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 First Edition Reviewers
Bill Benda, MD Penelope Montgomery, PhD
Saybrook Graduate School of Research Center Health and Rehabilitation Psychology
San Francisco, California Kansas City, Missouri
Larry Dossey, MD Kathy Murtiashaw, MEd
Executive Editor University of Alaska
Journal of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine Community and Technical College
Aliso Viejo, California Anchorage, Alaska
Helen Erickson, PhD Janet Quinn, PhD
University of Texas University of Colorado School of Nursing
Austin, Texas Denver, Colorado
Skya Gardner-Abbate, DOM, DiplAc Sandra Sylvester, PhD
Southwest Acupuncture College Gestalt Institute of Cleveland
Santa Fe, New Mexico Cleveland, Ohio
Harley Goldberg, DO Ruth Townsend, MS
Kaiser-Permanente Health Systems Alaska Regional Hospital Health Management Center
San Jose, California Anchorage, Alaska
Arthur Hastings, PhD Dana Ullman, MPH
Institute for Transpersonal Psychology University of California
Palo Alto, California San Francisco, California
William C. Meeker, DC, MPH Rebecca White, MD
Palmer Center for Chiropractic Research Iliuliuk Family and Health Services
Davenport, Iowa Unalaska, Alaska

vii
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 To Derek Welton, my husband, companion, and champion.
Without your unwavering support and willingness to sacrifice,
this book would have never come into being.
This page intentionally left blank
About the Author
Dr. Freeman is a specialist in the research, education, and integration
of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). Dr. Freeman
is currently Executive Faculty for Saybrook Graduate School and
Research Center in San Francisco, California. She is also President
of Mind Matters Research, an organization dedicated to ground-
breaking research in the areas of imagery as treatment for chronic
disease and the effects of traditional healing practices.

xi
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 Foreword
THE EVOLUTION OF HEALTH CARE: through such confusing waters. The initial response was an
A SECOND OPINION inundation of the lay public with self-help books on every-
thing from diabetes to depression, often contradicting one
There was a time when life and health care seemed so much another in their zeal to provide the ultimate unconventional
simpler. We were born, survived childhood illnesses and cures. As a result, health care professionals were left feel-
traumas, carried our aftermath into adolescence and adult- ing undereducated as to the effectiveness of complementary
hood, married, had children, and died. Most “doctoring” was and alternative therapies. At the same time, more and more
carried out by grandma, by mom, or on occasion by a man patients began seeking their opinion on the latest dietary fad
who showed up at our bedside with a black bag and a gentle, or botanical substitute for chemotherapy.
knowing smile. Fortunately, we now have at our fingertips Lyn Freeman’s
Then came scientific allopathic biomedicine with its pills Complementary & Alternative Medicine: A Research-Based
and procedures and its instruments and immunizations. Au- Approach. Do not be put off by the term “research-based”;
thorities in white coats replaced the friendly bedside phy- this is not your typical medical reference book. Dr. Freeman
sician, multiplying like sorcerer’s brooms into a myriad of approaches her reader as a psychotherapist approaches new
specialists sweeping in and out of examination rooms in a clients, defining problems and goals, challenging assump-
race against bureaucracy. Costs went up, caring went down, tions, and interpreting evidence rather than stating some-
and patients became consumers in their struggle for survival thing as factual and sending them on their way. The true
and autonomy. Lives were prolonged, but patient satisfaction beauty of such a tome is that, just as this newly reborn con-
and practitioner gratification plummeted. cept of health care offers relief to all types of patients, the
Suddenly, in the waning decades of the twentieth century, material contained in this text speaks to psychologists, as
salvation appeared to ride to our rescue under the new moni- well as physicians, social workers, and scientists. Perhaps
ker of complementary and alternative medicine. A resurgence it should be retitled “a reality-based approach” because
of popularity of time-honored therapies such as acupuncture, Dr. Freeman’s extensive review of the scientific literature on
homeopathy, and bodily manipulation, as well as botanical the topic serves to facilitate the clinician’s judgment-making
medicines and nutrient supplementation, promised to restore procedures rather than dictating an outcome.
the aspects of compassion, time, and safety that seemed to The field of complementary and alternative medicine is
have been lost in the scramble of reductionistic medicine. past its infancy but has yet to enter adulthood. The field is in
Unfortunately, as with most promises in an imperfect world, its adolescence, and as with any promising but rambunctious
the lofty expectations were not fulfilled; problems began to teenager, it requires a strong hand to provide guidance. This
emerge, especially with the plant medicines that had become book provides such a hand, while the practitioners who read
popular. Ingredients were often tainted or misrepresented, it provide the vehicle, and those readers who are suffering
efficacy and safety did not meet marketing claims, and rep- provide the growth medium of this new paradigm in health
resentatives from both sides of the conventional and alterna- care. Complementary & Alternative Medicine: A Research-
tive dichotomy stepped up to support their points of view. Based Approach reads like a detective story. Although some
Medical academia called for “evidence” obtained through clues are missing, Dr. Freeman’s work provides a solid
control groups and randomized trials. The National Institutes grounding for decisions that must be made today and for re-
of Health soon directed funding in their direction, while or- search programs that need to be implemented tomorrow.
ganizations and institutions housing alternative modalities
protested that their work could not be properly evaluated Stanley Krippner, PhD
by scientific methodology. The medical field and its myriad Professor of Psychology
of practitioners began crying out for direction in navigating Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center

xiii
This page intentionally left blank
 Preface to the Instructor
As an instructor, I know that teaching is more complicated teach themselves about the alternative therapies their pa-
than simply presenting information. A teacher should teach tients are using, thereby improving their ability to commu-
within a framework that is easy to understand, that is readily nicate accurately and openly with the patients they serve.
accessible and enticing to each student, and that challenges Indications and contraindications for therapies are also in-
the thinking processes. An effective teacher wants to in- cluded, assisting health practitioners to avoid unexpected
spire the student to go beyond what is taught and to explore complications.
the literature in greater detail. If what the student learns is Complementary & Alternative Medicine: A Research-
transferred from comprehension to real-life application, the Based Approach can be used in full or in part. For example,
teacher has performed his or her job in a superior manner. psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers will find
My goal is to make the process of learning about comple- Parts One and Two (Mind-Body Integration and Mind-Body
mentary medicine as intelligible and enjoyable as possible. Interventions) most beneficial. Individuals interested in
This effort does not mean that the information will lack learning about the most popular complementary practices
complexity. The information that is covered in this text is will be enlightened by Part Three (Alternative Profession-
research dense and application driven. Printed matter, pre- als). Pharmacists, physical therapists, and fitness trainers will
sented in story format with informative examples, is offered turn their attention to Part Four (Complementary Self-Help
to enhance the learning process. Comments by persons well Strategies). Part Five (Energetics and Spirituality) will ap-
known in each field, descriptions of timely topics and recent peal to critical care and hospice nurses, environmental health
medical advances, case studies, and profiles of the history practitioners, and individuals interested in spiritual healing.
and philosophy of each discipline have been interwoven into
each topic area. Research has been critically reviewed, stu-
dents have been presented with examples of exceptional and INTENDED OUTCOME: THE APPLICATION
fatally flawed studies, and suggested designs for continuing OF CRITICAL THINKING
research have been delineated.
