"Mrs. Woolper, you must help me to save Charlotte," he said, with
intensity. "You made no attempt to save her father, though you suspected
the cause of his death. I have this day seen Mr. Burkham, the doctor who
attended Mr. Halliday, and from his lips I have heard the truth. I want
you to accompany me to Hastings, and to take your place by Charlotte's
bed, as her nurse and guardian. If Mr. Sheldon suspects your knowledge of
the past, and I have little doubt that he does"--a look in the
housekeeper's face told him that he was right--"you are of all people
best fitted to guard that dear girl. Your part will not be a difficult
one. If we dare remove her, we will remove her beyond the reach of that
man's power. If not, your task will be to prevent food or medicine, that
his hand has touched, from approaching her lips. You _can_ do it. It will
only be a question of tact and firmness. We shall have one of the
greatest doctors in London for our guide. Will you come?"
"I don't believe my master poisoned his friend," said Nancy Woolper,
doggedly; "nor I won't believe it. You can't force me to think bad of him
I loved when he was little and helpless, and I carried him in my arms.
What are you and your fine London doctor, Mr. Burkham--he was but a poor
fondy, as I mind well--that I should take your word against my master? If
that young man thought as Mr. Halliday was being poisoned, why didn't he
speak out, like a man, then? It's a fine piece of work to bring it up
against my master eleven years afterwards.
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