"Of course it is," she said, in startled surprise, "why should you doubt it?"
"I _don"t_ doubt it," said I, "but I"m sorely puzzled. Why is it not Willis?"
"Why?" exclaimed Edie, with a little laugh, "because I am the daughter of Granny Willis"s daughter--not of her son. My father"s name was Blythe!"
The simplicity of this explanation, and my gross stupidity in quietly a.s.suming from the beginning, as a matter of course, that the lost Edie"s name was the same as her grandmother"s, burst upon me in its full force.
The delusion had been naturally perpetuated by Mrs Willis never speaking of her lost darling except by her Christian name. For a few seconds I was silent, then I exploded in almost an hysterical fit of laughter, in the midst of which I was interrupted by the sudden entrance of my doggie, who had returned from a walk with Robin, and began to gambol round his mistress as if he had not seen her for years.
"Oh, sir! I say! I"ve diskivered all about--"
Little Slidder had rushed excitedly into the room, but stopped abruptly on observing Miss Blythe, who was looking from him to me with intense surprise.
Before another word could be said, a servant entered:--
"Please, Miss Blythe, Doctor McTougall wishes to see you in his study."
She left us at once.
"Now, Robin," said I, with emphasis, "sit down on that chair, opposite me, and let"s hear all about it."
The excited boy obeyed, and Dumps, leaping on another chair beside him, sat down to listen, with ears erect, as if he knew what was coming.
"Oh, sir! you never--such a go!" began Robin, rubbing his hands together slowly as he spoke. "The Slogger! he twigged "er at once. You"ll open your eyes so wide that you"ll never git "em shut again, w"en you hears.
No, I never _did_ see such a lark! Edie"s found! I"ve seen her! She ain"t the Queen--oh no; nor yet one o" the Queen"s darters--by no means; nor yet a d.u.c.h.ess--oh dear no, though she"s like one. Who d"ye think she is? But you"ll never guess."
"I"ll try," said I, with a quiet smile, for I had subdued myself by that time.
"Try away then--who?"
"Miss Edith Blythe!"
On hearing this, little Slidder"s eyes began to open and glisten till they outshone his own b.u.t.tons.
"Why--how--ever--did you come to guess it?" gasped the boy, on recovering himself.
"I did not guess it, I found it out. Do you suppose that n.o.body can find out things except Sloggers and pages in b.u.t.tons?"
"Oh, sir, _do_ tell!" entreated the boy.
I did tell, and after we had each told all that we knew, we mentally hugged ourselves, and grew so facetious over it that we began to address Dumps personally, to that intelligent creature"s intense satisfaction.
"Now, Robin," said I, "we must break this _very_ cautiously to the old lady and Miss Blythe."
"Oh, in course--we-r-y cautiously," a.s.sented the urchin, with inconceivable earnestness.
"Well, then, off you go and fetch my greatcoat. We"ll go visit Mrs Willis at once."
"At vunce," echoed Robin, as he ran out of the room, with blazing cheeks and sparkling eyes.
"Lilly," said Dr McTougall, as Edith entered his consulting-room. "I"m just off to see a patient who is very ill, and there is another who is not quite so ill, but who also wants to see me. I"ll send you to the latter as my female a.s.sistant, if you will go. Her complaint is chiefly mental. In fact, she needs comfort more than physic, and I know of no one who is comparable to you in that line. Can you go?"
"Certainly, with pleasure. I"ll go at once."
"Her name," said the doctor, "is Willis.--By the way, that reminds me of your loss, dear girl," he continued in a lower tone, as he gently took her hand, "but I would not again arouse your hopes. You know how many old women of this name we have seen without finding her."
"Yes, I know too well," returned poor Edith, while the tears gathered in her eyes. "I have long ago given up all hope."
But notwithstanding her statement Edith had not quite given way to despair. In spite of herself her heart fluttered a little as she sped on this mission to the abode of _another_ old Mrs Willis.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN.
THE LAST.
When Robin and I reached the abode of our old friend--in a state, let me add, of almost irrepressible excitement--we found her seated in the old arm-chair by the window, gazing sadly out on the prospect.
It was not now the prospect of red brick and water-spout, with a remote distance of chimney--cans and cats, which had crushed the old lady"s spirit in other days--by no means. There was a picturesque little court, with an old pump in the centre to awaken the fancy, and frequent visits from more or less diabolical street-boys, to excite the imagination. Beyond that there was the mews, in which a lively scene of variance between horses and men was enacted from morning till night--a scene which derived much additional charm from the fact that Mrs Willis, being short-sighted, formed fearfully incorrect estimates of men, and beasts, and things in general.
"Well, granny, how are you?" said I, seating myself on a stool beside her, and thinking how I should begin.
"Pretty griggy--eh?" inquired little Slidder.
"Ah! there you are, my dear boys," said the old lady, who had latterly got to look upon me and my _protege_ as brothers. "You are always sure to come, whoever fails me."
"Has any one failed you to-day, granny?" I asked.
"Yes, Dr McTougall has," she replied as petulantly as it was possible for her to speak. "I"ve been feeling very low and weak to-day, and sent for him; but I suppose he thinks it"s only imagination. Well, well, perhaps it is," she added, after a pause, and with a little sigh. "I"m very foolish, no doubt."
"No, granny," said I, "you"re not foolish,"--("Contrariwise, wery much the reverse," interrupted Slidder)--"and I"m glad that I chanced to come in, because, perhaps, I may be able to prescribe for you as well as he."
"Better, dear boy, better"--("That"s it, cheer up!" from Slidder)--"and it always does me a world of good to see your handsome face."
"Well, granny," said I, with a flutter at my heart, as I looked up at her thin careworn face, and began to break the ice with caution, "I"ve come--I--there"s a little piece of--of--"
"Now then, dig in the spurs, doctor, an" go at it--neck or nuffin","
murmured my impatient companion.
"What are you saying, Robin?" asked Mrs Willis, with a slightly anxious look. "There"s nothing wrong, I hope?"
"No, no; nothing wrong, granny," said I, hastening to the point; "very much the reverse. But--but--you heard of my accident, of course?" I said, suddenly losing heart and beating about the bush.
"Stuck again!" murmured Slidder, in a tone of disgust.
"Yes, yes; I heard of it. You don"t mean to say that you"re getting worse?" said the old lady, with increasing anxiety.
"Oh no! I"m better--much better. Indeed, I don"t think I ever felt so well in my life; and I"ve just heard a piece of good news, which, I"m quite sure, will make you very glad--very glad indeed!"
"Go it, sir! Another burst like that and you"ll be clear out o" the wood," murmured Slidder.