Critical thinking is disciplined, self-directed, in-depth, ratio-
nal thinking that leads to clear, relevant, and fair thinking. It
INTENDED AUDIENCE is the art of constructive skepticism and of identifying and
removing bias, prejudice, and one-sided thought. Critical
The domain of complementary medicine cuts across many thinking verifies what we know, and it clarifies and informs
professional disciplines. This text is written to provide sup- when we are ignorant (Paul, 1993, p. 47).
port to as many of these disciplines as possible. In its entirety, Perhaps no discipline demands critical thinking more than
the text provides a comprehensive review of complementary the study of complementary and alternative medicine. Why is
medicine and alternative therapies for health professionals this so? All thinking occurs within a domain of thought. This
at both the undergraduate and the graduate levels. Graduate domain is molded by the individual’s worldview, training,
students may want to perform research in alternative fields. and experiences in the areas being explored. For example,
Detailed descriptions of study designs provide potential the domain of thought of the medical researcher often resides
models for replication. within the experimental model. The experimental model
The text is an excellent supplement for continuing educa- is the domain most readily accepted as scientifically and
tion courses. I currently teach much of the information pro- medically valid in Western culture. Other cultures problem
vided in this text as CEU and CME credits for practicing solve, conceptualize, and reason within different domains of
health professionals. thinking. That which is not measurable by the experimental
The business sector will also benefit from the informa- model is often the foundation of medical systems in other
tion provided in this book. Hospitals, health maintenance cultures. For example, the chakra system is a frame of refer-
organizations, insurance companies, and health profession- ence, and the energy is called prana, a basic concept of the
als currently struggle with the need to meet client demand domain of thinking known as Ayurvedic medicine. The me-
for complementary therapies. A review of this text will help ridian system is a frame of reference, and the energy called
these organizations and individuals determine which inter- qi is a concept underlying the practice of acupuncture. These
ventions are safe and appropriate. Physicians, nurses, psy- frames of reference fall within a larger domain of thinking
chologists, and social workers can determine how to refer called Chinese medicine. Students of complementary and al-
patients for alternative care. Health care professionals can ternative medicine must learn to comprehend and evaluate

xv
xvi Preface to the Instructor

effectively these different systems by thinking critically in 4. Assumptions (e.g., made by the referring physician,
the strong sense. Biologic, mathematical, economic, and the patient, a practitioner)
psychologic domains of thinking are practiced. Ayurvedic, 5. Central concepts and ideas involved (e.g., healing ver-
Chinese, and allopathic medicine domains of thinking also sus curing, changes in biochemistry versus balancing
exist. Students of complementary and alternative medicine the prana)
must learn to reason effectively within all of these domains. 6. Principles or theories underlying the issue (e.g., meri-
Richard Paul, the current leader of the critical thinker dian system versus central nervous system; qi energy
movement, points out that critical thinking depends on versus stress factors)
the ability to adjust our thinking to differing domains of 7. Evidence, data, or reasons advanced (What research
thought—to conceptualize different questions from vari- is available?)
ous analytical points of view. A critical thinker is capable 8. Interpretations and claims (e.g., those made for treat-
of effective, accurate, and concise navigation within these ments, herbs, and medications)
differing domains, supporting or disagreeing with vari- 9. Inferences, reasoning, and lines of formulated thought
ous points of view with an unbiased and open mind. Paul (Is the line of reasoning narrow or limited? Is it biased?)
goes further. Even more is required in specific instances in 10. Implications and consequences of action or failure to
which multiple domains of thought must be crossed or are act (Paul, 1993, pp. 422-424)
integrated. The thinker must perform higher order critical
thinking, which involves:
PERFECTIONS OF REASONING
1. Complexity (the total path is not visible from a single
vantage point)
The second strategy refers to the perfections of reasoning
2. Multiple solutions, each yielding costs and benefits
(Paul, 1993, pp. 420-421). These perfections refer to think-
3. Nuanced judgment and interpretation
ing, speaking, and writing with clarity, precision, specific-
4. Application of multiple criteria, which sometimes
ity, accuracy, relevance, consistency, logicalness, depth,
conflict with one another
completeness, significance, fairness, and adequacy (for the
5. Certain amount of uncertainty
purpose). Therefore to apply the strategies of critical think-
6. Self-regulation of the thinking process
ing to student learning, the instructor should ask students
7. Imposition of meaning (finding structure in apparent
to discuss, in class, questions from the critical thinking sec-
disorder)
tion at the end of each chapter. Examples of critical thinking
8. Effort and considerable mental work (Paul, 1993,
exercises include the following:
p. 282)
• State precisely (perfection) what evidence or data (el-
For an excellent foundation in critical thinking, I refer the
ement) Ader provided to support his claim (element)
instructor to Paul’s (1993) book. I describe the critical think-
that stress can impair immunity.
ing strategies that are suggested for this text, and I encourage
• What implications (element) does this belief have for
instructors to emphasize these strategies in the classroom to
health care management?
benefit student critical thinking in the strong sense.
• Identify specifically (perfection) the central concepts
(element) underpinning acupuncture, and describe the
frame of reference (element) on which it was built.
ELEMENTS OF REASONING
• What larger domain (element) includes acupuncture,
herbology, and Qigong?
The first strategy refers to using the elements of reasoning,
which allow the thinker to avoid trivial, vague, illogical, or This book provides the instructor with a ready-made set
superficial thinking. The more important the decision is, of critical thinking exercises that will challenge the student
the more important it is to think systematically and deeply. and lead to lively dialogue in the classroom. These exercises
Therefore before selecting an alternative or, for that matter, are intended as only a beginning. My hope is that instructors
a conventional medical treatment, the following elements will create their own critical thinking exercises to challenge
should be formulated, analyzed, and assessed: student thinking. The more critical thinking that occurs, the
greater the likelihood that the student will transfer the learn-
1. Problem or question at issue (Should this patient be ing to clinical and problem-solving applications.
referred, and, if so, for what treatment?)
2. Purpose or goal of thinking (What should be expect-
ed from a practitioner? What health goal should be ORGANIZATION AND CONTENT
accomplished?)
3. Frame of reference (domain) or point of view involved This text is made up of five parts encompassing 21 chapters.
(e.g., pharmacologic, biochemical, medical, psycho- Each part is complete, and individual parts can be mastered
logic, Ayurvedic, Chinese medicine) without compromising subject-matter integrity.
 Preface to the Instructor xvii

The following overview of the text’s organization is the treatment of chronic and acute pain resulting from addic-
provided. tion are emphasized.
Chapter 12 explores the basic concepts and outcomes of
Part One: Mind-Body Integration homeopathy. The theories of electromagnetic energy and
memory of water are described. Homeopathic theories as
Chapter 1 clarifies the pathways of mind-body communica- they relate to Avogadro’s law are contemplated.
tions, including the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal pathway. Chapter 13 summarizes the methodologies of massage
Methods for alleviating stress are described. In Chapter 2, the therapy; structural, functional, and movement integration
lines of evidence for the mind’s influence on the body are ex- methods; and body work interventions. Clinical trials of
plored, including observational, physiologic, epidemiologic, massage for premature and at-risk infants and for the treat-
and clinical research. The immune system is summarized and ment of anxiety, swelling, and pain are analyzed.
encapsulated. The history and evolution of the field of psy- Chapter 14, Aromatherapy, describes the way essential
choneuroimmunology are discussed in Chapter 3. How phys- oils are used as interventions for stress, pain, and infection.
iology and immune cells become conditioned by experience Safety issues and learned memory response to aroma are
and environment is described. In Chapter 4, the effects of re- discussed.
lationships and stressful life events on health are elucidated.
