Blind Policy Part 2

CHAPTER TWO.

A STRANGE CASE.

Two gloveless hands caught Dr Chester's as he entered his consulting-room, and a strange thrill ran through him as a beautiful face, wild-eyed and agitated, was thrust close to his.

"Dr Chester? Oh, at last! Come--quickly! before it is too late."

"Pray be calm," he said, motioning his visitor to a seat, but she threw back her head.

"Come!" she cried imperiously. "The brougham is at the door. Quick!

He is dying."

"Pray explain yourself, madam," said the doctor.

"Oh, how can you be so cold-blooded? Man, I tell you that Robert is dying. He must not--he shall not die. Come--come!"

"But, my dear madam!"

"I'll explain everything as we go," cried the visitor, pa.s.sionately, as she drew him towards the door. "A terrible accident. Come and save his life."

At another time Fred Chester might have hesitated, but there was a strange magnetism in the eyes of his beautiful visitor--an appeal in the quivering lip. Every feature was drawn by the agitation from which she suffered. It was his profession to help in emergencies--evidently some terrible crisis had arisen, and he felt it impossible to resist.

He threw open the door, there was a faint gasp of satisfaction as he caught up his hat, and the next moment, with his visitor holding still tightly by his hand, he was descending the broad steps, perfectly ignorant of the fact that Aunt Grace was standing at the top of the first flight of stairs, watching intently.

By the light of the gas lamps Chester saw a handsomely-appointed brougham drawn up at the kerb. His companion said the one word "Home,"

then stepped quickly into the carriage, the doctor followed, and they were driven off at a rapid pace.

The night was dark, and it was by flashes of the lamps they pa.s.sed that he had glimpses of the beautiful, quivering face leaning earnestly toward his. He was conscious of the delicate scent emanating from the dress; the warm perfumed breath reached his face, and there was, as it were, a magic in the contact with her rustling robe, as they sped along the streets. A wild intoxication seemed to have seized upon him in those moments, before he could master himself sufficiently to say--

"Will you explain the accident?"

"Yes, yes, as soon as I can speak," was panted out. "I--I--ah--h--ah!"

The speaker lurched toward him, and he caught her, fainting, in his arms. But her strong will mastered the weakness, and she struggled free.

"Better now," she panted. "Doctor, we had heard of you, I came myself.

He is dying. Oh, faster--faster!" she cried, and leaning forward she beat upon the front window, there was a quick movement on the part of the driver, and the horses seemed to fly.

"It was like this. We were at dessert. Robert was examining a pistol.

It went off, and he is horribly wounded. Dr Chester, oh, for Heaven's sake, save my poor boy's life!"

"With Heaven's help, madam, I will," said the doctor, earnestly, "if we are not too late."

"Too late--too late? Oh no, no, no, we cannot be too late! Quicker!

Quicker! These horses seem to crawl. Oh, it is too horrible--too horrible! I cannot bear it!"

By a quick, impulsive movement the speaker threw herself forward, to sink upon her knees in the bottom of the brougham, pressing her hands to her mouth, and resting her face upon them against the padded cushion by the front window; while, feeling strangely moved, Chester leaned slightly over her with his hands half raised, in the desire he dared not gratify, to raise her to her seat and whisper gentle words of comfort.

At that time it did not occur to him that it seemed strange for a gentleman--he must be a gentleman; everything suggested it--to be handling a pistol at dessert. All he could think of was the terrible suffering of his companion, and his attention was centred upon her as he saw the agony she suffered, while as yet he could do nothing.

She sprang up as suddenly as she had thrown herself down, and her voice and look thrilled him again as she said sharply--

"I can't pray: it is too horrible. Don't notice me; don't speak to me, please, doctor. I am half mad."

She flung herself back in the corner and covered her face with her hands, while, totally oblivious of the direction taken by the driver, Chester sat back in his own place, gazing at his companion, and weaving a romance.

It was some story of love, he told himself--love and jealousy--for the woman at his side was beautiful enough to tempt a saint. That was it, he was sure, and the distracted husband had attempted to or had committed suicide.

"What is it to me?" he said to himself, fiercely, and he wondered now that he should have been so strangely moved. His professional instincts had the mastery again, and for the first time he looked out through the drawn-up gla.s.s to try and see what street they were in. But at that moment his companion started again.

"Shall we never be there?" she cried in her agony. "Ah! at last!"

For the horses were pulled up suddenly, there was a flash of light from an open hall, and a gentleman ran down and tore open the brougham door.

"Brought him?"

"Yes, yes!" cried the lady, springing out and turning to s.n.a.t.c.h at the doctor's wrist and hurry him up the steps.

Once more the strange thrill ran through Fred Chester's nerves and his heart throbbed heavily. Then they were inside a handsome entry, and he saw statuary, pictures, a cl.u.s.ter of electric lights, in rapid sequence, as he hurried over soft carpets to the back of the house, and into a handsome dining-room in which some eight or nine ladies and gentlemen in evening dress were cl.u.s.tered about a couch drawn up near a table covered with gla.s.s and plate, flowers, fruit, and the signs of the interrupted dessert, seen by a bouquet of soft incandescent lights.

The sight of the figure on the couch was enough, and Chester was fully himself as his companion ran to the sufferer, threw herself on her knees, and kissed the white face there.

"Be my own brave boy," she whispered hoa.r.s.ely. "The doctor is here."

"Be kind enough to leave the room, all but two of you gentlemen," said Chester, sternly.

"No; I shall stay," cried the lady, firmly, as she threw off the thick mantilla and fur-lined cloak, to stand there bare-armed and palpitating.

"I will not leave you, Rob," she cooed over the wounded man. "Doctor, I will be nurse."

The doctor bowed his head, and as all left the room but two of the gentlemen, he hurriedly made his examination, and probed in vain for the bullet, which had pa.s.sed in under the left shoulder-blade, inflicting a dangerous wound, against which, at intervals, the lady pressed her handkerchief.

The patient bore all with remarkable fort.i.tude, and in the moments of his greatest agony set his teeth and held on by his nurse's hand, while she bent down from time to time from watching every movement of the doctor, and pressed her trembling lips to the sufferer's hand.

At last the examination was over, and the wounded man lay very white and still; while Chester made use of a finger-gla.s.s and napkin to remove the ugly marks from the white hands.

"Drink this, doctor," whispered one of the gentlemen who had waited upon him, no servant having been seen.

Chester, who had had eyes only for his patient, turned sharply, and took a tumbler of Burgundy from the well-bred man who offered it, drank a few mouthfuls, and set the gla.s.s down close by the weapon which had caused the wound, and which lay near a dish containing a large pine.

Chester raised his brows a little as he now saw the richness of the table appointments, and at the same time grasped the fact that he was in some wealthy home. Then this was endorsed as he turned and his eyes lit upon the lady kneeling on the other side of the couch, pale and beautiful, for he noted that she had magnificent diamonds in her hair, about her neck, and clasped upon her soft white wrists.

"Say something, doctor," she whispered pleadingly.

"I cannot, madam, yet."

"But he will live?" she wailed.

"Please G.o.d, madam. Gentlemen, the case is serious," he said, turning to those who were watching him. "I should like someone else called in for consultation."

"No," said one of the gentlemen, decisively. "If you cannot save him, no one can."