At a reasonable time after dinner I propose to lead the conversation back again -- as inartificially as I can -- to the subject of the Diamond, and of the Indian conspiracy to steal it.When I have filled his mind with these topics, I shall have done all that it is in my power to do, before the time comes for giving him the second dose.*Half-past eight.-- I have only this moment found an opportunity of attending to the most important duty of all; the duty of looking in the family medicine-chest, for the laudanum which Mr.Candy used last year.
Ten minutes since, I caught Betteredge at an unoccupied moment, and told him what I wanted.Without a word of objection, without so much as an attempt to produce his pocket-book, he led the way (making allowances for me at every step) to the store-room in which the medicine-chest is kept.
I discovered the bottle, carefully guarded by a glass stopper tied over with leather.The preparation which it contained was, as I had anticipated, the common Tincture of Opium.Finding the bottle still well filled, I have resolved to use it, in preference to employing either of the two preparations with which I had taken care to provide myself, in case of emergency.
The question of the quantity which I am to administer presents certain difficulties.I have thought it over, and have decided on increasing the dose.
My notes inform me that Mr.Candy only administered twenty-five minims.
This is a small dose to have produced the results which followed -- even in the case of a person so sensitive as Mr.Blake.I think it highly probable that Mr.Candy gave more than he supposed himself to have given -- knowing, as I do, that he has a keen relish of the pleasures of the table, and that he measured out the laudanum on the birthday, after dinner.In any case, I shall run the risk of enlarging the dose to forty minims.On this occasion, Mr.Blake knows beforehand that he is going to take the laudanum -- which is equivalent, physiologically speaking, to his having (unconsciously to himself) a certain capacity in him to resist the effects.If my view is right, a larger quantity is therefore imperatively required, this time, to repeat the results which the smaller quantity produced, last year.*Ten o'clock.-- The witnesses, or the company (which shall I call them?)reached the house an hour since.
A little before nine o'clock I prevailed on Mr.Blake to accompany me to his bedroom; stating, as a reason, that I wished him to look round it, for the last time, in order to make quite sure that nothing had been forgotten in the refurnishing of the room.I had previously arranged with Betteredge, that the bedchamber prepared for Mr.Bruff should be the next room to Mr.
Blake's, and that I should be informed of the lawyer's arrival by a knock at the door.Five minutes after the clock in the hall had struck nine, I heard the knock; and, going out immediately, met Mr.Bruff in the corridor.
My personal appearance (as usual) told against me.Mr.Bruff's distrust looked at me plainly enough out of Mr.Bruff's eyes.Being well used to producing this effect on strangers, I did not hesitate a moment in saying what I wanted to say, before the lawyer found his way into Mr.Blake's room.
`You have travelled here, I believe, in company with Mrs.Merridew and Miss Verinder?' I said.
`Yes,' answered Mr.Bruff, as drily as might be.
`Miss Verinder has probably told you, that I wish her presence in the house (and Mrs.Merridew's presence of course) to be kept a secret from Mr.Blake, until my experiment on him has been tried first?'
`I know that I am to hold my tongue, sir!' said Mr.Bruff impatiently.
`Being habitually silent on the subject of human folly, I am all the readier to keep my lips closed on this occasion.Does that satisfy you?'
I bowed, and left Betteredge to show him to his room.Betteredge gave me one look at parting, which said, as if in so many words, `You have caught a Tartar, Mr.Jennings--and the name of him is Bruff.'
It was next necessary to get the meeting over with the two ladies.Idescended the stairs--a little nervously, I confess--on my way to Miss Verinder's sitting-room.
The gardener's wife (charged with looking after the accommodation of the ladies) met me in the first-floor corridor.This excellent woman treats me with an excessive civility which is plainly the offspring of downright terror.She stares, trembles, and $$Word$$ whenever I speak to her.On my asking for Miss Verinder, she stared, trembled, and would no doubt have curtseyed next, if Miss Verinder herself had not cut that ceremony short, by suddenly opening her sitting-room door.
`Is that Mr.Jennings?' she asked.
Before I could answer, she came out eagerly to speak to me in the corridor.
We met under the light of a lamp on a bracket.At the first sight of me, Miss Verinder stopped, and hesitated.She recovered herself instantly, coloured for a moment--and then, with a charming frankness, offered me her hand.
`I can't treat you like a stranger, Mr.Jennings,' she said.`Oh, if you only knew how happy your letters have made me!'
1
The misery of many years has not hardened my heart, thank God.I was as awkward and as shy with her, as if I had been a lad in my teens.
`Where is he now?' she asked, giving free expression to her one dominant interest--the interest in Mr.Blake.`What is he doing? Has he spoken of me? Is he in good spirits? How does he bear the sight of the house, after what happened in it last year? When are you going to give him the laudanum?
May I see you pour it out? I am so interested; I am so excited--I have ten thousand things to say to you, and they all crowd together so that I don't know what to say first.Do you wonder at the interest I take in this?'
`No,' I said.`I venture to think that I thoroughly understand it.'
She was far above the paltry affectation of being confused.She answered me as she might have answered a brother or a father.