Whether he gave his name or concealed his name, when he asked for Mrs.
Vimpany at the house-door, she would in either case refuse to see him.
The one accessible person whom he could consult in this difficulty was
his faithful old servant.
That experienced man--formerly employed, at various times, in the army,
in the police, and in service at a public school--obtained leave to
make some preliminary investigations on the next morning.
He achieved two important discoveries. In the first place, Mrs. Vimpany
was living in the house in which the letter to his master had been
written. In the second place, there was a page attached to the domestic
establishment (already under notice to leave his situation), who was
accessible to corruption by means of a bribe. The boy would be on the
watch for Mr. Mountjoy at two o'clock on that day, and would show him
where to find Mrs. Vimpany, in the room near the sick man, in which she
was accustomed to take her meals.
Hugh acted on his instructions, and found the page waiting to admit him
secretly to the house. Leading the way upstairs, the boy pointed with
one hand to a door on the second floor, and held out the other hand to
receive his money. While he pocketed the bribe, and disappeared,
Mountjoy opened the door.
Mrs. Vimpany was seated at a table waiting for her dinner. When Hugh
showed himself she started to her feet with a cry of alarm.
"Are you mad?" she exclaimed. "How did you get here? What do you want
here? Don't come near me!"
She attempted to pass Hugh on her way out of the room. He caught her by
the arm, led her back to her chair, and forced her to seat herself
again. "Iris is in trouble," he pleaded, "and you can help her."
"The fever!" she cried, heedless of what he had said. "Keep back from
me--the fever!"
For the second time she tried to get out of the room. For the second
time Hugh stopped her.
"Fever or no fever," he persisted, "I have something to say to you. In
two minutes I shall have said it, and I will go."
In the fewest possible words he described the situation of Iris with
her jealous husband. Mrs. Vimpany indignantly interrupted him.
"Are you running this dreadful risk," she asked, "with nothing to say
to me that I don't know already? Her husband jealous of her? Of course
he is jealous of her! Leave me--or I will ring for the servant."