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22 ’ THREE WOMEN AND A MYSTERY.
doomed to death the night before was -in
reality decidedly better. When I met, him
he still showed a physical depression,
quite remarkable in a man of his stalwart
make and sturdy temperament. I did not
encourage him to show himself to ‘Coralie
just yet, but beckoned him .to one side,
where I put him the ‘same question, I had
‘addressed-to.my young patient:
“If Mr. Melville could be induced to fly
the town, do you think Mr. Beauehamp
.would be willingrto marry Coralie ?”
He answered me with all the seriousness
I hoped-for, notwithstanding the bitter"
shading of sarcasm which lent an acrid
tone to his voice.
“If he could be induced not only to fly
this place, but to stay away from her for-
ever, I think Mr. ,Beaucl1amp would try
to forget, his antipathy to him as th
possible parent of Coralie.” ’
I hardly dared make my next sugges-
tion. After all, I had known these people
barely a week. But for some reason Mr.
Cassetty seemed to welcome my interfer-
ence. Perhaps because he felt it to be
disinterested. .
I therefore summoned my courage and
ventured to ask: .
“Cannot means be found for inducing
him to do this?” ’
“Buy him off, do you mean? God knows
that I am willing to do so. I would glad-
ly give up the whole of my fortune for- the
privilege of waking up and finding the
events of. yesterday a dream. I would
give half of it to turn this nightmare into
an endurable. experience. Miss Ladd,
your suggestion strikes me as feasible.
> I will offer him three thousand dollars a
year'to leave Sudbury, and increase it to
five thousand if he will swear to cease all
-further communication with C0ralie;.b0th
sums to be forfeited if he approaches her
or writes to her once.” I '
“Will he accept?” .
“He will be much more of a fool than I
think him if he don’t.”
“How if you frighten him first?”
“Frighten him?”
“You have spoken of a woman. Now,
if you told him that a woman had arrived
in town--a mysterious woman--an evil
woman, who delights in haunting this
house at night, and entering Coralie’s
room on an errand breathing of hate and
murder, don’t you think it would have
a tendency to make‘ him more amenable
to your proposals? You say that he nev-’
er waits long after‘ the appearance of
Arabella in the place he inhabits.”
“What are you saying?” vociferated Mr. .
Cassetty. “This woman,‘this Arabella, in
Coralie’s room on an errand of death and
murder?” 7
I’ told him of the experience I ‘had
passed through before his own visit to the
sick room the night before. When I had
finished, he gave me a wondering look,
then passed his hand over his face in a.
way I did not understand. ‘
“You are a brave girl,” he observed at '
last. “How did this woman‘ look?”
Ihastened to describe her.
“She was tall; shewore a long, black
garment, which covered her form, and a
veil which almost entirely hid her face.
The short glimpse I got of her features
frightened me. I am“ sure she is a danger-
ous woman, and that she put something
in Coralie’s glass which would do her no
good if she tookvit’.
He stared at me in quite an unnatural
fashion, I thought, and then, to my sur- V.
prise, broke into a sharp, hard laugh.
“You at least have a level head and a
clear eye,” -he cried. “That ,is a blessiiig
in this house. Now please tell me again
about this woman.” , ,
I repeated mystory, adding one or two
not unimportant details. As he -listened,
is face grew set and stern; .
“It is Arabella,” he declared. “I have
heard the name too often not to know it.
Melville will not 7 relish her appearance
here just when he thought to make a good
thing for himself out of the complications
he has precipitated upon jvus. I in
something can be done with him. I wish
he would come down; he is always late in
the morning.”
“Will you allow me”-I spoke timidly,
for I felt that my request must.sound
preposterous-“to be the first to mention -
this woman to him? I think I can do it
with effect; all the more so that he can
have no suspicion that I know who this
woman is ”
C “You? ' Well,‘ why not? But you have '
scarcely ever spoken to him. Won’t you
find it dillieult, my child?”
The blood which leaped to my face
seemed to astonish him. But he said
nothing, only reiterated his consent, ad-
ding:
“I will manage to leave you two‘ alone
a moment after breakfast, for you will
eat this morning with us, will you not?
Coralie is so much better!”
“I will eat with you,” I said, and
slipped away to my room to make ready.
But Mr. Melville did not honor, us. He
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