Mrs. Pelham wondered what Tarbot wanted with her, and what news could affect her seriously now that the child was dead; she felt distressed and nervous.
Trembling a little, she followed the doctor into a small room, at the back of the bar. It smelt of cheese and stale beer. Tarbot went to the window and threw it open. There was a fire in the grate.
“That makes the atmosphere more tolerable,” he said. “I am sorry I could not invite you to a nicer room.”
“The room matters nothing,” said Mrs. Pelham. She untied her cloak as she spoke and threw back the crêpe strings of her bonnet. Her crêpe veil was up, her face looked pallid and her dark eyes full of apprehension.
“What is it, Luke? This mystery unnerves me.”
“I have some painful news to give you,” he said; “the best way is to tell you quite simply what I have discovered.”
“You remember that I asked you to let me have the bottle which contained the medicine little Piers took just before he died?”
“I remember quite well, and you took all the medicine bottles away. You said you wanted to work up your case. What is it, Luke, what is the matter?”
“Something very grave has happened,” he replied. “I have hesitated for some weeks to tell you. The fact is, I have known this for over a month; my wife also knows it, for I had to confide in her. For a time I thought I would keep the whole matter to myself, but I found that my conscience would not rest. It seems to me you ought to know, that you are the one to decide. The thing haunts me. I can bear it no longer. That is the reason why I could not come to Pelham Towers to talk the matter over with you, for it concerns—Richard Pelham.”
“But what is it, Luke? I wish you would speak out. I hate people to beat about the bush. You have discovered something in the bottle of medicine. By the way, Dick was very queer when he spoke about that medicine.”
“No wonder,” said Tarbot. “He came to you about it, then? Yes, I remember, he told me so.”
“He did. He said he wanted to get the medicine analyzed. It was a strange wish of his, and it puzzled me at the time. Just as if the dear child had come by his death by foul means! Luke, what is it?”
Mrs. Pelham had been seated. Now she stood upright, for something in the face of the doctor had overbalanced her self-control. Holding out both her hands, she clasped those of Luke Tarbot.