Dr. Rumsey's Patient. A very strange story

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f^wfc ___!__&' \ /t H^ NOVELS BY L. T. MEADE. A SOLDIER OF FORTUNE. Crown 8vo., cloth extra, 3s. 6d. ; post 8vo., illustrated boards, 2s. ' People will read " A Soldier of Fortune" with a great deal of pleasure. Not only is the story good, and conceived on original lines, but the studies of human nature that are presented in at least four of the actors are excel lent. . . . The author is to be congratulated on having produced an eminently readable work in " A Soldier of Fortune." ' — Scotsman. IN AN IRON GRIP. Crown 8vo., cloth extra, 3s. 6d. ' Mr. Frank Forbes, a beautiful young actor, is the hero, and Miss Esther Claymore is the heroine. Frank and Esther marry. Esther has a stepfather, a hateful person ; and, discovering that he had stolen her mother's diamonds, she illogically concludes that she is justified in forging his name to a cheque.

The stepfather, Claymore — Esther had assumed his name — descends on her, ravishes her from her husband and the theatrical company with which she is playing in the provinces, and does not hesitate to lock her up, She escapes with five years at the Old Bailey, and, though in the end she comes out apparently not a penny the worse for her captivity, she has troublous adventures enough at Woking and Wormwood Scrubbs.' — New York Herald. THE VOICE OF THE CHARMER. Cheaper edition. Crown 8vo., cloth, 3s. 6d. [Nov. • "The Voice of the Charmer" places itself in the first class (of Mrs. Meade's work). The story and the characters are well conceived and carefully worked out. The situations are dramatic, and the psychology interesting. . . . Many of the scenes have a fine dramatic quality, and Mrs. Meade is to be congratulated on this addition to her first-rate work.'— National Observer.

LONDON : CHATTO & WINDUS, PICCADILLY. A VERY STRANGE STORY BY L. T. MEADE AND CLIFFORD HALIFAX, M.D. JOINT-AUTHORS OF ' STOKIES FROM THE DIARY OF A DOCTOR LONDON CHATTO & WINDUS, PICCADILLY PREFATORY NOTE. The psychological condition upon which this story is based may appear to be an impossible one. As a matter of fact, absolute lapses of memory for a long period are on record, and the story here described is only an extreme example of this interesting, though happily rare, phenomenon. CONTENTS

Book I. The Deed

CHAPTER PAGE I. BY THE BROOK - - - - - I II. THE GORGON'S HEAD - - - 1 5 III. NIGHT ON THE PLAIN - 24 IV. MARGARET - - - - "37 V. WHAT HETTY SAW ON THE PLAIN - - 47 VI. ' IT WAS NOT EVERETT ' - - 60 VII. 'KISS THE BOOK' - - - "73 VIII. THE TRIAL - - - - "83

Book II. Consequences

I. THE DINNER-PARTY - - - - IOO II. A MOTHER'S INSTINCT - - - - 112 III. A MAN WITH A DEAD SOUL - - - 1 25 IV. HEREDITY ----- 142 V. THE MAN WHO TURNED HIS BACK - - 152 VI. A WILD LAUGH ----- 160 VII. THE DEAD HEIR- - 182 VIII. THE REFLECTION IN THE POND - - CONTENTS

Book III. Temptation

CHAPTER PAGE I. DOES HE REMEMBER? - 214 II. IN THE WEST BARN - 231 III. THE CHALLENGE .... 246 IV. THE LITTLE BOTTLE . . - - 256 V. THE VOICE ----- 269 VI. WHAT THE DOG SAW - 290 VII. GOD AND THE DEVIL - 302 VIII. THROUGH THE FIRE - -

Chapter I. By The Brook

Two young men in flannels were standing outside, the door of the Red Doe in the picturesque village of Grandcourt. The village contained one long and straggling street. The village inn was covered with ivy, wistaria, flowering jessamine, monthly roses, and many other creepers. The flowers twined round old-fashioned windows, and nodded to the guests when they awoke in the morning, and breathed perfume upon them as they retired to bed at night. In short, the inn was an ideal one, and had from time immemorial found favour with reading - parties, fishermen, and others who wanted to combine country air and the pursuit of health with a certain form of easy amuse- I ment. The two men who now stood in the porch were undergraduates from Balliol. There was nothing in the least remarkable about their appearance — they looked like what they were, good-hearted, keen-witted young Englishmen of the day.

