A Civil Contract

decide to follow your advice, I’ll tell him myself. I own, I’m strongly tempted to do so. I believe Jenny would be better at Fontley. But — ” He paused, and then said worriedly: “I think I ought to get another doctor to her before taking such a step. Croft wishes to keep her under his eye — hints at all manner of complications. I haven’t the knowledge to judge the case myself; I can’t even say that she was well before we came back to town: she has been unwell from the outset — though I thought she seemed to be going on a degree more prosperously at Fontley. I agree that it was a thousand pities Mr Chawleigh should have alarmed her with his forebodings, but how can I brush them aside on nothing but your advice, aunt, and my own wholly unskilled judgment? If she were to be taken suddenly ill — ? If she were to endure a difficult labour — ?”

A just woman, Lady Nassington considered this dispassionately. “Very true,” she said. “I have frequently observed that you have a great deal of good sense, my dear Lynton. You cannot do better than to call upon Sir William Knighton for his opinion. I give you leave to say that you come to him on my recommendation. I have a high opinion of his skill. I venture to think you will be pleased with him.” She added dryly: “And if you should encounter any objection from Chawleigh, you may inform him that Sir William is one of the Prince Regent’s physicians. That, unless I mistake, which is not at all likely, will reconcile him to the change!”

So, three days later, Jenny prepared to receive yet another doctor. Adam brought him up to her room, but he did not stay, as she had made him promise he would. He merely introduced Sir William to her, smiled reassuringly, and withdrew, leaving her with only Martha to protect her from this new ogre.

But Sir William, whom the Prince Regent declared to be the best-mannered doctor he had ever known, was not at all ogreish. Within a very few minutes, Jenny’s prickles were laid, and Miss Pinhoe, at first standing, dragon- like, beside her chair, had retired into the background, and was endorsing the doctor’s utterances with wise nods. Usually inarticulate, Jenny found herself able to talk quite freely, telling this understanding listener far more about herself than she would have thought possible. When he took his leave, he said with his pleasant smile: “Well, do you know, Lady Lynton, I think your good father has refined a little too much on your mother’s misfortunes. I am going to tell his lordship that in my opinion he should take you into the country, and see to it that you have plenty of fresh milk, and cream, and good country-butter. How much I envy you! a beautiful place, Fontley Priory! I recall that I was once taken to visit it, on a Public Day. Goodbye: I shall hope to hear — indeed, I feel sure Ishall hear — of your happy delivery, ma’am!”

She held out her hand to him, and when he took it, bowing, held it tightly, saying: “Thank you! I am so much obliged to you — I can’t tell you!” Her feelings choked her; she could only squeeze his hand fervently, and look speakingly up into his face.

Sir William then went downstairs, to talk to Adam, over a glass of sherry. He did not utter one word in disparagement of Dr Croft: indeed, he referred to him as his distinguished colleague. He said that he had the greatest admiration for his skill, and could testify to some of his remarkable achievements in cases thought to be quite hopeless. But it sometimes happened — as no doubt his lordship had noticed in other fields — that men of genius were inclined to run amuck on what he ventured to call pet theories. In short, treatment which was admirable in some cases might well be deleterious in others. Perhaps Dr Croft, relying too much on the information given him by her ladyship’s parent, had not sufficiently considered the constitution of his patient’s mind. Possibly her ladyship’s very deep reserve had made it difficult for her to confide in him. For his part, Sir William believed that it was of paramount importance that ladies in delicate situations should be contented. He could discover no reason for supposing that complications would render her ladyship’s confinement perilous; but if my lord felt that the Family Practitioner might need advice and assistance he would be happy to furnish him with the name of an excellent accoucheur, resident in Peterborough.

After that, the two gentlemen enjoyed a pleasant chat about Spain, which interesting country Sir William had visited in 1809, when, as his medical adviser, he had accompanied Lord Wellesley there, and by the time they shook hands on the doorstep Adam entertained quite as good an opinion of Sir William as did his Aunt Nassington.

