The Lost Heir Read online

  CHAPTER IX.

  A STRANGE ILLNESS.

  For three months General Mathieson remained in the country. Hisimprovement was very gradual--so gradual, indeed, that from week to weekit was scarce noticeable, and it was only by looking back that it wasperceptible. At the end of that time he could walk unaided, there wasless hesitation in his speech, and his memory was distinctly clearer. Hepassed much of his time on a sofa placed in the shade in the garden,with Hilda and Netta sitting by him, working and talking.

  Netta had always been a favorite of his from the time that he first mether in Hanover; and he had, when she was staying with his niece the yearbefore, offered her a very handsome salary if she would remain with heras her companion. The girl, however, was reluctant to give up heroccupation, of which she was very fond, still less would she leave heraunt; and although the General would willingly have engaged the latteralso as an inmate of the house, to act as a sort of chaperon to Hildawhen she drove out alone shopping, Netta refused in both their names.

  "You would not have left the army, General, whatever temptations mighthave been held out to you. I am happy in thinking that I am doing goodand useful work, and I don't think that any offer, even one so kind andliberal as yours, would induce me to relinquish it."

  Her presence now was not only an inestimable comfort to Hilda, but ofgreat advantage to the General himself. Alone Hilda would have found itnext to impossible to keep the invalid interested and amused. He likedto talk and be talked to, but it was like the work of entertaining achild. Netta, however, had an inexhaustible fund of good spirits. Afterher long intercourse with children who needed entertainment withinstruction, and whose attention it was absolutely necessary to keepfixed, she had no difficulty in keeping the conversation going, and heranecdotes, connected with her life in Germany and the children she hadtaught, were just suited to the General's mental condition.

  Little Walter was of great assistance to her. He had come down with hisnurse as soon as they were fairly settled at Holmwood, and his prattleand play were a great amusement to his grandfather. Whenever theconversation flagged Netta offered to tell him a story, which not onlykept him quiet, but was listened to with as much interest by the Generalas by the child. Dr. Leeds was often a member of the party, and hischeery talk always had its effect in soothing the General when, as wassometimes the case, he was inclined to be petulant and irritable.

  They had been a fortnight at Holmwood before the doctor discoveredNetta's infirmity. She happened to be standing at a window with her backto him when he asked her a question. Receiving no reply, he repeated itin a louder tone, but he was still unanswered. Somewhat surprised, hewent up to her and touched her; she faced round immediately.

  "Were you speaking to me, Dr. Leeds?"

  "Yes, I spoke to you twice, Miss Purcell, but you did not hear me."

  "I have been perfectly deaf from childhood," she said; "I cannot hearany sound whatever. I never talk about it; people ask questions andwonder, and then, forgetting that I do not hear, they persist inaddressing me in loud tones."

  "Is it possible that you are deaf?"

  "It is a melancholy fact," she said with a smile, and then added moreseriously, "It came on after measles. When I was eight years old my goodaunt, who had taken me to some of the best aurists in London, happenedto hear that a Professor Menzel had opened an establishment in Hanoverfor teaching deaf mutes to speak by a new system of watching people'slips. She took me over there, and, as you see, the result was anundoubted success, and I now earn my living by acting as one of theprofessor's assistants, and by teaching two or three little girls whoboard at my aunt's."

  "The system must be an admirable one indeed," the doctor said. "I have,of course, heard of it, but could not have believed that the resultswere so excellent. It never entered my mind for a moment that you werein any way deficient in hearing, still less that you were perfectlydeaf. I have noticed that, more than is common, you always kept youreyes fixed on my face when I was speaking to you."

  "You would have noticed it earlier had we been often alone together,"she said, "for unless I had kept my eyes always upon you I should nothave known when you were speaking; but when, as here, there are alwaysseveral of us together, my eyes are at once directed to your face whenyou speak, by seeing the others look at you."

  "Is it necessary to be quite close to you when one speaks?"

  "Oh, not at all! Of course I must be near enough to be able to seedistinctly the motion of the lips, say at twenty yards. It is a greatamusement to me as I walk about, for I can see what is being said bypeople on the other side of the road, or passing by in a vehicle. Ofcourse one only gets scraps of conversations, but sometimes they arevery funny."

