Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-05-22

| French.)
An uncomfortable look of mingled rage
and fear made its plain confession in
Fanny's face. She had been discovered:
she had heard herself called ''drolesse:;"
| she stood before the two men self-con-
demned. Her angry master threatened
her with instant dismissal from the house
The doctor interfered.
| mo, no." he said, you mustn't de-
prive Lady Harry. at moments notice,
of her maid Such clever maid too,'
| he added, with his rascally smile. AN
accomplished person, who understands
French, and is too modest to own it!''
CHAPTER XLI.-FICTION: ATTEMPTED BY MY
/ LORD.
The doctor had led Fanny through many
weary and unrewarded walk. when now
she followed him to the hospitals; he had
| inflicted a deliberate insult by calling her
| "drOleSSe," and he mad completed the sum
of his offense by talking cOntemptuously
Of her modesty and her mastery of the
French language. The woman's detesta-
ton of him, which under ordinary cir
cumstances she might have attempted to
conceal. was urged into audaciously as
sorting itself by the strong excitement
| that now possessed her. Driven to bay,
Fanny made up her mind to discover
the conspiracy of which Mr.. Vimpany
| was the animating spirit by a method dar-
|
| himself
''Mv knowledge of French has told me
! sOmething," she said. 81 have just heard.
| Mr.. Vimpany, that you want a nurse for
| your invalid gentleman. With my lords
| permission, suppose you try me?"
Fannv's audacity was more than her
| masters patience could endure. He or
| dered her to leave the room.
The peace making doctor interfered
again: my dear lord, let me beg you
will not be too hard on the young wo-
man" He turned to Fanny, with an eff
| fort to look indulgent, which ended in the
reappearance of his rascally smile. ''Thank
| you, my dear, for your proposal" he said:
81 will let you know if we accept it. to-
morrow"
Fannr's unforgiving master pointed to
| the door; she thanked Mr.. Vimpany, and
went out. Lord Harry eyed his friend in
angry amazement. Are you mad?" he
| asked.
Tell me something first" the doctor
| reioined. us there any English blood i'll
| your 1amlly?"
Lord Harry answered with a burst of
| patriotic feeling. 81 regret to say my
| family is adulterated in that manner. My
grandmother was an Englishwoman."
| Mr.. Vimpany received this extract from
the page of family history with GOODNESS
Its relief to hear that" he said. You
may be capable (by the grandmother's
| sde) of swallowing a dose of sound En-
! glish sense. | can but try, at any rate.
That woman is too bold and too clever to
| be treated like an ordinary Servant-I in
! cline to believe that she is spy in the en-
| ployment of your wife. Whether | am
| right or wrong in this latter case, the one
way can see of pairing the cats claws is
| to turn her into a nurse. Do you find me
mad uow?"
'Madder than ever"
"Ah, you don't take after your grand
| mother! Now listen to me. Do we run
the smallest risk if Fanny finds it her in
terest TO betray us? Suppose we ask our
selves what she has really found out. She
! knows we have got sick man from u
| hospital coming here-dOes she know what
we want him for? Not she! Neither you
| nor [ said a word on that subject. But
| she also heard US agree that your wife
! was in our way. What does that matter?
| Did she hear US say what it is that we
don't want your wife to discover? Not
she, | tell you again! Very WE'LL then-if
Fanny acts us OXby els nurse, sly as the
| young woman may be, she innocently as
| sociates herself with the end that we
have Q gain by the DANISH genttemau's
| DEATH On, you needn't look alarmed!
| mean his natural death by lung disease
no crime. my noble friend-no crimer'
The Irish lord, sitting near the doctor,
drew his chair back in a hurry
eff there's English blood in nv family"
| he declared, ''Ill tell you what, Vimpany,
there's devils blood in yOurs!''
"Anything you like but Irish BLOOD" the
| cont scOundrel rejoined.
AS he made that insolent reply Fannv
| came in again, with a sufficient excuse for
| her temperance. She announced that 4
| person from the hospital wished to speak
| to the English doctor.
The messenger proved to be young man
| employed in the secretary's office. OXbye
| still persisting in his desire 10 be placed
! under Mr.. Vimpany's care. one last re-
| sponsibility rested on the official gentle
| men now in charge of him.
They could implicitly trust the medical
assistance and the gracious hospitality Of
| fered to the poor Danish patient; but, be-
fore he left them, they must also be salts
| fled that he would be attended by q COM
| petent nurse. II the person whom Mr.
| Flmpany proposed to employ in this Ca
| pacity could be brought to the hospital, it
| would be esteemed favor: and, if her
account of herself satisfied the physician
| In charge of OXbye's case, the Dane might
be removed to his new quarters on the
same day.
The next morning witnessed the first in
| series of domestic incidents at the cot
tage which no prophetic ingenuity could
| have foreseen. Mr. Vimpanv and Fanny
Mere herself left Passy together for Paris.
The day on which the doctor took his
| newly appointed nurse with him to the
| hospital became an occasion associated
with distressing recollections in the mem
DRY of Iris.
| In the morning Fanny Mere had asked
for leave to 90 out. For soma TINA mast
THIS request had been so frequently grant
| ed, with such poor results so far rs the
maids own designs were concerned. that
| Lady Harry decided on administering a
| tacit reproof by means of a refusal. Fan
ny made no attempt at remonstrance; she
/ left the room in silence
| Half an hour later Iris had occasion to
ring for her attendant. The bell was an
| swered by the cook, who announced, in
explanation of her appearance, that Fanny
| Mere had gone out. More distressed than
displeased by this reckless disregard of
her authority on the part of woman who
had hitherto expressed the most grateful
| sense of her kindness, Iris only said.
! Send Fanny to me as soon as she comes
| back. "
Two hours passed before the truant maid
| returned.
| Il refused to let you 60 out this morn
| ing" Lady Harry said. land you have
! taken the liberty of leaving the house for
two hours. You might have made me un-
| derstand, in a more becoming manner,
that you intended to leave my service"
| Steadily respectful, Fanny answered:
Il don't wish to Leave your ladyship's SER
vice"
Then what does your conduct means"
! sit means, il you please, that / had a