“My dear Miss Ross,” he spoke earnestly, as her eyes questioned his, “this illusion of yours is purely physical. You have been brooding over your brother’s fate for months, and living a most unhealthy life—eating only enough to keep body and soul together, and refusing to take exercise or accept any distraction. The wonder would have been if you had not seen visions after it. Now that you know the truth about your brother’s feelings, don’t you agree with me that nothing would have grieved him more than to know you had made such a bugbear of him? At any rate, let us put the illusion to the test. You must have a thorough change—Lady Haigh and I will arrange it—and see nothing for a time of any of the people here. You don’t mind the Haighs, I suppose? Very well; then the illusion will disappear, if I am right. If not, you must see Keeling once, and definitely bring things to an end. He is not the man to break his heart for a woman who hasn’t courage to accept him”—he saw that Penelope winced—“but it is this undecided state of affairs that is the trouble. And if you have any heart at all, you will let him know that it is not his fault, and that you hope things will be different in future.”
“But how can I?” cried Penelope, following him as he took up his topi and went towards the stairs.
“How can I tell you? I only know what you ought to do; surely you can devise a way of doing it. I wouldn’t have wasted my trouble on most women, but it seemed to me that the woman Keeling cared for ought to have more sense than the general run, and you’ve taken it better than I expected. Put all that nonsense about warnings out of your head, and leave the dead alone and think of the living. That’s all I have to say,” and he was gone.
It seemed as if Penelope was to have no reason for refusing to follow Dr Tarleton’s advice, for Lady Haigh found an opportunity of unfolding her plan to Major Keeling that very evening. He had invited her to dismount and walk up and down with him while listening to the band, and she gathered her long habit over her arm and seized her chance joyfully.
“You will think I am always asking for favours, Major Keeling, but I want this one very much. Will you send my husband to inspect the south-western district instead of Captain Porter?”
“But Porter has his orders, and is making preparations,” he said, looking at her in astonishment. “Have you quarrelled with Haigh, that you are so anxious to banish him?”
“Quarrelled? banish him? Oh, I see what you mean. How absurd! Of course Miss Ross and I are going too.”
“Are you, indeed? And may I ask whether the idea is Haigh’s or yours?”
“Oh, mine. He doesn’t know anything about it.”
“So I imagined.” He was looking at her rather doubtfully. “And have you any particular reason for wishing to go?”