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Braddon, M. E. (Mary Elizabeth), 1835-1915

"Charlotte's Inheritance"

Burkham.
"With all my heart and soul."
"Good. Then you must go to Dr. Jedd instantly. Tell him all you know--Tom
Halliday's death; the symptoms of Charlotte's decline, as you have heard
them from me--_everything_; and let him hold himself in readiness to
start for Hastings directly he hears from or sees me. I am going to a man
who of all men can tell me how to deal with Philip Sheldon. I shall try
to be in Burlington Row in an hour from this time; but in any case you
will wait there till I come. I suppose, in a desperate case like this,
Dr. Jedd will put aside all less urgent work?"
"No doubt of that."
"I trust to you to secure his sympathy," said Valentine.
He was in the darksome entrance-hall by this time. Mr. Burkham followed,
and opened the door for him.
"Have no fear of me," he said. "Good bye."
The two men shook hands with a grip significant as masonic sign-manual.
It meant on the one part hearty co-operation, on the other implicit
confidence. In the next moment Valentine sprang into the cab.
"King's Road--entrance to Gray's Inn, and drive like mad!" he shouted to
the driver. The hansom rattled across the stones, dashed round corners,
struck consternation to scudding children in pinafores, all but
annihilated more than one perambulator, and in less than ten minutes
after leaving Mr. Burkham's door, ground against the kerbstone before the
little gate of Gray's Inn.


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