Part Four: Complementary Self-Help Strategies
Part Two: Mind-Body Interventions
Part Four discusses research outcomes on health-supporting
Chapters 5 through 9 present the definitions, history, phi- methods that patients use, often without medical supervi-
losophy, mechanisms, and clinical trials of five mind-body sion. The information presented is valuable because health
interventions. In Chapter 5, the relaxation response is eluci- professionals can use this to maintain their own well being,
dated, and clinical studies of relaxation as intervention are as well as to advise patients on their self-care.
evaluated. Theoretical models of relaxation and pain control Chapter 15 explores the history, pharmacology, research,
are discussed, and indications and contraindications for re- and clinical applications of 10 top-selling herbs in the
laxation therapies are defined. In Chapter 6, meditation forms United States. Special attention is given to contraindications
are differentiated and meditation as therapy is considered. and drug cross-reactions. Adverse effects of herbs and health
Chapter 7 evaluates biofeedback for the treatment of acute effects of herbs are also discussed.
and chronic disease. In Chapter 8, hypnosis is described, and Chapter 16 reviews the clinical trials on the benefits of
hypnosis methods are contrasted with those of relaxation, exercise interventions as related to longevity, heart disease,
imagery, and meditation. Imagery for treatment of disease cancer, diabetes, stroke, depression, aging, menopause, in-
is critiqued in Chapter 9. The differences among imagery, continence, impotence, and HIV and AIDS.
relaxation, and meditation are explored.
Part Five: Energetics and Spirituality
Part Three: Alternative Professionals
Part Five discusses the most controversial and least
In Part Three, the disciplines of chiropractic, acupuncture, researched areas of alternative methods of healing: spiritual
homeopathy, massage therapy, and aromatherapy are ex- healing (e.g., prayer, distant and intentionality healing) and
amined, including their definitions, terminologies, history, therapeutic touch.
philosophy, mechanisms, pathways, clinical trials, and indi- Chapter 17 reviews the spiritual belief systems and
cations and contraindications. Methodologic strengths and clinical outcomes of intercessory prayer and distant inten-
weaknesses for each discipline are defined. tionality healing. Effects of these interventions and their
Chiropractic is examined in Chapter 10. Care is taken influences on fungi, bacteria, animals, and human subjects
to clarify mechanisms and to define traditional and current are presented.
practices. Systemic effects of chiropractic are considered. Chapter 18 describes the mechanisms and clinical trials of
Demonstrated effects on beta-endorphin levels, neutrophils, therapeutic touch, a method of healing refined and practiced
monocytes, and substance P are elucidated. by nurses. Research on therapeutic touch for anxiety, wound
Chapter 11 explores the philosophic underpinnings of healing, and pain is surveyed.
acupuncture, including Tao, yin and yang, the five elements, In this edition, we offer three new chapters. Chapter 19
the eight principles, and the three treasures. The merid- describes the history, philosophy, and research on Reiki, a
ian system is reviewed, and acupoints and their electrical method that is practiced widely in the United States. Chapter
conductivity are considered. Physiologic changes induced 20 is a treasure trove of information on instruments and meth-
by acupuncture (e.g., electroencephalographic readings, ods for measuring the human biofield. To my knowledge, this
galvanic skin responses, blood flow, breathing rates) are ex- level and depth of information on how to assess the biofield
amined. Effects of acupuncture on the enkephalin, serotonin, is not available from any other source. Finally, Chapter 21
and endorphin pathways are investigated. Clinical trials on explicates the future of ethnomedicine.
xviii Preface to the Instructor

SPECIAL FEATURES chapter is applicable to them and makes the book user
friendly as a reference manual.
Artwork, Photography, and Figures
Chapter Objectives
Art, photography, and figures play important roles in learn- On the second page of each chapter, specific chapter objec-
ing because they allow the student to conceptualize and tives are delineated.
therefore integrate volumes of information. As discussed
in Part Two, imagery is the mind-stuff through which in- Clinical Terminology and Text Emphasis
formation is experienced, interpreted, stored, and recalled.
The use of imagery as a learning tool supports automatic When clinical terms relevant to each chapter are first men-
learning and reinforces memory. For example, the artful tioned, a short definition is provided within the body of the
rendering of the meridian system allows the student to con- text.
ceptualize acupuncture as an integrated energy system. The Within the text, some headings, words, numbers, or study
meridian system as a frame of reference allows the student outcomes are bulleted or typeset in bold to draw attention
to draw connections between the detailed information that to critical information. This presentation is beneficial to the
follows. Photographs or figures depicting different massage reader because some studies are lengthy and have multiple
techniques help students conceptualize distinctions among outcomes. Bullets are used to break up major points or
massage methodologies. Art, photography, and figures are emphasize different experimental groups. The use of bullets
liberally sprinkled throughout the text to support learning. and bold type draws the reader’s eye to critical pieces of
information, allowing him or her to retain or review data
Tables without searching the text.

Tables are used to summarize outcomes from important clin- Review Questions
ical trials. Thus most chapters will have at least one table that
summarizes research on a particular topic in that field. Multiple choice and matching questions are provided at the
end of chapters to encourage thinking. Answers to the ques-
A Closer Look tions are located in Appendix A. I want to emphasize that
these questions are knowledge questions; in other words, ac-
Chapters cover specialized topics. For example, case study curately answering these questions means only that the reader
reviews, clinical application examples, and medical dilem- can essentially repeat what has been presented in the text. To
mas reported in the literature may be summarized. Expanded understand the material in the strong sense (i.e., to integrate
discussions of important topics may also be discussed within successfully what is learned for application in complex life
the text that follows the heading, “A Closer Look.” scenarios), students must be taught to think critically about
what is presented. The critical thinking section at the end of
An Expert Speaks each chapter will help with the development of these higher-
order thinking skills.
Interviews and comments from well-known researchers and
practitioners in each discipline are accentuated. Views on Critical Thinking and Clinical Application
current and future research, descriptions of research contribu- Questions
tions, and historical context of research work are expounded.
Critical thinking questions are provided at the end of each
In-Chapter Learning Guides chapter. These questions will take more time and effort
for students and teachers than knowledge-based questions
Why Read this Chapter? because complex, broad, deep, and time-consuming think-
For in-depth learning to occur, the instructor must “hook” the ing will be elicited. This and only this type of skill practice
student’s curiosity and interest before plowing into the mate- transforms rote learning into creative and innovative prob-
rial at hand. This section is intended to provide the reader lem-solving processes. Critical thinking exercises will also
with a reason for pursuing the chapter. Setting an engaging infuse a lively sense of debate and the sharing of information
tone at the beginning of each chapter will encourage students into the classroom process.
to become committed to the learning process. I suggest that the class be divided into small groups of
three to five students and assigned one or more questions.
Chapter at a Glance Approximately 15 minutes should be allowed for group work,
An opening summary is provided at the beginning of each and 3 to 5 minutes are needed for each group to present their
chapter. It allows the reader to create a clear framework for findings. The other groups should be asked to offer feedback.
the more detailed information that is to come. This feature Constructive criticism and the strengths of the presentation
allows the more casual readers to determine whether the should be emphasized. Critical thinking comes only with a
 Preface to the Instructor xix

great deal of practice and is stifled by fear of unbridled and CONCLUDING REMARKS
targeted criticism. Each instructor should consider this: Do
you want the future physicians, nurses, psychologists, social My hope is that the format and content of this text will trans-
workers, or manual therapists to be creative problem solvers form the instructor’s experience into a positive and produc-
or mere mechanics? These persons may be offering services tive one. I would like to hear about your experiences, your
to you or your family members some day. suggestions, and any ideas you have for change after using
these materials in the classroom. Feel free to write me.