The time was evening, and as the inn faced due west, the whole place was bathed in warm sunshine. ' This heat is tremendous, and there is no air,' said Everett, the younger of the students. ' How can you stand that sun beating on your head, Frere? I'm for indoors.' ' Right,' replied Frere. ' It is cool enough in the parlour.' As he spoke, he took a step forward, and gazed down the winding village street. There was a look of pleased expectation in his eyes. He seemed to be watching for someone. A girl appeared, walking slowly up the street. Frere's eyes began to dance. Everett, who was about to go into the shady parlour, gave him a keen glance — and for some reason his eyes also grew bright with expectation. 'There's something worth looking at,' he exclaimed in a laughing voice. ' What did you say ?' asked Frere gruffly. ' Nothing, old man— at least, nothing special.

I say, doesn't Hetty look superb ?' ' You have no business to call her Hetty Everett gave a low whistle. ' I rather fancy I have,' he answered ; ' she gave me leave this morning.' ' Impossible,' said Frere. He turned pale under all his sunburn, and bit his lower lip. ' Don't you find the sun very hot ?' he asked. ' No ; it is sinking into the west — the great heat is over. Let us go and enliven this little charmer.' ' I will,' said Frere suddenly. ' You had better stay here, where you are. It is my right,' he added. ' I was about to tell you so when she came in view.' ' Your right !' cried Everett. He looked disturbed. Frere did not reply, but strode quickly down the village street. A dozen strides brought him up to Hetty's side. She was a beautiful girl, with a face and figure much above her station.

Her hat was covered with wild flowers which she had picked in her walk, and coquettishly placed there. She wore a pink dress covered with rosebuds ; some wild flowers were stuck into her belt. As Frere advanced to meet her, her laughing eyes were raised to his face — there was a curious mixture of timidity and audacity in their glance. ' I have a word to say to you,' he accosted her in a gruff tone. ' What right had you to give Everett leave to call you Hetty ?' The timidity immediately left the bright eyes, and a slight expression of anger took its place. ' Because I like to distribute my favours, Mr. Horace.' She quickened her pace as she spoke. Everett, who had been standing quite still in the porch watching the little scene, came out to meet the pair. Hetty flushed crimson when she saw him ; she raised her dancing, charming dark eyes to his face, then looked again at Frere, who turned sullenly away. ' I hope, gentlemen, you have had good sport,' said the rustic beauty in her demure voice. ' Excellent,' replied Everett.

They had now reached the porch, which was entwined all over with honeysuckle in full flower. A great spray of the fragrant flower nearly touched the girl's charming face. She glanced again at Frere. He would not meet her eyes. Her whole face sparkled with the feminine love of teasing. ' Why is he so jealous ?' she whispered to herself. ' It would be fun to punish him. I like him better than Mr. Everett, but I'll punish him.' ' Shall I give you a buttonhole ?' she said looking at Everett. ' If you will be so kind,' he replied. She raised her eyes to the honeysuckle over her head, selected a spray with extreme care, and handed it to him demurely. He asked her to place it in his buttonhole ; she looked again at Frere ; he would not go away, but neither would he bring himself to glance at her.

She bent her head to search in the bodice of her dress for a pin, found one, and then, with a laughing glance of her eyes into Everett's handsome face, complied with his request. The young fellow blushed with pleasure ; then he glanced at Frere, and a feeling of compunction smote bim. He strode abruptly into the house. ' Hetty, what do you mean by this sort of thing ?' said Frere the moment they were alone. ' I mean this, Mr. Horace — I am still my own mistress.' ' Great Scot ! Of course you are ; but what do you mean by this sort of trifling ? It was only this morning that you told me you loved me. Look here, Hetty : I'm in no humour to be trifled with ; I can't and won't stand it. I'll make you the best husband a girl ever had ; but listen to me, I have the devil's own temper when it is roused.

