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Dead men's shoes, by the author of 'Lady Audley's secret'.
Dead men's shoes by the author of 'Lady Audley's secret' Author:Mary Elizabeth Braddon Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER VI. A WEDDING EVE. The days pass with a frightful rapidity as it seems to Sibyl after that Tuesday night on which Joel Pilgrim came back from York ... more »with the marriage licence. Stephen Trenchard is ailing, and keeps his room for the greater part of the time, but Dr. Mitsand, a most careful man in all critical cases, comes to Lancaster Lodge only once a day, and there is no hint of danger. The doctor's manner has that pleasant vivacity which suits a trifling derangement of the patient's system. He sits by the bedside and discourses upon local topics—the water company, sewage, and other agreeable subjects. On Thursday morning Sibyl lies in wait for him on the landing outside Mr. Trenchard's room. ' You do not think my uncle very ill, do you, Dr. Mitsand ?' she asks, with evident anxiety, a solicitude which the kindly old doctor thinks highlycreditable to her, and which he remembers afterwards—to her disadvantage. ' Certainly not, my dear Miss Faunthorpe,' he replies, cheerily, ' there is a little prostration; our dear patient is very feeble; that is only to be expected at his time of life. There is a wonderful reserve of vigour about his constitution, exceptional recuperative power; he is all muscle and sinew— no superfluous flesh; and this, taken in conjunction with his temperate habits, would lead one to anticipate a long life. I fear his mind has been a little troubled lately. Very foolish. A man in his position should worry himself about nothing. But no doubt wealth has its responsibilities.' ' Then there is no reason for alarm ?' 'Not the slightest. If there were I should call in my friend Dr. Wilmot, of Krampston, for a consultation. Your uncle's is not a life to be trifled with,' adds Dr. Mitsand, solemnly, as if the life of a millionaire were a much bigge...« less