Alice, or the Mysteries — Book 09

								

her friend's future years,--"stay; I think this question you should
address to Lady Vargrave,--or shall I?"
"As you will,--perhaps I had better write.  Good-day," and Vargrave
hurried away.
He had satisfied himself, but he had another yet to satisfy,--and that,
from certain reasons known but to himself, without bringing the third
person in contact with Lady Vargrave.  On arriving at C----- he wrote,
therefore, to Lady Vargrave as follows:--

MY DEAR FRIEND,--Do not think me impertinent or intrusive--but you know
me too well for that.  A gentleman of the name of Butler is exceedingly
anxious to ascertain if you once lived near -----, in a pretty little
cottage,--Dove, or Dale, or Dell cottage (some such appellation),--and if
you remember a person of his name.  Should you care to give a reply to
these queries, send me a line addressed to London, which I shall get on
my way to Paris.



     Yours most truly,



          VARGRAVE.

As soon as he had concluded, and despatched this letter, Vargrave wrote
to Mr. Winsley as follows:--

MY DEAR SIR,--I am so unwell as to be unable to call on you, or even to
see any one, however agreeable (nay, the more agreeable the more
exciting!).  I hope, however, to renew our personal acquaintance before
quitting C-----.  Meanwhile, oblige me with a line to say if I did not
understand you to signify that you could, if necessary, prove that Lady
Vargrave once resided in this town as Mrs. Butler, a very short time
before she married my uncle, under the name of Cameron, in Devonshire;
and had she not also at that time a little girl,--an infant, or nearly
so,--who must necessarily be the young lady who is my uncle's heiress,
Miss Evelyn Cameron.  My reason for thus troubling you is obvious.  As
Miss Cameron's guardian, I have very shortly to wind up certain affairs
connected with my uncle's will; and, what is more, there is some property
bequeathed by the late Mr. Butler, which may make it necessary to prove
identity.



     Truly yours,



          VARGRAVE.

The answer to the latter communication ran thus:--

"MY LORD,--I am very sorry to hear your lordship is so unwell, and will
pay my respects to-morrow.  I certainly can swear that the present Lady
Vargrave was the Mrs. Butler who resided at C-----, and taught music.
And as the child with her was of the same sex, and about the same age as
Miss Cameron, there can, I should think, be no difficulty in establishing
the identity between that young lady and the child Lady Vargrave had by
her first husband, Mr. Butler; but of this, of course, I cannot speak.



     "I have the honour, etc."

The next morning Vargrave despatched a note to Mr. Winsley, saying that
his health required him to return to town immediately,--and to town, in
fact, he hastened.  The day after his arrival, he received, in a hurried
hand--strangely blurred and blotted, perhaps by tears--this short
letter:--

For Heaven's sake, tell me what you mean!  Yes, yes, I did once reside at