For God's sake don't provoke it! If you don't love me, say so, and let there be an end of it.' ' I wish you wouldn't speak so loudly,' said Hetty, pouting her lips and half crying. ' Of course I like you ; I— well, yes, I suppose I love you. I was thinking of you all the after noon. See what I gathered for you — this bunch of heart's-ease. There's meaning in heart 's-ease — there's none in honeysuckle.' Frere's brow cleared as if by magic. 'Little darling,' he said, fixing his deep set eyes greedily on the girl's beautiful face. ' Forgive me for being such a brute to you, Hetty. Here — give me the flowers.' ' No, not until you pay for them. You don't de serve them, for being so nasty and suspicious.' ' Give me the flowers, Hetty ; I promise never to doubt you again.' ' Yes, you will ; it is your nature to doubt.' ' I have no words to say what I feel for you.' Frere's eyes emphasized this statement so strongly that the empty-headed girl by his side felt her heart touched for the moment. 'What do you want me to do, Mr. Horace?' she asked, lowering her eyes. ' To give me the flowers, and to be nice to me.' ' Come down to the brook after supper ; perhaps I'll give them to you then.

There's aunt calling me — don't keep me, please.' She rushed off. ' Hetty,' said Mrs. Armitage, the inn-keeper's wife, 'did I hear you talking to Mr. Horace Frere in the porch ?' 'Yes, Aunt Fanny, you did,' replied Hetty. ' Well, look here, your uncle and I won't have it. Just because you're pretty ' Hetty tossed back her wealth of black curls. ' It is all right,' she said in a whisper, her eyes shining as she spoke. ' He wants me to be his wife — he asked me this morning.' ' He doesn't mean that, surely ?' said Mrs. Armitage, incredulous and pleased. ' Yes, he does ; he'll speak to uncle to morrow — that is, if I'll say "Yes." He says he has no one to consult — he'll make me a lady — he has plenty of money.' ' Do you care for him, Hetty ?' ' Oh, don't ask me whether I do or not, Aunt Fanny — I'm sure I can't tell you.' Hetty moved noisily about.

She put plates and dishes on a tray preparatory to taking them into the parlour for the young men's supper. ' Look here,' said her aunt, ' I'll see after the parlour lodgers to-night.' She lifted the tray as she spoke. Hetty ran up to her bedroom. She took a little square of glass from its place on the wall, and gazed earnestly at the reflection of her own charming face. Presently she put the glass down, locked her hands together, went over to the open window, and looked out 'Shall I marry him?' she thought. 'He has plenty of money — he loves me right enough. If I were his wife, I'd be a lady — I needn't worry about household work any more. I hate household work — I hate drudgery. I want to have a fine time, with nothing to do but just to think of my dress and how I look. He has plenty of money, and he loves me ; he says he'll make me his wife as soon as ever I say the word.

Uncle and aunt would be pleased, too, and the people in the village would say I had made a good match. Shall I marry him ? I don't love him a bit, but what does that matter ?' She sighed — the colour slightly faded on her blooming cheeks — she poked her head out of the little window. ' I don't love him,' she said to herself. ' When I see Mr. Awdrey my heart beats. Ever since I was a little child I have thought more of Mr. Awdrey than of anyone else in all the world. I never told — no, I never told — but I'd rather slave for Mr. Robert Awdrey than be the wife of anyone else on earth. What a fool I am ! Mr. Awdrey thinks nothing of me, but he is never out of my head, nor out of my heart. My heart aches for him — I am nearly mad sometimes about it all. Perhaps I'll see him to-night if I go down to the brook.

