I Say No

by Wilkie Collins

  CHAPTER LXII. DOWNSTAIRS.

  In a moment more, the doctor came in--a brisk, smiling, self-sufficientman--smartly dressed, with a flower in his button-hole. A stiflingodor of musk filled the room, as he drew out his handkerchief with aflourish, and wiped his forehead.

  "Plenty of hard work in my line, just now," he said. "Hullo, Mrs. Rook!somebody has been allowing you to excite yourself. I heard you, beforeI opened the door. Have you been encouraging her to talk?" he asked,turning to Emily, and shaking his finger at her with an air of facetiousremonstrance.

  Incapable of answering him; forgetful of the ordinary restraints ofsocial intercourse--with the one doubt that preserved her belief inMirabel, eager for confirmation--Emily signed to this stranger to followher into a corner of the room, out of hearing. She made no excuses: shetook no notice of his look of surprise. One hope was all she could feel,one word was all she could say, after that second assertion of Mirabel'sguilt. Indicating Mrs. Rook by a glance at the bed, she whispered theword:

  "Mad?"

  Flippant and familiar, the doctor imitated her; he too looked at thebed.

  "No more mad than you are, miss. As I said just now, my patient hasbeen exciting herself; I daresay she has talked a little wildly inconsequence. _Hers_ isn't a brain to give way, I can tell you. Butthere's somebody else--"

  Emily had fled from the room. He had destroyed her last fragment ofbelief in Mirabel's innocence. She was on the landing trying to consoleherself, when the doctor joined her.

  "Are you acquainted with the gentleman downstairs?" he asked.

  "What gentleman?"

  "I haven't heard his name; he looks like a clergyman. If you know him--"

  "I do know him. I can't answer questions! My mind--"

  "Steady your mind, miss! and take your friend home as soon as you can._He_ hasn't got Mrs. Rook's hard brain; he's in a state of nervousprostration, which may end badly. Do you know where he lives?"

  "He is staying with his sister--Mrs. Delvin."

  "Mrs. Delvin! she's a friend and patient of mine. Say I'll look into-morrow morning, and see what I can do for her brother. In themeantime, get him to bed, and to rest; and don't be afraid of giving himbrandy."

  The doctor returned to the bedroom. Emily heard Mrs. Ellmother's voicebelow.

  "Are you up there, miss?"

  "Yes."

  Mrs. Ellmother ascended the stairs. "It was an evil hour," she said,"that you insisted on going to this place. Mr. Mirabel--" The sight ofEmily's face suspended the next words on her lips. She took the pooryoung mistress in her motherly arms. "Oh, my child! what has happened toyou?"

  "Don't ask me now. Give me your arm--let us go downstairs."

  "You won't be startled when you see Mr. Mirabel--will you, my dear? Iwouldn't let them disturb you; I said nobody should speak to you butmyself. The truth is, Mr. Mirabel has had a dreadful fright. What areyou looking for?"

  "Is there a garden here? Any place where we can breathe the fresh air?"

  There was a courtyard at the back of the house. They found their way toit. A bench was placed against one of the walls. They sat down.

  "Shall I wait till you're better before I say any more?" Mrs. Ellmotherasked. "No? You want to hear about Mr. Mirabel? My dear, he came intothe parlor where I was; and Mr. Rook came in too---and waited, lookingat him. Mr. Mirabel sat down in a corner, in a dazed state as I thought.It wasn't for long. He jumped up, and clapped his hand on his heart asif his heart hurt him. 'I must and will know what's going on upstairs,'he says. Mr. Rook pulled him back, and told him to wait till theyoung lady came down. Mr. Mirabel wouldn't hear of it. 'Your wife'sfrightening her,' he says; 'your wife's telling her horrible thingsabout me.' He was taken on a sudden with a shivering fit; his eyesrolled, and his teeth chattered. Mr. Rook made matters worse; he losthis temper. 'I'm damned,' he says, 'if I don't begin to think you_are_ the man, after all; I've half a mind to send for the police.' Mr.Mirabel dropped into his chair. His eyes stared, his mouth fell open. Itook hold of his hand. Cold--cold as ice. What it all meant I can't say.Oh, miss, _you_ know! Let me tell you the rest of it some other time."

  Emily insisted on hearing more. "The end!" she cried. "How did it end?"

  "I don't know how it might have ended, if the doctor hadn't come in--topay his visit, you know, upstairs. He said some learned words. Whenhe came to plain English, he asked if anybody had frightened thegentleman. I said Mr. Rook had frightened him. The doctor says to Mr.Rook, 'Mind what you are about. If you frighten him again, you may havehis death to answer for.' That cowed Mr. Rook. He asked what he hadbetter do. 'Give me some brandy for him first,' says the doctor; 'andthen get him home at once.' I found the brandy, and went away to the innto order the carriage. Your ears are quicker than mine, miss--do I hearit now?"

  They rose, and went to the house door. The carriage was there.

  Still cowed by what the doctor had said, Mr. Rook appeared, carefullyleading Mirabel out. He had revived under the action of the stimulant.Passing Emily he raised his eyes to her--trembled--and looked downagain. When Mr. Rook opened the door of the carriage he paused, with oneof his feet on the step. A momentary impulse inspired him with a falsecourage, and brought a flush into his ghastly face. He turned to Emily.

  "May I speak to you?" he asked.

  She started back from him. He looked at Mrs. Ellmother. "Tell her Iam innocent," he said. The trembling seized on him again. Mr. Rook wasobliged to lift him into the carriage.

  Emily caught at Mrs. Ellmother's arm. "You go with him," she said. "Ican't."

  "How are you to get back, miss?"

  She turned away and spoke to the coachman. "I am not very well. I wantthe fresh air--I'll sit by you."

  Mrs. Ellmother remonstrated and protested, in vain. As Emily haddetermined it should be, so it was.

  "Has he said anything?" she asked, when they had arrived at theirjourney's end.

  "He has been like a man frozen up; he hasn't said a word; he hasn't evenmoved."

  "Take him to his sister; and tell her all that you know. Be careful torepeat what the doctor said. I can't face Mrs. Delvin. Be patient, mygood old friend; I have no secrets from you. Only wait till to-morrow;and leave me by myself to-night."

  Alone in her room, Emily opened her writing-case. Searching amongthe letters in it, she drew out a printed paper. It was the Handbilldescribing the man who had escaped from the inn, and offering a rewardfor the discovery of him.

  At the first line of the personal description of the fugitive, the paperdropped from her hand. Burning tears forced their way into her eyes.Feeling for her handkerchief, she touched the pocketbook which she hadreceived from Mrs. Rook. After a little hesitation she took it out. Shelooked at it. She opened it.

  The sight of the bank-notes repelled her; she hid them in one of thepockets of the book. There was a second pocket which she had not yetexamined. She pat her hand into it, and, touching something, drew out aletter.

  The envelope (already open) was addressed to "James Brown, Esq., PostOffice, Zeeland." Would it be inconsistent with her respect for herfather's memory to examine the letter? No; a glance would decide whethershe ought to read it or not.

  It was without date or address; a startling letter to look at--for itonly contained three words:

  "I say No."

  The words were signed in initials:

  "S. J."

  In the instant when she read the initials, the name occurred to her.

  Sara Jethro.