“Ay, you may depend upon me!” the Viscount said. “As for relapses — pooh! If you had ever campaigned with Ger, you would know he has a stronger constitution than any of us!”
He repeated this observation when, later in the day, Miss Morville tried to dissuade her patient from emerging from the seclusion of his own bedchamber. Her efforts were quite unsuccessful, and the Viscount told her privately that she was wasting her time. “All you’ll get is a soft answer, ma’am. Never knew such an obstinate fellow as Ger! He don’t look it, and the lord knows he don’t sound it, but don’t you let him humbug you! Besides, it won’t hurt him, y’know. Wouldn’t think it to look at him, but the time he got that nasty slash on his arm he had it stitched up, and never told a man-jack of us how bad it was.”
“I was not thinking so much of that,” confessed Miss Morville. “It may be foolish of me, but while he is confined to his room it must surely be impossible for anyone to hurt him!”
“He ain’t going to be hurt,” said the Viscount confidently. “Best thing now would be for an attempt to be made on him. Can’t leave the thing as it is, y’know! Got to catch our fine gentleman red-handed, ma’am. Now, you ain’t the blabbing sort, so I’ll tell you this: young Martin can’t stir an inch without having Chard on his heels! Good man, Chard!”
“Good God! Is he spying on Martin? Does Martin know it?”
“Lord, no! No one knows it but Chard and me!” said the Viscount. “Except you, of course. The thing is, I can’t watch Martin, and it must be plain to everyone but dear old Ger that someone ought to. So I set Chard on to it. Good notion, don’t you think?”
“Excellent!” said Miss Morville, in rather a hollow voice.
“You see,” explained his lordship kindly, it won’t do to let the thing alone. Only let Martin try to do Ger a mischief now,and we can spike his guns, ma’am!”
“Yes, but — ” She stopped, and closed her lips firmly on some unexpressed thought.
The Viscount, tolerant of feminine weakness, advised her to put it out of her mind. Miss Morville, after a short struggle with herself, again refrained from speech.