"Is my mistress at home?"
"No; she is not." He made no movement to let her pass.
"I will come in, please, and wait for her."
He still stood in the way.
"What time will she return?"
"Have you heard from her?"
"No."
"Did she leave orders that you were to follow her?"
"No; none that I received. I thought--"
"Servants should never think. They should obey."
"I know my duty, Dr. Vimpany, without learning it from you. Will you
let me pass?"
He withdrew, and she entered.
"Come in, by all means," he said, "if you desire my society for a short
time. But you will not find your mistress here."
"Not here! Where is she, then?"
"Had you waited in London for a day or two you would, I dare say, have
been informed. As it is, you have had your journey for nothing."
"Has she not been here?"
"She has not been here."
"Dr. Vimpany," said the woman, driven to desperation, "I don't believe
you! I am certain she has been here. What have you done with her?"
"Don't you believe me? That is sad, indeed. But one cannot always help
these wanderings. You do not believe me? Melancholy, truly!"
"You may mock as much as you like. Where is she?"
"Where, indeed?"
"She left London to join his lordship. Where is he?
"I do not know. He who would answer that question would be a wise man
indeed."
"Can I see him?"
"Certainly not. He has gone away. On a long journey. By himself."
"Then I shall wait for him. Here!" she added with decision. "In this
house!"
"By all means."
She hesitated. There was an easy look about the doctor which she did
not like.
"I believe," she said, "that my mistress is in the house. She must be
in the house. What are you going to do with her? I believe you have put
her somewhere."
"Indeed!"
"You would do anything! I will go to the police."
"If you please."
"Oh! doctor, tell me where she is!"
"You are a faithful servant: it is good, in these days, to find a woman
so zealous on account of her mistress. Come in, good and faithful.
Search the house all over. Come in--what are you afraid of? Put down
your box, and go and look for your mistress." Fanny obeyed. She ran
into the house, opened the doors of the salon and the dining-room one
after the other: no one was there. She ran up the stairs and looked
into her mistress's room: nothing was there, not even a ribbon or a
hair-pin, to show the recent presence of a woman. She looked into Lord
Harry's room. Nothing was there. If a woman leaves hairpins about, a
man leaves his toothbrush: nothing at all was there. Then she threw
open the armoire in each room: nothing behind the doors. She came
downstairs slowly, wondering what it all meant.