Detective and mystery stories; English fiction -- 19th century
_Nov._ 4.--What a day this has been! I feel quite tired out with the
excitement, and yet I cannot make up my mind to go to bed until I have
written it all down. In the first place, this is to be my last visit
from Rosalie, at all events till they come back from the continent.
I cannot help perceiving that William is not altogether sorry that
she is going. Dear fellow! I do really believe that he is more than
half jealous of my extraordinary feeling for her. And certainly it is
extraordinary that a woman quite in another class of life, of whom
one knows nothing, should have taken such a hold upon one. I suppose
it must be the mesmerism, which certainly is a very mysterious thing.
If it is so, it is at all events very fortunate it did not take that
turn with the Baron himself. Ugh! I can really begin to understand now
all the objections I thought so foolish and so tiresome three or four
months ago, before Rosalie first came. And yet, after all, I don't
think--in spite of mesmerism or anything else--one need ever have been
afraid of liking the Baron too much. I could quite understand being
afraid of him. Rosalie evidently is, and to own the truth so am I a
little, or I should not have been beaten in that way to-day. To-day
was my last _séance_ with Rosalie, and I had made up my mind to get
the Baron out of the way, and try and get something out of Rosalie.
They came at two o'clock as usual, and as I thought I would not lose a
chance, I had got dear William to lie in wait in his study, and call
to the Baron as he passed, in hopes that Rosalie would come up alone.
That was no use, however, for the Baron kept his stout little self
perseveringly between her and the staircase, and when I went--thinking
to be very clever--to the top of the staircase and called to her
to come up, it only gave him an excuse for breaking away from poor
William altogether, and coming straight up to me before her. I _was_
so provoked, I could hardly be civil. Well, of course the Baron was in
a great hurry, and we went to work at once with the mesmerising. When
that was done, we both tried to keep them talking, and I made signs to
William to get the Baron out of the way. I was really beginning to get
quite anxious about it, and kept on repeating over and over to myself
the two German words I had learned on purpose from Jane Morgan this
morning. It was no use, however, and I began to grow quite nervous;
and I am quite sure Rosalie saw what I was wanting, for she seemed to
get fidgety too, and then that made me more nervous still. At last the
Baron declared he must go, and they both got up to leave. William would
have given it up, but he says I looked so imploringly at him he could
not resist, so made one more effort by asking the Baron to come into
his study for a short private consultation. This he refused, saying
he had not time, but could say anything needful where we were. Then
William told me to take Rosalie into the next room, but the Baron would
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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