Appendixes
Lyn Freeman, PhD
Appendixes offer helpful references for students. They include c/o Elsevier
answers to multiple-choice and matching questions (Appen- Health Professions I
dix A) and a list of organizations and associations available 11830 Westline Industrial Drive
for those seeking additional information (Appendix B). St. Louis, MO 63146
This page intentionally left blank
Discovering Diverse Content Through
Random Scribd Documents
Mrs. White passed some time with them at first to give the young
wife some lessons in house-keeping, and very merry lessons they
were.
One evening, the three were sitting in the drawing-room after
dinner. The doctor was pretending to read a newspaper, but was
really, under cover of it, watching his wife and sister with quiet
amusement. They were engaged at a little work-table strewed with
account books and other domestic documents, now chattering
earnestly over them, now laughing together at Mary's blunders.
At last Mary caught her husband's eye; she stamped her foot in
simulated anger, "You must not watch me, sir!" she cried. "This is
not your business. If you confuse me by looking over me, all the
accounts will get muddled, and then you'll be complaining of my
extravagance."
"You are ruining me as it is, Mary," he replied, laughing. "You won't
let me do anything for myself—you are always running here and
there anticipating all my wants. Do you know you are spoiling me? I
am becoming quite lazy and good-for-nothing in consequence of
your treatment."
"Don't talk nonsense, sir, or I shall come and kiss you."
"Then I certainly shall talk nonsense," he emphatically exclaimed,
putting down the newspaper.
"No one would imagine you had been married so long, Harry—you
ought to have become more staid by this time."
"So long! Why we have not been married six months yet."
"Well it does seem a long long time to me. I suppose it is because all
my life has been so different, Harry—but I threatened to kiss you if
you talked any more nonsense, and I shall keep my word," and she
walked towards him and inflicted the threatened punishment.
He seized her and made her sit on his knee. "You dear little wife," he
said, "I thought you were perfect before I married you, but every
day I see something new in you to love; I get quite afraid of you, I
begin to think you are some sort of spirit, and will suddenly fly away
from me one of these days."
She put her hand upon his lips, "No more of this nonsense, sir!—
Now let me go. It is time for you to have that horrid grog of yours—I
will ring the bell for the hot water—then we will leave you to read
the paper by yourself—I am sure that is more instructive for you
than watching us adding up butcher's bills."
"But not half so amusing. I am sick of these elections—the papers
are full of nothing else. I am glad though that these detestable
Radicals have been so well thrashed."
"Is that so then, Harry?" asked Mary becoming suddenly serious,
and sitting again on his knee from which she had just commenced to
rise.
"Yes, Mary, and it is their own fault too, they boasted too much
about the revolutionary measures they intended to pass. They were
going to confiscate the land and do all sorts of wild things, so people
got frightened and would not vote for them."
A thoughtful look came to Mary's face; she said nothing more about
the elections, but became unusually quiet for the rest of the
evening. Soon Mrs. White retired to her room, and Mary mixed her
husband his glass of punch. She sat by his side nestling close to him,
placing her hand in his.
He drew her head to his shoulder and stroked her soft hair as he
gazed down at her pensive face. "Mary," he said at last, "what is it,
my pet? How quiet you are! and you look quite sad."
Her eyes filled with tears, and he was startled by the vehement
passion with which she spoke. "It is—because I love you so! I
cannot help being sad sometimes—Oh, Harry! Harry! I do love you
so!" and she put her arms round his neck and began to sob.
"You curious little pet!" he said tenderly.
"Oh, Harry!—If I could only tell you my secret!—I wonder if you
would still love me, if you would ever forgive me, were you to
discover it."
"My darling! I thought we had settled that matter long ago. Really it
is very silly of you to worry yourself about it."
"I cannot help it sometimes, Harry—but I will be good now, and
think no more about it," she said, smiling through her tears and
kissing him.
This was the one thorn in her happiness which still troubled her
occasionally. Now and then, some circumstance, such as her
husband's chance allusion to the elections on this occasion, would
recall memories of her dark past. She could not tell him all. It was
true that she was not deceiving him. He knew she had this secret,
and he quite approved of the scruples that forbade her to confide it
to him. But yet—there was this secret between them; and to her
simple heart this was a terrible thing to be. There should be nothing
of this kind, she told herself, between husband and wife. In her
sensitive affection she imagined that the existence of a secret could
not but separate them, though it were by an imperceptible distance
only, that his love for her could not be quite perfect so long as this
one chamber of her mind had to be kept shut to him.
It was, perhaps, an unnecessarily morbid view to take of the matter,
but it caused her some painful reflection. However, it was but rarely
that even this small cloud came to mar the serenity of her life.
The happy summer had passed away, and autumn had come again.
One morning, after breakfast, Mary, who was in an exceptionally gay
mood, insisted on taking her husband by the hand and leading him
into the greenhouse, where she was about to gather the nosegay of
flowers which it was her custom to give him every day to carry with
him in his carriage on his round of visits.
"What a shame!" she exclaimed as she plucked the sober-hued
autumnal blossoms. "The flowers that are out now are such dowdy-
looking things. I can't give you the bright-looking bouquets you used
to like so much a month or two ago, Harry."
"Why, this is very nice, pet; look what rich colours your
chrysanthemums have! I often wonder how you manage to keep up
such a brilliant show of flowers here at all seasons. I believe it will
be just the same in mid-winter."
"I shall try my best; but here is your bouquet all ready; so take it
and be off, sir," she said playfully. "You are late, the carriage has
been at the door these ten minutes."
"Good-bye, dear!" he said taking the bouquet and kissing her, "I
shall be back early to-day."
She stood still, watching the carriage with a wistful look in her eyes
as it drove down the road. "Ah! do I deserve such happiness as
this?" she said to herself with a sigh. She was about to return to the
house when she perceived the postman stop at the garden gate and
drop some letters into the box. "What a pity! Harry has just missed
his letters," she thought as she walked down the drive and took
them out.
There were two letters. She saw that one was addressed to her
husband, the other to herself. She looked at the last. It bore a
London post-mark. She at once recognised the dreaded hand-writing
on the envelope, and the colour left her cheeks. She knew that the
woman who penned that letter would not write to her save with the
object of inflicting pain.
She opened it with trembling hands and read the contents. They
were not quite so ingeniously cruel as might have been expected
from the author of them: yet they were well calculated to seriously
alarm the young wife, and wake her from her dream of happy
security.
"Dear Mary,—I write to warn you that you are in great danger.
The mouchards know all about a certain scheme. Some of the
former Sisters have blabbed. It has been falsely stated that
you, Catherine King, and myself are organising a new Society.
There are certain definite accusations against you which you
will find it difficult to disprove. It would be a good thing if you
could go abroad for a time. I warn and advise you, not
because I love you, but because my own safety depends on
yours. There will be an exposure of all if you neglect my
advice. Above all, say nothing of this warning to your
husband. He must know nothing if he is questioned.
Remember your oath and the penalty. You are being watched.
If you love your husband you will be cautious and spare him
what may happen."
There was no address at the head of this letter, nor signature at the
foot of it, but there could be no doubt as to the identity of the
author.
Susan Riley's first warning had been sent to Mary on that day when
the girl at last consented to become the doctor's wife. This was the
second warning, a malicious pack of falsehoods inspired by the sight
of the young wife's happy face in Regent Street. Susan Riley could
not tell whether Mary would place any credence in her alarming
story; even if that were the case, she hardly expected her to follow
her advice and go abroad; but she knew her letter could not fail to
terrify and inflict some mischief on her enemy, how much, chance
would decide.
Mary was glad that her husband was not by to observe the scared
look which she felt had come to her face. She could think this letter
quietly over by herself for some hours before she saw him again.
