His few patients seemed in his two months' absence to have dwindled
considerably in number, and no sooner had he returned than there came
to him from the Board of Guardians a complaint that a pauper had been
neglected by his substitute. In a fit of pride Fitzpiers resigned his
appointment as one of the surgeons to the union, which had been the
nucleus of his practice here.
At the end of a fortnight he came in-doors one evening to Grace more
briskly than usual. "They have written to me again about that practice
in Budmouth that I once negotiated for," he said to her. "The premium
asked is eight hundred pounds, and I think that between your father and
myself it ought to be raised. Then we can get away from this place
forever."
The question had been mooted between them before, and she was not
unprepared to consider it. They had not proceeded far with the
discussion when a knock came to the door, and in a minute Grammer ran
up to say that a message had arrived from Hintock House requesting Dr.
Fitzpiers to attend there at once. Mrs. Charmond had met with a slight
accident through the overturning of her carriage.
"This is something, anyhow," said Fitzpiers, rising with an interest
which he could not have defined. "I have had a presentiment that this
mysterious woman and I were to be better acquainted."
The latter words were murmured to himself alone.
"Good-night," said Grace, as soon as he was ready. "I shall be asleep,
probably, when you return."
"Good-night," he replied, inattentively, and went down-stairs. It was
the first time since their marriage that he had left her without a kiss.