The same night Captain Wragge was in
London, and was closeted with the sailor in the second-floor room at
Aaron's Buildings.
The serious nature of the situation, the indisputable certainty that
Kirke must fail in tracing Magdalen's friends unless he first knew who
she really was, had decided the captain on disclosing part, at least, of
the truth. Declining to enter into any particulars--for family reasons,
which Magdalen might explain on her recovery, if she pleased--he
astounded Kirke by telling him that the friendless woman whom he
had rescued, and whom he had only known up to that moment as Miss
Bygrave--was no other than the youngest daughter of Andrew Vanstone. The
disclosure, on Kirke's side, of his father's connection with the
young officer in Canada, had followed naturally on the revelation of
Magdalen's real name. Captain Wragge had expressed his surprise, but had
made no further remark at the time. A fortnight later, however, when
the patient's recovery forced the serious difficulty on the doctor of
meeting the questions which Magdalen was sure to ask, the captain's
ingenuity had come, as usual, to the rescue.
"You can't tell her the truth," he said, "without awakening painful
recollections of her stay at Aldborough, into which I am not at liberty
to enter.
Pages:
1148
1149
1150
1151
1152
1153
1154
1155
1156
1157
1158
1159
1160
1161
1162
1163
1164
1165
1166
1167
1168
1169
1170
1171
1172