She went into the drawing-room, and stood by the fire-place for
some time meditating, and unconsciously she tore the letter into
minute fragments and threw them one by one into the fire.
She felt very miserable and frightened: but the danger instead of
paralysing her mind seemed to stimulate it at first, and she met the
blow bravely. She considered the matter over with a calm resolution
which astonished herself.
She pondered what would be the right thing to do, the most
Christian course of action; for, as is the usual case with converts,
religion was a great reality to her now, a leading motive in her every
deliberation, even making her rather intolerant at times. She could
not tell her husband the contents of the letter without betraying her
secret: that she must not do for several reasons. Again, to fly abroad
as Susan suggested, was of course out of the question: besides,
how could she know that there was any truth in the statements of
this wicked woman who hated her so bitterly?
Had there been an address to Susan's letter she would have written
to her for a more definite explanation of this danger which
threatened her.
She saw that her only course was to take no notice of the
communication, to wait and pray.
But, in spite of her bravery, the cruel letter did its work. The
uncertainty, the vague suspense, was more than she could bear.
That day she excused her paleness and distraught air by saying she
had a headache; but the next day she was no better; and after a
week she shuddered as she felt that the shadow was slowly
gathering once again to veil the happy sunshine of her life.
Her husband watched her with anxious eyes. "My poor darling!" he
said one day, "you are getting quite ill and pale again. We must take
you to the sea-side to bring the roses back to your cheeks."
She put her head on his shoulders and burst into tears.
"My dear little girl!" he said tenderly, as he stroked her hair, "what is
it? Is there anything that is making you unhappy?"
But to his questionings she would only reply that she felt nervous,
and suffered from fearful dreams. This was the truth, though she
concealed the cause of the disease.
There was one dream which occurred to her almost nightly, so full of
horror that she came to be afraid of going to bed, knowing what she
was to suffer. In this dream she found herself a prisoner at the Bar
in a dingy Law Court. She was on her trial as being an accomplice in
an awful crime. She looked around; and on the faces of the judge,
and lawyers, and jury, and witnesses, and lookers on, she saw only
an intense loathing expressed. No sympathy, no pity, hate alone was
felt for the abominable murderer of babies. Susan Riley, too, was
standing in the witness-box, her eyes glittering with malice, giving
Queen's evidence, nay, more, bearing false witness against her,
weaving tissues of lies around her that there was no disproving,
cunningly making her to appear more detestable a wretch than any
criminal that had ever been tried before in that accursed place
through all its long annals of crime. And her husband was there also,
pale, haggard, his hair turned grey with woe, his eyes cast down,
not daring to raise them towards his guilty wife. Oh, most horrible
thing of all! even he, he whom she loved, worshipped, turning away
from her, disbelieving, despising, loathing her!
And then she would wake up with a start, with cries and tears, to
find her husband by her side, soothing her with loving words and
fondling her as she lay sobbing on his breast.
She knew that she had an implacable enemy. She could not tell in
what way Susan would work her harm, but she was only too certain
that the malicious woman would do so to the utmost of her ability.
The shadow darkened around Mary as she waited for the blow to
strike, not knowing at what moment it might come. Yet how to
prevent it! What to do!
In a fortnight after the receipt of the letter, a great change had come
over her. All the innocent gladness had forsaken her. She wandered
about the house a pale and listless being, taking no interest in the
pursuits she once loved. Her great delight had been to take the
green-house completely under her care; she had been very proud of
it, and would allow no one else to interfere in its management. But
now it made the doctor's heart bleed to see its neglected condition,
its melancholy show of withered leaves that lay unswept, and faded
blossoms on the untended plants, a sure sad sign to him of the
darkness that was coming to his young wife's mind.
It was in vain that he tried to discover the cause of this change: his
questions could elicit nothing from her. One evening towards the end
of this miserable fortnight, they were sitting together in the drawing-
room. He drew his chair close to hers, and after some conversation
in which he did his best to coax her with affectionate words into her
happy confiding mood of old, he said:
"Mary, dear! I know that there is something on your mind, you are
just as you used to be in those sad days when I first knew you. You
know I do not wish you to tell me your secret: but there can be no
harm in your saying if your present trouble is connected with it in
any way."
She moved uneasily in her chair, as if afraid of his earnest gaze, and
replied with hesitation, "I don't know, Harry, I can't say. But there is
no good in talking about it. I shall grow out of this nervous state
again soon, I suppose."
"But there is good in talking about it. I want to understand what to
do with you, how to make my poor little pet happy again. Here you
are, getting sadder, and paler, and thinner, every day, and you will
give me no clue to all this. You will not allow me to help you. Do so,
Mary, please now! for my sake if not for your own. You don't know
how miserable I am all day thinking of you."
"You promised not to ask me my secret," she replied in wretched
accents. "Besides," she continued in desperation "what is the matter
with me now, has nothing to do with my secret," and she could have
bitten her tongue out immediately afterwards that she had uttered
the untruth.
"Then what is it?" he asked.
"I don't know," she replied in a sullen voice.
"My darling," he said sadly, "I don't think you are treating me quite
fairly."
"Don't you believe what I say?" she said, half crying.
"Mary! I did not imply or mean that, and you know it. It is my love
for you that makes me speak, and it is hard that you should reply to
me as if I was trying to extract some secret from you out of mere
curiosity."
"Oh, Harry! it will do me no good to worry me in this way. Please let
us change the conversation."
She spoke in a pettish way, almost angrily, feeling the while bitterly
ashamed of herself, knowing that she was in the wrong. She hated
herself for having told a falsehood to her husband, and she
revenged her misery on him. It is the way of our poor human nature
when we hate ourselves, to torture those we love the most.
He thought in silence for a few minutes and then said sadly, "I don't
understand you to-day, Mary; but I will ask you no more questions
now."
Here the conversation dropped and a painful silence followed. Both
were very miserable. It was the first approach to a quarrel that had
occurred between them, and though slight, was keenly felt by
natures rendered delicately sensitive by the great love that bound
them together.

Dr. Duncan could not understand the change that had come over his
wife. He saw that some sorrow preyed upon her health, that she
was not suffering from mere bodily illness, though she would often
impatiently deny this.
Occasionally he spoke to her in terms of mild annoyance. This stung
her to the quick; she would become moody, and sink into stubborn
silence.
Sometimes she would prevaricate when he questioned her, for her
mental and moral strength were gradually failing beneath the great
strain.
He perceived that her manner towards him was not sincere as of
old. This caused him great uneasiness. Vague suspicions that
assumed no definite shape crossed his mind, and by degrees a sort
of estrangement really sprang up between them. Not that they were
less affectionate than before; they were even more so, but by fits
only, divided from each other by periods of coolness felt instinctively
rather than openly shown, arising from mutual misunderstanding.
A really serious secret existing between a husband and wife cannot
fail to bring about this result. It is more than can be expected from
human nature, that such a mystery should not call up some doubts,
though to be indignantly put away as soon as they have risen. But
the doubts did rise and that was enough to work much mischief.
So on one side there was the doubt, and on the other side,
indignation at being doubted, and shame, and sorrow, and dread
foreboding. Susan Riley's second warning did its work well, and had
cast a shadow on the happy home.
 CHAPTER XXVIII.
AGAIN THE SHADOW.
But as time wore on, Dr. Duncan put away his suspicions, whatever
they might have been, and repented bitterly every unkind word he
had addressed to his little wife. His solicitude for her evidently failing
health made him more tender than he had ever been in his conduct
towards her. He determined that no harsh word or slightest coolness
of manner that might wound the delicate girl should escape him,
however peevish or unreasonable she should become. For a great
fear was weighing on him, lest her mind was on the eve of a still
deeper darkening than before. He did all that he could to render her
life cheerful, to make her surroundings bright and changing; but all
seemed of no avail; the shadow was ever deepening; a pathetic
melancholy possessed her which there was no dispelling.
