. But, even then, I felt there was great impropriety in acting as I did, and I have blamed myself most severely for doing so. You may perfectly trust me, but if you will feel easier without me, I will go.”
“No, I do not wish it, dearest Rose,” rejoined Mildred. “I am quite sure you would not wrong me, either in word or deed. I believe your disposition to be perfectly truthful.”
“I would rather die than injure you, dearest Mildred, and I am quite certain that equal dependence can be placed on Stanley.”
“No doubt,” replied Mildred. “Considering my shameful conduct towards him, he has behaved most admirably, and I owe him a debt of gratitude I can never repay. To prove it fully I ought really to have died, but this was more than I could do.”
“When you quitted Nice, I know you entertained but slight hopes of recovery.”
“I entertained none. But as you see, Doctor Percival has cured me. Believing, as I do, that Heaven has spared me for some good purpose, I must not thwart it. When the opportunity occurs I may be useful to Stanley, and in that belief I shall act. If at any time I should exhibit a feeling of jealousy, heed it not! It will pass instantly.”
“I will do as you bid me,” replied Rose earnestly. “After this explanation I shall feel quite easy,” replied Mildred; “and will do all I can to contribute to your happiness. You must go with us to Beaucliffe.”
“Now I have learnt your wishes I can accept my aunt’s invitation. But I assure you I would not have done so unless I had felt quite sure that my presence would not annoy you.”
“Have no fear,” replied Mildred, “I am sure we shall now get on very well together.”
CHAPTER XXXV.
FESTIVITIES AT BEAUCLIFFE.
DOCTOR PERCIVAL proved as successful in his treatment of Lady Talmash as he had done with Mildred, but he had fewer difficulties to contend with.
He very soon convinced her ladyship that she would be happier with the Comte de Clairvaux than with her former ill-fated suitor; her spirits, therefore, quickly revived, and she regained her good looks.
He did not choose to question Rose, nor to dissuade her from going to Beaucliffe, as he had a very high opinion of her prudence, and thought there would be no risk. Moreover, he was quite aware of the very good understanding that now subsisted between her and Mildred, and feared to disturb it.
After a week in town, which was spent very pleasantly, but very quietly, the whole party set off to Beaucliffe and Brereton, and were distributed between the two houses, Lady Talmash and Rose being received by Mrs. Brereton, who was delighted to have them with her, and all the others — including Sister Aline — moving on to the larger mansion.
The weather was exceedingly pleasant, and the country most attractive. The Squire and Lady Starkey exercised unbounded hospitality towards their guests, and did all they could to contribute to their amusement. The mornings were spent in the gardens and grounds, and the ladies came over from Brereton to play lawn-tennis, or otherwise amuse themselves.
Every day there was a large party at luncheon, and excursions took place afterwards, either on horseback or en voiture, for there was plenty to see in the neighbourhood.
Every day there was a large dinner at half-past seven, with such cookery and such capital wine as could only be got at Beaucliffe, cards, music, and dancing to follow.
The Comte de Clairvaux and Sir Randal, in whose honour all this festivity took place, were naturally highly gratified, but at the end of a week they began to think they were running the Squire rather too hard, and ought to take their departure.
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