He went upstairs, to find Jenny radiant, and Lydia triumphant. Jenny stammered: “He says I am to go home! Not to lower myself any more! He says there’s nothing amiss with me but being blue-devilled! Oh, I am so much obliged to you for bringing him to see me!”

Only one circumstance marred her joy: she was afraid Papa would be very angry, might even forbid her to leave London: did Adam think that if Papa saw Sir William Knighton himself he might consent to let her go?

“Pooh!” said Lydia saucily. “Only let me talk to Papa Chawleigh!”

“Lydia, you shouldn’t call him that! I know your mama wouldn’t like it!” said Jenny.

“Well, that’s of no consequence, because she doesn’t know anything about it, and I shouldn’t think she ever would know. I am deeply attached to Papa Chawleigh, and he likes it! Shall I go to visit him in the City tomorrow, to tell him what has been decided?”

“No, miss, you shall not!” replied Adam. He smiled at Jenny. “How soon can you be ready to leave town? Do you want this hoyden to go with us, or shall we send her back to Bath?”

“No, indeed! Of course I want her! But Papa — ”

“My dear, stop teasing yourself about your papa! I shall see him tomorrow, and tell him just what Knighton said to me.”

“I don’t wish you to quarrel with him!” she blurted out

“I won’t!” he promised.

Knowing her father, she could not be satisfied; she tried to tell him that it would be wiser if she were to break the news to Mr Chawleigh herself; but he only laughed, and recommended her to turn her attention to all the shopping he was persuaded she must want to do before leaving town.

He kept his word to her, and she never knew how great a strain had been imposed upon his temper, any more than the goggling clerks in the counting-house knew how vainly their employer’s too-audible fury had expended itself against the barrier of my lord’s good-breeding.

When he entered the establishment from which Mr Chawleigh directed his many commercial activities his appearance created a considerable stir. He had never before visited Mr Chawleigh at his place of. business, but there was no one within its portals who did not know that Miss Chawleigh had married into the cream of society, and very few who were not agog to obtain a glimpse of her lord.

It was not until he handed in his visiting card, with a request that it should be taken to Mr Chawleigh, that he attracted any particular attention from the busy clerks in the counting-house, for although he was always dressed with propriety, and a certain military neatness, he flaunted none of the hall-marks of the Dandy, or the Corinthian. But the clerk who received his card contrived to allow one of his fellows a glimpse of it as he bore it off, and long before Mr Chawleigh had surged out of his private office to greet his son-in-law, the whisper that it was Miss Chawleigh’s husband had run round the large room.

“Come in, my lord, come in!” Mr Chawleigh adjured him. “This is a surprise, and no mistake! And what brings you into the City, I wonder? Nothing amiss, is there?” he added, in a suddenly sharpened voice.

“No, nothing at all, sir. It’s merely that I want to talk to you. Are you very busy, or can you spare me a few minutes?”

“Ay, as many as you like! Step into my office, my lord — and see to it I’m not disturbed, Stickney!”

He ushered Adam into his room, shooting a suspicious, side-long glance at him as he did so. He wondered if my lord had run into Dun territory, but it didn’t seem likely, for he had no expensive tastes, and, as far as could be discovered, he wasn’t a gamester either.

“Now, what can I do for you, my lord?” he asked jovially, having seen Adam comfortably seated, and lowered his own massive form into the chair behind his desk.

“Why, nothing, sir! I’ve come to talk to you about Jenny.”

“Ay, have you? Well? You said there was naught amiss, so I take it she ain’t ill?”

“No — that is to say, no worse than when you saw her last week. On the other hand, she’s not at all well, and she grows no better. I’ve never concealed from you that I don’t think Croft’s treatment the right one for her — ”

“Much you know about it!” growled Mr Chawleigh. “Now look’ee, my lord! — ”

“ — and so, yesterday, I brought in Sir William Knighton to see her.”

“Oh, you did, did you? Never thought of consulting me, I collect?”

“No,” agreed Adam tranquilly. “I knew what your opinion was, sir.”