At last he made a discovery which still more increased his anxious
care.
His wife was about to make him a father.
He now humoured her every whim, and finding that his presence
exercised a most soothing effect upon her, he devoted to her all the
time he possibly could, attending to her with a loving watchfulness
that did doubtlessly keep off the terrible calamity with which she was
threatened.
She herself was conscious of this—she felt, when he was by her, that
the brightness of his love stood between her and the impending
shadow, hiding it for the time.
But when alone she would weep miserably at the awful fancies
which she could not drive away. The shadow was gradually, daily,
surrounding her. She felt that soon it would close in altogether upon
her—she would be mad—there was but a slight partition to break
down, and then her mind would die.
The long silence of Susan Riley terrified her. She knew that an evil
eye was ever watching an opportunity for her destruction, and in her
monomania—for her terror of the woman amounted to this—she
attributed impossible powers of mischief to her malignant hate.
She had received two warnings from her enemy already, and she felt
an intuition, a certain conviction, which she could not reason away,
that there would be a third—that a last, cruellest blow would be
struck which would prove fatal to her; and she would kneel down in
her room and pray in tears and agony that the blow might strike
herself alone, and not her husband and the little babe that was to be
soon born into the world.
To her it seemed unnatural and dreadful that she who had once so
nearly been a killer of babes should become a mother. Was it—she
thought—the just vengeance of God that was about to visit her? Was
she to have a child, only that it might be torn from her at once, only
that her punishment might be the more severe in its remorse-
awaking appositeness to her crime!
She remembered that first warning, that letter in which Susan had
written, "I'll stand as fairy godmother to your baby," underlining the
ominous sentence. These words seemed now full of fearful meaning;
they were never out of her mind; and she could always see them
before her standing out in characters of blood. "She is capable even
of that," she thought with horror, as the idea of a fiendish revenge
occurred to her.
Shortly before her confinement, she suffered from an extreme
agitation. She felt that the whole world was about to slip away from
her. "And what will happen to my baby," she said to herself, "if I go
mad and cannot protect it? No! I must not go mad! O God! give me
strength against madness. She will take my innocent babe away if I
am not there to watch."
In her fear for her unborn child, she thought of breaking her oath
and telling her husband all; then she reflected that to do this would
be of no avail. What could she tell him?—that the Secret Society to
which she had belonged had been formed for a certain object; that
the Society had broken up. That was all—what definite accusation
could she make against anyone? She had no reason for imagining
that Susan Riley was plotting her destruction, except that a strong,
instinctive voice told her so. If she confided this to her husband, he
would merely regard her dread as a species of insane delusion. No!
better far to preserve her secret, and endeavour to shield her child
by other means.
So one night she came up to the chair on which her husband was
sitting, and placing herself at his feet, she seized his hands and
looked earnestly into his face.
"Harry!" she said, "I have something very important to ask you."
"What is it, my pet?"
"You will not laugh at me or think me foolish?"
"Why, Mary! you know I will not do so, especially when your poor
little face looks so serious as it does now."
"Yes! but, Harry," she persisted, "I know you will think me foolish;
you will imagine that I have got some delusion into my head when
you hear what I have to say."
"Well, let us hear what it is, darling," he said, kissing her.
"Harry, if—if—anything happens to me, what will become of my
baby?"
He looked puzzled, not understanding the drift of her question, so
replied: "My dear Mary, you must not take it into your head that you
are going to be ill."
"Yes! but if I am," she continued, anxiously—"if I am, who will take
care of my baby?"
"My dear child, don't worry yourself about such a matter as that.
Supposing even that you were ill, there are such things as
trustworthy nurses to be found, I suppose."
"Never!" she almost shrieked in her excitement, as she tightened her
clasp of his hands. "Never, oh, never! You don't know—you don't
know! Harry, if I am ill, send for your sister's nurse—I can trust her.
But you must promise me that no strange nurse—no other nurse but
that one—comes into this house. I should go mad—I should die, if I
thought that there was any chance of your doing so. Oh, Harry! you
will kill me if you won't grant me this. I tell you you will kill me and
your child, too."
"My darling! my poor little darling! do not be so agitated. I will
promise you this. Calm yourself, Mary; you can rely on me to carry
out all your wishes."
"That is it! I must feel that I can rely on you or I shall die. Do not
promise me this merely to humour me, Harry—to humour what you
think is a morbid fancy. When I am lying ill, dear, I must feel that
friends are watching my baby as I would myself. Oh, Harry! if I could
only tell you—if I could only tell you! This is not a mere fancy—I
know that there is a great peril before us, and I do not know
whether we can escape it."
She wrung her hands as she uttered these last words in accents of
wild anguish; then pausing, she looked into his eyes for a few
moments and continued, earnestly: "Harry, I see in your face that
you do not believe this: you think that I am merely crazed and
nervous. For God's sake, put that idea out of your mind. Oh, if I
could tell you! and yet what could I tell you? I don't myself know yet
what is the danger, or whence it is coming."
She burst into hysterical tears and hid her face in her hands.
"Mary, dear," her husband said in earnest tones as he folded her in
his arms; "my dear little wife, I promise to you, whatever opinions I
may hold about this fear of yours, that no one shall go near our
baby except my sister and her own children's nurse, if you are ill. No
strange servants shall be allowed to enter this house. You can be
quite sure, dear, that I will do what I say."
"Thank you, Harry! Ah! I know I can rely upon you now. What a
weight you have taken off my mind!" She paused a moment and
shuddered as she began to speak again in an awed voice. "Oh,
husband! I dreamt last night that I was so ill. They had to take my
baby away from me; and a woman who hates me came up, and they
gave my baby to her to nurse. She took it in her arms and smiled at
me—such a smile of triumphant malice! I knew then that my baby
would die, I knew that she would kill it; but I could not tell you, I
could not warn you. I lay there on the bed, so very ill, so weak, that
I could not move even a finger. I tried to scream out, but no voice
would come. I lay there and saw my child being carried off to perish,
and a word would have saved him, and I could not utter it. Oh, it
was awful!" Her brow knitted, and her gaze seemed to turn inwards
as she recalled that dreadful vision. "But, Harry!" she continued
anxiously, "remember that it is not because of dreams and delusions
that I fear for my baby. There is a real danger. Oh, it is horrible that
I cannot explain it all to you!"
He soothed her mind; and she felt satisfied that, were she to be ill,
and were it found necessary to take her baby from her, her husband
would keep off all approach of the danger she feared, even as much
as if he himself believed in its reality.

Mary's fears, though exaggerated by ill-health, were far from being

without foundation; for Susan Riley was now possessed by the one
idea how to gratify her fierce lust of vengeance against the girl who
had stood in her way and thwarted her plans. She discovered where
Mary lived, and she made it almost a practice to walk to St. John's
Wood every Sunday, so that, herself unseen, she could observe her
enemy coming out of church.
On the Sunday that followed the sending of her second warning,
Susan waited in this manner outside the church-door, and her keen
eye detected on the face of Mary a shade that had not been there
before. It was clear to her that the letter had made the young wife
unhappy; she noticed how pale and thin the face was becoming
again; so she returned to her cigar-shop with a light and exultant
heart, encouraged by her success to ponder over a more deadly
attack.
A month or so after this, an illness compelled Susan to abandon
these visits to St John's Wood for some time.