He is sure to pass the brook on his way to the Court. Mr. Everett likes me, too, I know, and he's a gentleman as well as Mr. Frere. Oh dear! they both worry me more than please me. I'd give twenty men like them for one sight of the young Squire. Oh, what folly all this is !' She went again and stood opposite to her little looking-glass. ' The young ladies up at the Court haven't got a face like mine,' she murmured. 'There isn't anyone all over the place has a face like mine. I wonder if Mr. Awdrev reallv thinks it pretty ? Why should I worry myself about Mr. Frere ? I wonder if Mr. Awdrey would mind if I married him — would it make him jealous? If I thought that, I'd do it fast enough — yes, I declare I would. But of course he wouldn't mind — not one bit ; he has scarcely ever said two words to me — not since we were little uns together, and pelted each other with apples in uncle's orchard.

Oh, Mr. Awdrey ! I'd give all the world for one smile from you, but you think nothing at all of poor Hetty. Dear, beautiful Mr. Awdrey ! won't you love me even a little — even as you love your dog ? Yes, I'll go and walk by the brook after supper. Mr. Frere. will meet me there, of course, and perhaps Mr. Awdrey will go by — perhaps he'll be jealous. I'll take my poetry book, and sit by the brook just where the forget-me-nots grow. Yes, yes — oh, I wonder if the Squire will go by !' These thoughts no sooner came into Hetty's brain than she resolved to act upon them. She snatched up a volume of L.E.L.'s poems — their weak and lovelorn phrases exactly suited her style and order of mind — and ran quickly down to a dancing rivulet which ran its merry course about a hundred yards back of the inn.

She sat by the bank, pulled a great bunch of forget me-nots, laid them on the open pages of her book, and looked musingly down at the flowers. Footsteps were heard crunching the underwood at the opposite side. A voice presently sounded in her ears. Hetty's heart beat loudly. ' How do you do ?' said the voice. ' Good-evening, Mr. Robert,' she replied. Her tone was demure and extremely re spectful. She started to her feet, letting her flowers drop as she did so. A blush suffused her lovely face ; her dancing eyes were raised for a quick moment, then as suddenly lowered. She made a beautiful picture. The young man who stood a few feet away from her, with the running water dividing them, evidently thought so. He had a boyish figure — a handsome, manly face. His eyes were very dark, deeply set, and capable of much thought.

He looked every inch the gentleman. ' Is Armitage in ?' he asked after a pause ' I don't know, Mr. Robert ; I'll go and in quire, if you like.' ' No, it does not matter. The Squire asked me to call and beg of your uncle to come to the Court to-morrow morning. Will you give him the message ?' ' Yes, Mr. Robert' There was a perceptible pause. Hetty looked down at the water. Awdrey looked at her. ' Good-evening,' he said then. ' Good-evening, sir,' she replied. He turned and walked slowly up the narrow path which led towards the Court. ' His eyes told me to-night that he thought me pretty,' muttered Hetty to herself; 'why does not he say it with his lips? I — I wish I could make him. Oh, is that you, Mr. Frere ?' ' Yes, Hetty. I promised to come, and I am here. The evening is a perfect one ; let us follow the stream a little way.' Hetty was about to say ' No,' when, suddenly lifting her eyes, she observed that the young Squire had paused under the shade of a great elm-tree a little further up the bank.

A quick idea darted into her vain little soul. She would walk past the Squire, pretending not to see him, in Frere's company. Frere should make love to her in the Squire's presence. She gave her lover a coy and affectionate glance. ' Yes, come,' she said ; ' it is pretty by the stream ; perhaps I'll give you some forget-me nots presently.' ' I want the heart's-ease which you have already picked for me,' said Frere. ' Oh, there's time enough.' Frere advanced a step, and laid his hand on the girl's arm. ' Listen,' he said ; ' I was never more in earnest in my life. I love you with all my heart and soul. I love you madly. I want you for my wife. I mean to marry you, come what may. I have plenty of money, and you are the wife of all others for me. You told me this morning that you loved me, Hetty.