  "You must be quite a dangerous person, Miss Purcell."

  "I am," she laughed; "and you must be careful not to say things that youdon't want to be overheard when you are within reach of my eyes.Yesterday, for instance, you said to Hilda that my aunt seemed awonderfully kind and intelligent old lady; and you were good enough toadd some complimentary remarks about myself."

  Dr. Leeds flushed.

  "Well, I should not have said them in your hearing, Miss Purcell; but,as they were complimentary, no harm was done. I think I said that youwere invaluable here, which is certainly the case, for I really do notknow how we should be able to amuse our patient if it were not for yourassistance."

  "Hilda and I had a laugh about it," Netta said; "and she said, too, thatit was not fair your being kept in the dark as to our accomplishment."

  "'Our accomplishment!'" he repeated in surprise. "Do you mean to saythat Miss Covington is deaf also? But no, that is impossible; for Icalled to her yesterday, when her back was turned, and the Generalwanted her, and she answered immediately."

  "My tongue has run too fast," the girl said, "but I don't suppose shewould mind your knowing what she never speaks of herself. She was, asyou know, living with us in Hanover for more than four years. Shetemporarily lost her hearing after an attack of scarlet fever, and thedoctors who were consulted here feared that it might be permanent. Herfather and mother, hearing of Dr. Hartwig as having the reputation ofbeing the first aurist in Europe, took her out to him. He held out hopesthat she could be cured, and recommended that she should be placed inProfessor Menzel's institution as soon as she could understand German,so that, in case a cure was not effected, she might be able to hear withher eyes. By great good fortune he recommended that she should live withmy aunt, partly because she spoke English, and partly because, as I wasalready able to talk, I could act as her companion and instructor bothin the system and in German.

  "In three years she could get on as well as I could, but the need for ithappily passed away, as her hearing was gradually restored. Still, shecontinued to live with us while her education went on at the best schoolin the town, but of course she always talked with me as I talked withher, and so she kept up the accomplishment and has done so ever since.But her mother advised her very strongly to keep the knowledge of herability to read people's words from their lips a profound secret, as itmight tend to her disadvantage; for people might be afraid of a girlpossessed of the faculty of overhearing their conversation at adistance."

  "That explains what rather puzzled me the other day," the doctor said."When I came out into the garden you were sitting together and werelaughing and talking. You did not notice me, and it struck me as strangethat, while I heard the laughing, I did not hear the sound of yourvoices until I was within a few paces of you. When Miss Covingtonnoticed me I at once heard your voices."

  "Yes, you gave us both quite a start, and Hilda said we must either giveup talking silently or let you into our secret; so I don't think thatshe will be vexed when I tell her that I have let it out."

  "I am glad to have the matter explained," he said, "for really I askedmyself whether I must not have been temporarily deaf, and should havethought it was so had I not heard the laughing as distinctly as usual. Icame to the conclusion that you must, for some reason or other, h
avedropped your voices to a whisper, and that one or the other was tellingsome important secret that you did not wish even the winds to hear."

  "I think that this is the only secret that we have," Netta laughed.

  "Seriously, this is most interesting to me as a doctor, and it is athousand pities that a system that acts so admirably should not beintroduced into this country. You should set up a similar institutionhere, Miss Purcell."

  "I have been thinking of doing so some day. Hilda is always urging me toit, but I feel that I am too young yet to take the head of anestablishment, but in another four or five years' time I shall thinkseriously about it."

  "I can introduce you to all the aurists in London, Miss Purcell, and Iam sure that you will soon get as many inmates as you may choose totake. In cases where their own skill fails altogether, they would bedelighted to comfort parents by telling them how their children maylearn to dispense altogether with the sense of hearing."

  "Not quite altogether," she said. "It has happened very often, as it didjust now, that I have been addressed by someone at whom I did nothappen to be looking, and then I have to explain my apparent rudeness byowning myself to be entirely deaf. Unfortunately, I have not always beenable to make people believe it, and I have several times been soundlyrated by strangers for endeavoring to excuse my rudeness by a palpablefalsehood."