When she was recovered she started one Sunday morning to the
church door, anxious to see what change might have come over
Mary during those weeks.
It was a bitterly cold day towards the end of winter. A keen north-
east wind was blowing. Occasional strong squalls accompanied by
stinging sleet rushed down the dreary streets; but yet Susan, with
the energy of hate, walked all the way, and posted herself as usual
on a path among the grey grave-stones, to await the coming out of
the Duncans from the church.
She had to wait long, for in her eagerness she had arrived much too
early. She walked up and down the frozen gravel-path, reading the
inscriptions on the grave-stones, stamping her feet to keep them
warm, and listening impatiently to the sounds of alternate chanting,
reading and hymn-singing, that issued from the building. Then there
came, what appeared to her outside the church to be a long silence.
This, she knew, must be the sermon.
"Curse that parson! How long he is with his Firstly, Secondly,
Thirdly!" she muttered to herself. "When will he come to his Lastly?
Ah! there is the final hymn at last. Now for the collection, and the
respectable crowd will pour out to their early Sunday dinners. We
will see what you look like now, Mrs. Henry Duncan. If you look
happy, I must find something to check your joy without delay."
But Susan was to be disappointed this day. She stood by the side of
the path, her thick veil drawn over her face to prevent recognition,
and watched all the congregation as they came out. But she saw
neither Dr. Duncan nor his wife. This puzzled her a good deal, for
she knew that Mary had become very regular in her attendance at
church.
She went there again on the following Sunday, and then she saw Dr.
Duncan come out alone at the conclusion of the service. She longed
to go up to him and learn what was the cause of his wife's absence,
but she felt afraid of the doctor, and did not relish the idea of
confronting him.
But she carefully scanned his face, and thought she could read much
anxiety on it. "I suppose Mary is ill," she pondered, "I wonder what
it is, but I will soon find that out."
A few days afterwards, the wind having changed, the weather
became delightfully mild and pleasant. It was the birthday of the
young spring, a glorious sunny morning, when Susan, who had been
fretting herself with curiosity, at last made up her mind to take a
bold step. She would call at the doctor's house on some pretence or
other when he was out, and discover what had happened to Mary.
As usual she went on foot. Her route lay through the Regent's Park.
She was passing along a path, bordered by tall shrubberies,
meditating on what she was about to do, on what she should say to
Mary in case they met, when she perceived two women walking
slowly towards her who evidently bore the relation to each other of
mistress and maid.
When they approached nearer, she recognised in the mistress the
very woman she was seeking—Yes! there could be no doubt about it
—she had found her enemy at last.
There was a seat in a little recess among the bushes. Susan went to
it and sat down, concealing her face as much as possible, but closely
watching Mary as she went by. Susan saw that Mary walked on with
a step that seemed mechanical, as if she was not conscious of what
she was doing, or where she was. She looked neither to the right
nor to the left, her eyes were directed to the ground. She did not
address or notice in any way her companion, and appeared as one
wholly absorbed by a hopeless melancholy.
"Why, she must have gone mad again!" thought Susan, and an
incontrollable desire seized her to rise from her seat and address her
victim—to satisfy herself as to the correctness of the suspicion. She
was just on the point of following the impulse—Mary was now close
by her—when an astonished look came suddenly to her face; she
sank again upon the seat and sat still, allowing the two women to
pass out of sight without disclosing her identity.
Then having recovered from her surprise, she laughed to herself.
"Oh! that is the matter with you, my lady, is it? What a fool I must
be not to have suspected that before. So I shall have to carry out my
promise about acting as fairy god-mother soon, shall I?"
 CHAPTER XXIX.
THE THIRD WARNING.
Susan saw that her opportunity had arrived. She conceived the
devilish plan of striking another blow at Mary, while she was in the
sensitive condition of approaching maternity.
So maddened by her hate was this woman that she even thought of
gaining access to her enemy's baby when it was born, and stealing it
from her, or, perhaps, killing it; but she dismissed this as too perilous
to be practicable; for her malice had not made her altogether
reckless of consequences.
She felt that there must be some other method as sure, though free
from danger to herself, by which she might attack the mind of Mary
with a sudden shock from which she could never recover. But how to
carry out this design? To write another letter was out of the
question. Susan Riley dared not commit to writing the venom with
which she determined to complete her work.
Time passed by and she felt greatly disgusted with herself that she
had so far been unable to devise anything. All her ingenuity could
not discover a means of satisfying her hate, tempered as it was by
cowardice.
One morning she read the announcement of the birth of Mary's child
in the papers—"The wife of Dr. H. Duncan of a son." The words
seemed to burn themselves into her brain.
So entirely was she the slave of her mania of hate that she now
neglected her business and employed the greater portion of each
day in watching the home in St. John's Wood.
She did not herself question the doctor's servants, as it might stand
in the way of future plans to be recognized by them, but she
discovered several shops at which the family dealt, and would go
into these under the pretext of buying some small article, and elicit a
good deal of information by means of casual inquiries about Mrs.
Duncan.
She learnt that Mary was "doing well, but suffering from great
weakness."
There was one old woman who kept a newspaper shop. She was
very fond of a gossip with a customer, and was also wont to take a
deep interest in all her neighbours' affairs, prying assiduously into
them whenever possible.
Susan had soon discovered these useful traits in the old woman's
character, so often called on her with the object of sounding her.
One day, about a week after the birth of Mary's child, Susan went
into the shop and purchased a copy of The Guardian newspaper.
"Good morning, Mrs. Harris," she said, "I have not seen you for
some days; I hope you are well."
"As well as can be expected, Miss, in this world of misery and
trouble."
"Why, Mrs. Harris, I should not have thought that the world was
using you very hardly. But I suppose when one is a sympathetic soul
like you, ever thinking over other people's woes, one gets through a
good deal of suffering by proxy."
Mrs. Harris hardly understood the meaning of the words, certainly
not the sarcastic drift of them, but took them as a complimentary
tribute to the tenderness of her heart; so she shook her curls slowly
backwards and forwards and looked mournful.
"Ah yes, Miss!" she said, "I really do think that I take as much
interest in other peoples' sorrows as in my own."
"As a true Christian should," replied Susan, biting her lips to conceal
the smile she could scarcely keep down. "I noticed how feelingly you
spoke about that poor lady who had the baby the other day—the
doctor's wife—Mrs. Duncan I think her name was. How is she getting
on now, by the way, Mrs. Harris—have you heard?"
"Poor thing! Poor thing!" said the old lady in a lackadaisical voice,
putting on a very solemn expression and shaking her corkscrew curls
again.
"Is she worse then?" asked Susan.
"No, no! It is not that—at least not exactly that. I believe that her
confinement has passed by in a very satisfactory way; but—" and
she shook her head yet once again in a mysterious fashion.
"I do not quite understand you," observed Susan.
"If I were a gossip, which I am glad to say I am not," spoke up Mrs.
Harris in deliberate tones, "I might say strange things about that
house."
"Good gracious! what do you mean?"
"Her husband is a popular man hereabouts it is true—but—" and
Mrs. Harris shut her mouth with a snap, as if determined to say no
more.
"You don't mean to say that her husband ill-treats her!"
"No, Miss! I don't exactly say that, I don't know that he does. All I
say is that it is very, very strange, but I'd rather say nothing more
about it, Miss."
Susan made no further remark just then, but proceeded to select
and purchase a few copies of The Family Herald; she knew that if
she waited a little longer, the old lady's gossiping instincts would
compel her to tell all her story, even without any questioning.