Tell me again ; say that you love me better than anyone else in the world.' Hetty paused. She raised her dark eyes ; the Squire was almost within earshot. 'I suppose I love you — a little,' she said, in a whisper. ' Then give me a kiss — just one. She walked on. Frere followed. Give me a kiss — just one,' he repeated. Not to-night,' she replied, in a demure voice. Yes, you must ; I insist ' Don't, Mr. Frere,' she called out sharply, uttering a cry as she spoke. He did not mind her. Overcome by his passion, he caught her suddenly in his arms, and pressed his lips many times to hers. ' Hold, sir ! What are you doing ?' shouted Awdrey from the opposite side of the bank. ' What is that to you ?' Frere called back. He let Hetty go with some violence, and retreated one or two steps in his astonishment.

His face was crimson up to the roots of his honest brow. Awdrey leaped across the brook. ' You will please understand that you take liberties with Miss Armitage at your peril,' he said. ' What right have you to take advantage of an undefended girl ? Hetty, I will see you home.' Hetty's eyes danced with delight. For a moment Frere felt too stunned to speak. 'Come with me, Hetty,' said Awdrey, putting a great restraint upon himself, but speaking with irritation. ' Come ; you should be at home at this hour.' ' You shall answer to me for this, whoever you are,' said Frere, whose face was white with passion. ' My name is Awdrey,' said the Squire ; ' I will answer you in a way you do not like if you don't instantly leave this young girl alone.' ' Confound your interference !' said Frere. ' I am not ashamed of my actions.

I can justify them. I am going to marry Miss Armitage.' ' Is that true, Hetty ?' said Awdrey, looking at the girl in some astonishment. ' No ; there isn't a word of it true,' answered Hetty, stung by a look on the Squire's face. ' I don't want to have anything to do with him ; he shan't kiss me. I — I'll have nothing to do with him.' She burst into tears. ' I will see you home,' said Awdrey.

Chapter II. The Gorgon's Head

The Awdreys of the Court could trace their descent back to the Norman Conquest. They were a proud family, with all the special charac teristics which mark races of long descent. Amongst the usual accompaniments of race was given to them the curse of heredity. A strange and peculiar doom hung over the house. It had descended now from father to son during many generations. How it had first raised its Gorgon head no one could tell. People said that it had been sent as a punishment for the greed of gold. An old ancestor, more than a hundred and fifty years ago, had married a West Indian heiress. She had coloured blood in her veins, a purse of enormous magnitude, a deformed figure, and, what was more to the point, a particularly crooked and obtuse order of mind. She did her duty by her descendants, leaving to each of them a gift.

To one, de formity of person ; to another, a stammering tongue ; to a third, a squint ; to a fourth, im becility. In each succeeding generation, at least one man of the house of Awdrey had cause to regret the gold which had certainly brought a curse with it. But beyond and above all these things, it was immediatelyafter the West Indian s entrance into the family that that strange doom began to assail the male members of the house which was now more dreaded than madness. The punishment, curse or disease, whatever it might be called, was unique and curious. It consisted of one remarkable phase. There came upon those on whom it descended an ex traordinary and complete lapse of memory for the grave events of life, accompanied by perfect retention of memory for all minor matters. This curious phase once developed, other idiosyn crasies immediately followed.

The victim's moral sense became weakened ; all physical energy departed ; a curious lassitude of mind and body became general. The victim did not in the least know that there was anything special the matter with him ; but, as a rule, the doomed man either became idiotic or died before the age of thirty. All the great physicians of their time had been consulted with regard to this curious family trait ; but, in the first place, no one could under stand it — in the second, no possible cure could be suggested as a remedy. The curse was supposed to be due to a brain affection ; but brain affections in the old days were considered to be special visitations from God, and men of science let them alone. In their early life, the Awdreys were particu larly bright, clever, sharp fellows, endowed with excellent animal spirits and many amiable traits of character.