  "Really, I am hardly surprised," Dr. Leeds said, "for I should myselfhave found it difficult to believe that one altogether deaf could havebeen taught to join in conversation as you do. Well, I must be verycareful what I say in future while in the society of two young ladiespossessed of such dangerous and exceptional powers."

  "You need not be afraid, doctor; I feel sure that there is no one hereto whom you would venture to give us a bad character."

  "I think," he went on more seriously, "that Miss Covington's mother wasvery wise in warning her against her letting anyone know that she couldread conversations at a distance. People would certainly be afraid ofher, for gossipmongers would be convinced that she was overhearing, if Imay use the word, what was said, if she happened to look at them onlycasually."

  * * * * *

  At the end of three months the General became restless, and wasconstantly expressing a wish to be brought back to London.

  "What do you think yourself, Dr. Leeds?" Dr. Pearson said, when he paidone of his usual visits.

  "He is, of course, a great deal better than he was when he first camedown," the former replied, "but there is still that curious hesitationin his speech, as if he was suffering from partial paralysis. I am notsurprised at his wanting to get up to town again. As he improves inhealth he naturally feels more and more the loss of his usual course oflife. I should certainly have advised his remaining here until he hadmade a good deal further advancement, but as he has set his mind uponit, I believe that more harm would be done by refusing than by hisgoing. In fact, I think that he has, if anything, gone back in the lastfortnight, and above all things it is necessary to avoid any course thatmight cause irritation, and so set up fresh brain disturbances."

  "I am quite of your opinion, Leeds. I have noticed myself that hehesitates more than he did a short time since, and sometimes, instead ofjoining in the conversation, he sits moody and silent; and he isbeginning to resent being looked after and checked."

  "Yes; he said to me the other day quite angrily, 'I don't want to betreated as a child or a helpless invalid, doctor. I took a mile walkyesterday. I am beginning to feel quite myself again; it will do me aworld of good to be back in London, and to drive down to the club and tohave a chat with my old friends again.'"

  "Well, I think it best that he should not be thwarted. You have lookedat the scars from time to time, I suppose?"

  "Yes; there has been no change in them, they are very red, but he tellsme--and what is more to the point, his man tells me--that they havealways been so."

  "What do you think, Leeds? Will he ever be himself again? Watching thecase from day to day as you have done, your opinion is worth a good dealmore than mine."

  "I have not the slightest hope of it," the young doctor replied quietly."I have seen as complete wrecks as he is gradually pull themselves roundagain, but they have been cases where they have been the victims ofdrink or of some malady from which they had been restored by asuccessful operation. In his case we have failed altogether to determinethe cause of his attack, or the nature of it. We have been feeling inthe dark, and hitherto have failed to discover a clew that we couldfollow up. So far there has been no recurrence of his first seizure,but, with returning strength and returning brain work, it is in myopinion more than likely that we shall have another recurrence of it.The shock has been a tremendous one to the system. Were he a younger manhe might have rallied from it, but I doubt whether at his age he willever get over it. Actually he is, I believe, under seventy; physicallyand mentally, he is ninety."

  "That is so, and between ourselves I cannot but think that a longcontinuance of his life is not to be desired. I believe with you that hewill be a confirmed invalid, requiring nursing and humoring like achild, and for the sake of Miss Covington and all around him one cannotwish that his life should be prolonged."

  "I trust that, when the end comes, Dr. Pearson, it will be gradual andpainless, and that there will be no recurrence of that dreadfulseizure."

  "I hope so indeed. I have seen many men in bad fits, but I never sawanything to equal that. I can assure you that several of the men whowere present--men who had gone through a dozen battles--were completelyprostrated by it. At least half a dozen of them, men whom I had neverattended before, knowing that I had been present, called upon me withinthe next two or three days for advice, and were so evidently completelyunstrung that I ordered them an entire change of scene at once, andrecommended them to go to Homburg, take the waters, and play at thetables; to do anything, in fact, that would distract their minds fromdwelling upon the painful scene that they had witnessed. Had it not beenfor that, one would have had no hesitation in assigning his illness tosome obscure form of paralysis; as it is, it is unaccountable. Except,"he added, with a smile, "by your theory of poison."

