“Nothing at all. I cannot account for it. I only asked her for her sister’s address that I might write to her. You heard the doctor say she ought to be told how ill Miss Prudence is.”
“Look here,” exclaimed the medical woman, “this is more of the mystery about her sister which I feel persuaded is at the bottom of her illness. You shouldn’t have mentioned her at all, and the woman in such a state of nerves. I wish I could find out what really is the matter. It seems to me to be all of a piece.”
“Oh! I don’t believe it has anything to do with her sister,” said Mrs. Dumaresq, offended. “Why, she went off in a dead faint last night when no one was speaking of her sister. I thought at the time it was something in that case Major Jones was reading out that affected her.”
“About the baby farming woman?” asked the medical woman. “Why, what earthly effect could that have on her? She could have nothing to do with that.”
“I confess,” said Mrs. Dumaresq, “I don’t see exactly how it could, but I’m persuaded there is some connection between the two. Did you notice her face when he began to read? No? Well, I did, and I never saw horror more plainly depicted on a human countenance. I have been thinking matters over, and putting two and two together. Do you remember the extraordinary tipsy woman that called before dinner on Tuesday? I am certain I heard her say something about a cheque and bringing back a baby. I happened to be going upstairs at the moment, as you may recollect, and stopped on the landing to tie my shoe string.”
“Oh, that’s absurd on the face of it,” said the medical woman. “Miss Semaphore is a perfectly respectable woman, and not likely to be mixed up with people of that kind. Why I was on the stairs at the same time, and I did not hear a word of this; there was certainly something said about a cheque, but not about a baby.”
“But I beg your pardon,” said Mrs. Dumaresq with asperity, “perhaps your hearing is not as good as mine. I certainly heard the woman say threateningly she would bring back the child, or the infant, I forget which word was used, if something were not done.”
“They are charitable,” reflected the medical woman, “perhaps they subscribe to a home or institution, and this was some tipsy pensioner.”
“Perhaps so,” said Mrs. Dumaresq oracularly, “time will tell.”
“I’m certain she is upset about her sister’s mysterious illness.”