“You pass your word as to that?”
“I do. Once more, good-night.”
CHAPTER XCIX.
MR. DETECTIVE SHEARMAN IS OUTSPOKEN—A STORY OF WOMAN’S WRONGS AND MAN’S BASENESS.
Dr. Bourne, after Wrench had taken his departure, was calm and thoughtful; he was by no means so self-confident and overbearing in his manner as heretofore. Indeed, he might be said to be considerably cowed, why or wherefore it would, perhaps, not be so easy to determine, but the storm of passion had passed over, and was succeeded by a dead calm.
The doctor busied himself in his surgery. He had to make up several prescriptions, with which he purposed drenching his patients. Nevertheless, the compounding of deleterious drugs occupied some time.
It served one good purpose. While thus engaged Bourne’s mind was in a measure released from the weight that seemed to oppress him; but despite his employment a foreboding of coming evil seemed to fall upon him. This he found it impossible to dispossess himself of.
Late in the evening he sallied forth, paying a visit to one or more of his familiar acquaintances. With this be whiled away the time till long past midnight. All the occupants of the house had retired to rest. This is precisely what the owner of the establishment desired.
He did not trouble himself to inquire after his wife, for at this time they occupied separate apartments, and saw as little of each other as possible. To say that there was no love lost between them would be but making use of a very mild figure of speech. As far as Bourne himself was concerned he cordially hated the woman whom he had sworn at the altar to cherish and protect. If any one had come to his bedside with the news of her death they would have been greeted as a messenger bearing glad tidings, but no one had come with such welcome intelligence, and Bourne slept peacefully, albeit his slumbers were now and then disturbed by strange, uncouth, and fantastic visions.
What greater misery can by possibility fall upon any one than being compelled to live with a person whose presence is repugnant and abhorrent, yet the man and woman—the doctor and his wife—had submitted to this torment for years.