  The younger doctor did not smile in return. "It is the only cause that Ican assign for it," he said gravely. "The more I study the case, themore I investigate the writings of medical men in India and on the Eastand West Coast of Africa, the more it seems to me that the attack wasthe work of a drug altogether unknown to European science, but known toObi women, fetich men, and others of that class in Africa. In some ofthe accounts of people accused of crime by fetich men, and given liquorto drink, which they are told will not affect them if innocent, but willkill them if guilty, I find reports of their being seized with instantand violent convulsions similar to those that you witnessed. Theseconvulsions often end in death; sometimes, where, I suppose, the dosewas larger than usual, the man drops dead in his tracks while drinkingit. Sometimes he dies in convulsions; at other times he recoverspartially and lingers on, a mere wreck, for some months. In other cases,where, I suppose, the dose was a light one, and the man's relatives wereready to pay the fetich man handsomely, the recovery was speedy andcomplete; that is to say, if, as is usually the case, the man was notput to death at once upon the supposed proof of his guilt. By whatpossible means such poison could have found its way to England, forthere is no instance of its nature being divulged to Europeans, I knownot, nor how it could have been administered; but I own that it is stillthe only theory by which I can account for the General's state. I neednot say that I should never think of giving the slightest hint to anyonebut yourself as to my opinion in the matter, and trust most sincerelythat I am mistaken; but although I have tried my utmost I cannotovercome the conviction that the theory is a correct one, and I think,Dr. Pearson, that if you were to look into the accounts of the variousways in which the poisons are sold by old negro women to those anxiousto get rid of enemies or persons whose existence is inconvenient tothem, and by the fetich men in these ordeals, you will
admit at leastthat had you been practicing on the West Coast, and any white man therehad such an attack as that through which the General has passed, youwould without hesitation have put it down to poison by some negro whohad a grudge against him."

  "No doubt, no doubt," the other doctor admitted; "but, you see, we arenot on the West Coast. These poisons are, as you admit, absolutelyunobtainable by white men from the men and women who prepare them. Ifobtainable, when would they have been brought here, and by whom? Andlastly, by whom administered, and from what motive? I admit all that yousay about the African poisons. I lately had a long talk about them witha medical man who had been on the coast for four or five years, butuntil these other questions can be answered I must refuse to believethat this similarity is more than accidental, and in any possible waydue to the same cause."

  "That is what I have told myself scores of times, and it would be arelief to me indeed could I find some other explanation of the matter.Then, you think that he had better come up to London?"

  "I leave the matter in your hands, Dr. Leeds. I would give him a fewdays longer and try the effect of a slight sedative; possibly his desireto get up to town may die out. If so, he is without doubt better here.If, however, you see that his irritation increases, and he becomes moreand more set upon it, by all means take him up. How would you do so? Byrail or road?"

  "Certainly by rail. I have been trying to make him feel that he is afree agent, and encouraged him in the belief that he is stronger andbetter. If then I say to him, 'My dear General, you are, of course, freeto do as you like, and it may be that the change will be beneficial toyou; if the ladies can be ready to-morrow, let us start without furtherdelay,' I consider it quite possible that this ready and cheerfulacquiescence may result in his no longer desiring it. One knows that inthis respect sick people are very like fractious children. They settheir minds on some special article of food, as a child does on a toy,and when it comes they will refuse to touch it, as the child will throwthe coveted toy down."

  It turned out so in this case. The moment the General found that thedoctor was willing that he should go up to town, and the ladies quiteready to accompany him at once, he himself began to raise objections.

  "Perhaps it would be as well that we should wait another month," hereplied. A little pretended opposition strengthened this view, and thereturn was postponed. At the end of the month he had made so muchprogress that, when the longing for London was again expressed, Dr.Leeds offered no opposition, and two days later the whole party wentup.