Within the Maze: A Novel, Vol. 2 (of 2)Wood, Henry, Mrs.
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Within the Maze: A Novel, Vol. 2 (of 2)
Wood, Henry, Mrs.
English fiction -- 19th century
"Hush!" said Karl. "No noise. It is indeed my most unfortunate
brother."
"Did he come to life again?--Did Sir Adam come to life again?"
reiterated the wondering surgeon in his perplexity.
"He did not die."
They went together to the Maze after dark, Karl letting the doctor in
with his own key. The whole history had been revealed to him. Nothing
was kept back, save a small matter or two connected with the means of
Sir Adam's daily concealment: of those no living soul without the Maze
was cognisant, save three: Karl, Hewitt, and Smith the agent. Mr.
Moore was entrusted with it later, but not at first. During the
lifetime of a medical man, it falls to his lot to hear some curious
family secrets, as it had to Mr. Moore; but he had never met with one
half so strange and romantic as this.
Sir Adam had dismissed the signs of his illness, and--it will hardly
be credited--attired himself in evening dress. With the departure of
Mr. Tatton, old habits resumed their sway, with all their surrounding
incaution. Mr. Moore saw the same tall, fine man, with the white and
even teeth, that he had caught the transient glimpse of in the
uncertain twilight some weeks before. The same, but with a difference:
for the face was shrunken now, little more than half the size it had
been then. In the past week or two he had changed rapidly. He met them
when they entered--it was in the upstairs sitting-room: standing at
the door erect, his head thrown back. Mr. Moore put out his hand; but
the other did not take it.
"Do you know all, sir?" he asked.
"All, Sir Adam."
"And you are not my enemy?"
"Your true friend, Sir Adam. Never a truer one shall be about you than
I."
Their hands met then. "But I am not Sir Adam here, you know; I am Mr.
Grey. Ah, doctor, what a life it has been!"
"A life that has done its best to kill him," thought the doctor, as he
sat down. "Why did you not call me in before?" he asked.
"Well, we were afraid. You would be afraid of everybody if you were in
my place and position. Besides, this disease, whatever it may turn out
to be, has developed itself so rapidly that but little time seems to
have been lost. I do not see how you will come in now, if it is to be
a daily visit, without exciting the curiosity of the neighbourhood."
"Oh, nonsense," said the surgeon. "Mrs. Grey has a renewal of illness
and I come in to see her. The curious neighbours will understand if
they are exacting upon the point. Or old Hopley, your gardener--I'm
sure his rheumatism must need a doctor sometimes."
Sir Adam laughed. "Hopley will do best," he said. "And then you know,
doctor, if--if the worst comes to the worst; that is, the worst so far
as sickness is concerned, I can be carried out as Hopley."
"What do you think of him, Mr. Moore?" enquired Karl gravely when the
interview was over.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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