n she checked herself. "Yesterday and to-day, my lady, things
have come to my knowledge which I must not keep to myself," the
resolute woman continued. "If a servant may say such a thing without
offence, I have never been so truly my mistress's friend as I am now. I
beg you to forgive my boldness; there is a reason for it."

So she spoke, with no presumption in her looks, with no familiarity in
her manner. The eyes of her friendless mistress filled with tears, the
offered hand of her friendless mistress answered in silence. Fanny took
that kind hand, and pressed it respectfully--a more demonstrative woman
than herself might perhaps have kissed it. She only said, "Thank you,
my lady," and went on with what she felt it her duty to relate.

As carefully as usual, as quietly as usual, she repeated the
conversation, at Lord Harry's table; describing also the manner in
which Mr. Vimpany had discovered her as a person who understood the
French language, and who had cunningly kept it a secret. In this
serious state of things, the doctor--yes, the doctor himself!--had
interfered to protect her from the anger of her master, and, more
wonderful still, for a reason which it seemed impossible to dispute. He
wanted a nurse for the foreigner whose arrival was expected on that
evening, and he had offered the place to Fanny. "Your ladyship will, I
hope, excuse me; I have taken the place."

This amazing end to the strange events which had just been narrated
proved to be more than Iris was immediately capable of understanding.
"I am in the dark," she confessed. "Is Mr. Vimpany a bolder villain
even than I have supposed him to be?"

"That he most certainly is!" Fanny said with strong conviction. "As to
what he really had in his wicked head when he engaged me, I shall find
that out in time. Anyway, I am the nurse who is to help him. When I
disobeyed you this morning, my lady, it was to go to the hospital with
Mr. Vimpany. I was taken to see the person whose nurse I am to be. A
poor, feeble, polite creature, who looked as if he couldn't hurt a
fly---and yet I promise you he startled me! I saw a likeness, the
moment I looked at him."

"A likeness to anybody whom I know?" Iris asked.

"To the person in all the world, my lady, whom you know most nearly--a
likeness to my master."

"What!"

"Oh, it's no fancy; I am sure of what I say. To my mind, that Danish
man's likeness to my lord is (if you will excuse my language) a nasty
circumsta