I didn't hit her."
Mrs.Wagner laid down her pen,smiling."Even business must give way to such an extraordinary event as this,"she said."What has gone wrong between you and Madame Fontaine?"Jack entered into a long rambling narrative of what he had heard on the subject of the wonderful remedy,and of the capricious manner in which a supply of it had been first offered to him,and then taken away again.
"Turn it over in your own mind,"he said grandly,"and tell me what your opinion is,so far.""I think you had better let Madame Fontaine keep her medicine in the cupboard,"Mrs.Wagner answered;"and when you want anything of that sort,mention it to me."The piece of cake which Jack had brought away with him attracted her attention,as she spoke.Had he bought it himself?or had he carried it off from the housekeeper's room?"Does that belong to you,or to Madame Fontaine?"she asked."Anything that belongs to Madame Fontaine must be taken back to her.""Do you think I would condescend to take anything that didn't belong to me?"said Jack indignantly.He entered into another confused narrative,which brought him,in due course of time,to the dropping of the key and the picking of it up."I happened to read 'Pink-Room Cupboard'on the handle,"he proceeded;"and when I asked what it meant she called me a fool,and snatched the key out of my hand.Do you suppose I was going to wear her gloves after that?No!I am as capable of self-sacrifice as any of you--I acted nobly--I threw them at her.Wait a bit!You may laugh at that,but there's something terrible to come.What do you think of a furious person who insults me,suddenly turning into a funny person who shakes hands with me and bursts out laughing?She did that.On the honor of a gentleman,she did that.Follow my wise example;keep out of her way--and let's get back to London as soon as we can.Oh,I have got a reason for what I say.Just let me look through the keyhole before Imention it.All right;there's nobody at the keyhole;I may say it safely.It's a dreadful secret to reveal--Mrs.Housekeeper is mad!No,no;there can be no possible mistake about it.If there's a creature living who thoroughly understands madness when he sees it--by Heaven,I'm that man!"Watching Jack attentively while he was speaking.Mrs.Wagner beckoned to him to come nearer,and took him by the hand.
"No more now,"she said quietly;"you are beginning to get a little excited.""Who says that?"cried Jack.
"Your eyes say it.Come here to your place."
She rose,and led him to his customary seat in the recess of the old-fashioned window."Sit down,"she said.
"I don't want to sit down."
"Not if I ask you?"
He instantly sat down.Mrs.Wagner produced her pocket-book,and made a mark in it with her pencil."One good conduct-mark already for Jack,"she said."Now I must go on with my work;and you must occupy yourself quietly,in some way that will amuse you.What will you do?"Jack,steadily restraining himself under the firm kind eyes that rested on him,was not in the right frame of mind for discovering a suitable employment."You tell me,"he said.
Mrs.Wagner pointed to the bag of keys,hanging over his shoulder."Have you cleaned them yet?"she asked.
His attention was instantly diverted to the keys;he was astonished at having forgotten them.Mrs.Wagner rang the bell,and supplied him with sandpaper,leather,and whiting."Now then,"she said,pointing to the clock,"for another hour at least--silence and work!"She returned to her desk;and Jack opened his bag.
He spread out the rusty keys in a row,on the seat at his side.Looking from one to the other before he began the cleansing operations,he started,picked out one key,and held it up to the light.There was something inscribed on the handle,under a layer of rust and dirt.He snatched up his materials,and set to work with such good will that the inscription became visible in a few minutes.He could read it plainly--"Pink-Room Cupboard."A word followed which was not quite so intelligible to him--the word "Duplicate."But he had no need to trouble himself about this."Pink-Room Cupboard,"on a second key,told him all he wanted to know.
His eyes sparkled--he opened his lips--looked at Mrs.Wagner,busily engaged with her pen--and restrained himself within the hard limits of silence."Aha!I can take Mrs.Housekeeper's medicine whenever I like,"he thought slily.
His faith in the remedy was not at all shaken by his conviction that Madame Fontaine was mad.It was the Doctor who had made the remedy--and the Doctor could not commit a mistake."She's not fit to have the keeping of such a precious thing,"he concluded."I'll take the whole of it under my own charge.Shall I tell Mistress,when we have done work?"He considered this question,cleaning his keys,and looking furtively from time to time at Mrs.Wagner.The cunning which is almost invariably well developed in a feeble intelligence,decided him on keeping his discovery to himself."Anything that belongs to Madame Fontaine must be taken back to her"--was what the Mistress had just said to him.He would certainly be ordered to give up the duplicate key (which meant giving up the wonderful remedy)if he took Mrs.Wagner into his confidence."When Ihave got what I want,"he thought,"I can throw away the key--and there will be an end of it."The minutes followed each other,the quarters struck--and still the two strangely associated companions went on silently with their strangely dissimilar work.It was close on the time for the striking of the hour,when a third person interrupted the proceedings--that person being no other than Madame Fontaine again.