They were chivalrous to women, kind to children, full of warm affections, and each and all of them possessed much of the golden gift of hope. As a rule, the doom of the house came upon each victim with startling suddenness. One of the disappointments of life ensued — an unfortunate love-affair ; the death of some beloved member ; a money loss. The victim lost all memory of the event. No words, no explanations, could revive the dead memory ; the thing was completely blotted out from the phonograph of the brain. Immediately after wards followed the mental and physical decay. The girls of the family quite escaped the curse. It was on the sons that it invariably descended. Up to the present time, however, Robert Awdrey's father had lived to confute the West Indian's dire curse. His father had married a Scotch lassie, with no bluer blood in her veins than that which had been given to her by some rugged Scotch ancestors.

Her health of mind and body had done her descendants much good. Even the word ' nerves ' had been unknown to this healthy-minded daughter of the North ; her children had all, up to the present, escaped the family curse, and it was now firmly believed at the Court that the spell was broken, and that the West Indian's awful doom would leave the family. The matter was too solemn and painful to be alluded to except under the gravest con ditions ; and young Robert Awdrey, the heir to the old place and all its belongings, was certainly the last person to speak of it. Robert's father was matter-of-fact to the back bone, but Robert himself was possessed of an essentially reflective temperament. Had he been less healthily brought up by his stout old grandmother and by his mother, he might have given way to morbid musings.

But his environ ment was all in his favour, and at the time when this strange story really opens, he was looking out at life with a heart full of hope, and a mind filled with noble ambitions. Robert was the only son ; he had two sisters, bright, good-natured, everyday sort of girls. As a matter of course, his sisters adored him. They looked forward to his future career with immense pride. He was to stand for Parliament at the next General Election. His brains belonged to the highest order of intellect. He had got double First at the University ; there was no position which he might not hope to assume. Robert had all the chivalrous instincts of his race towards women. As he walked quickly home now with Hetty by his side, his blood boiled at the thought of the insult which had been offered to her.

Poor, silly little Hetty was nothing whatever to him except a remarkably pretty village girl. But her people were his father's tenants ; he felt it his duty to protect her. When he parted with her just outside the village inn, he said a few words. ' You ought not to allow those young men to take liberties with you, Hetty,' he said. ' Now go home. Don't be out so late again in the future, and don't forget to give your uncle my father's message.' She bent her head, and left him without replying. She did not even thank him. He watched her until she disappeared into the house ; then turned sharply, and walked up the village street home with a vigorous step. He had come to the spot where he had parted with Frere, and was just about to cross the brook, when that young man started sud denly from under a tree, and stood directly in his path. ' I must ask you to apologize to me,' he said.

Awdrey flushed. ' What do you mean ?' he replied. 'What I say. My intentions towards Miss Armitage are perfectly honest. She promised to marry me this morning. When you chose to interfere, I was kissing my future wife. ' If that is really the case, I beg your par don,' said Awdrey ; ' but, then,' he continued, looking full at Frere, ' Hetty Armitage denies any thought of marrying you.' 'She does, does she?' muttered Frere. His face turned white. 'One word before you go,' said Awdrey. ' Miss Armitage is a pretty girl ' ' What is that to you ?' replied Frere ; ' I don't mean to discuss her with you.' ' You may please yourself about that, but allow me to say one thing. Her uncle is one of my father's oldest and most respected tenants ; Hetty is therefore under our pro tection, and I for one will see that she gets fair play.

Anyone who takes liberties with her has got to answer to me. That is all. Good evening.' Awdrey slightly raised his hat, leaped the brook, and disappeared through the underwood in the direction of the Court. Horace Frere stood and watched him. His rage was now almost at white-heat. He was madly in love, and was therefore not quite responsible for his own actions. He was determined at any cost to make Hetty his wife. The Squire's interference awoke the demon of jealousy in his heart. He had patiently borne Everett's marked attentions to the girl of his choice — he wondered now at the sudden passion which filled him. He walked back to the inn feeling exactly as if the devil were driving him. ' I'll have this thing out with Hetty before I am an hour older,' he cried aloud. ' She pro mised to marry me this very morning.