"Do you think, Miss," Mrs. Harris recommenced at last, "that a lady
with everything she can have in the way of comfort around her,
could get pale and melancholy and hardly ever speak a word to
anyone for weeks, without any reason at all?"
"No, I should think not—that is unless she is becoming mad," replied
Susan.
"Now that's exactly it, Miss! Is she becoming mad, or is she ill-
treated by her husband—it's one or the other—now which is it?"
"Did you say that they quarrelled?"
"I have spoken with the servants—they come over here to get a
paper now and again. They say there never was a kinder husband
than the doctor—but they can't tell—it may be all his deceit like. I
once read of a husband—he was a doctor too—and his wife began
to ail; she got paler and thinner and weaker every day. He
pretended to love her so much, and was so concerned about her,
and he nursed her himself, and allowed none but himself to prepare
her food. Well do you know, Miss, at last she died—and what do you
think was discovered afterwards?" At this point of her narrative she
put on her spectacles and looked steadfastly at Susan.
"I really cannot imagine—what was it?"
"He had been poisoning her all the time for her money—There!"
whispered Mrs. Harris in a melo-dramatic voice.
"Dear me! how shocking! you make my flesh creep. And do you
really think that this Dr. Duncan is doing the same?" asked Susan,
much amused at the old woman's folly.
"No, no, Miss, don't go away and think I believe that," Mrs. Harris
exclaimed in alarm; "all I say is that it's strange—very strange
indeed."
"And what do the servants think about it?"
"They think that there's something wrong here," and she tapped her
forehead. "The maid says she's got the horrors like. She's very afraid
about her baby; she seems to think that there's some harm coming
to it; she won't let it out of her sight, and when anyone comes into
the room, she starts and trembles fearful. They say, Miss, that it's
just as if she had a delusion that everyone wanted to murder the
child. Now that ain't natural like, allowing for all a mother's
affection."
"It is indeed very strange," said Susan musingly; "but I must not
waste your time any longer, Mrs. Harris—I am a sad gossip. Good
morning to you, I will see you again soon."
So this was Mary's vulnerable point. Susan had suspected as much.
She fancied that it would not be very difficult to make use of this
extreme anxiety of the mother for her child.
As she came out of the shop she noticed an old woman, shabbily
dressed in black and much bent with age, tottering feebly along the
pavement on the opposite side of the street with a large basket on
her arm.
Had Susan kept her eyes as open as usual during these expeditions
to St. John's Wood, she would have observed, before this, that she
herself was not the only person who was acting the detective round
Dr. Duncan's house. On nearly every occasion that she had come to
the neighbourhood, the shabby old woman had been there too,
dogging her footsteps, watching her movements unsuspected,
spying the spy.
Susan had contrived to discover that Dr. Duncan was in the habit
every Saturday of visiting a patient who lived a considerable way out
of London. Failing, as I have said, with all her cleverness, to mature
a definite plan of action, she determined to risk all, and call boldly
on Mary while her husband was away on the following Saturday.
She had a great confidence in her luck; she felt that something
would turn up to favour her purpose, if she once gained admittance
into the house. Knowing Mary as she did, she considered that it
would not be difficult to terrify her again into her former crazed
state.
For a few days prior to her contemplated visit Susan was very
fidgety; so to occupy her mind and prevent it from dwelling too
anxiously on the perils of her task, she employed herself in a way
which was peculiarly congenial and interesting to her. She set to
work to forge as well as she was able—and she succeeded very fairly
—a variety of documents; some purported to be letters from
Catherine King, and other members of the late Secret Society; there
were copies too of imaginary warrants for the arrest of unknown
persons, whose appearance was carefully described. All these
pointed to a great danger which threatened those who had been
connected with the Sisterhood, especially Mary Duncan. There were
other papers too which tended to show that the members of the
Society attributed their peril to the treason of one of their number—
clearly Mary—who was accused of having made certain disclosures
to the authorities. They were alarming documents, intended to prove
clearly that the young mother was suspected by both sides, was
being hunted down by both the police and by her old associates.
Susan would laugh to herself as she completed each of these works
of art, and would look at them with no small pride. "I wonder if she
will be fool enough to swallow all this?" she asked herself. "And yet
why not? If she does believe in them, she will see that one course
only is left to her—to fly from England, to desert her husband and
her child, so as not to bring disgrace upon their heads. I believe I
am on the right track at last. Ah! Susie, you have not forgotten your
cunning after all!"
At last the fatal Saturday arrived, and she started for St. John's
Wood, armed with her papers, intending to show some, all, or none
of them, to Mary, exactly as circumstances should make expedient.
She prowled about in the neighbourhood of the house, till she saw
the doctor go out. She followed him to the railway station and
satisfied herself that he had started; but she did not observe that
the shabby old woman with the basket was following her also,
though at a long distance, never losing sight of her.
Susan walked back to the doctor's house, reaching it about ten
minutes after he had left it, and rang the bell.
The housemaid opened the door.
"How is Mrs. Duncan to-day? I have called to see her," Susan said.
"Mrs. Duncan is very ill, ma'am, and she is not allowed to see
anyone."
"Oh! but it is all right," Susan explained, "I am Mrs. Duncan's oldest
friend. I have just met the doctor on my way here. He would have
come back with me; but he said he had no time to do so, as he was
obliged to catch the train to P——"
"Did Dr. Duncan know that you wished to see my mistress, ma'am?"
"Indeed he did. He particularly asked me to see Mary—Mrs. Duncan
I mean, he thinks it will do her good. Will you kindly tell your
mistress that Mrs. Riley has called to see her, that the doctor has
sent me to see her. Kindly tell her also that I have some news of
great importance to communicate to her."
The girl hesitated. She had received strict injunctions to admit no
visitors to her mistress. But she could scarcely discredit the
statement of this lady, who, she reasoned, must certainly have
conversed with the doctor on his way, else she could not have
known his destination.
But then she remembered that Dr. Duncan had enjoined her not to
take any letter or message to his wife under any circumstances
whatever, so she replied: "It is very difficult for me, ma'am, to do as
you wish. I have received such strict orders from my master not to
carry any message from anyone to my mistress. Could you not call
to-morrow, ma'am, when my master will be here."
"You stupid girl!" exclaimed Susan angrily, "do you not understand
me? I tell you I have just seen your master; he knows that I am
going to call on your mistress. Do you disbelieve my word?"
"No, ma'am, but—"
"But! But what?"
"I don't exactly know, ma'am, but—" the girl stammered, looking
very confused and red, then suddenly her face brightened, and she
exclaimed, "Ah! here is the nurse, ma'am; I will ask her about it."
For at that moment a comely-looking strong country girl came out of
a door leading into the hall, carrying a little white bundle in her
arms.
"Ah!" cried Susan, "is that dear Mrs. Duncan's little boy? Do let me
see it!"
There could be no harm in allowing the strange lady to see the baby
for a moment, at any rate, so the proud nurse drew back the clothes
and disclosed a little sleeping face.
Susan felt her veins tingle with an excitement, the meaning of which
she could not herself understand, as she approached and looked at
the innocent features.
"Mary's child," she said, "Mary's child; dear me, how strange!" and
she stooped to kiss him, as she knew it was her bounden duty to do,
if she did not wish to offend the nurse beyond pardon, and so
prejudice her chance of seeing the mother.
But just as her lips were about to touch the soft cheek, a sudden
surprised cry from the housemaid made her raise her head again.
Then her cowardly spirit failed her, and she looked aghast at what
was before her, motionless, save for the tremor that shook her
frame.
A form more like a ghost than a living woman was hurrying down
the stairs towards her, with arms outstretched, a form that seemed
to glide rather than run, so evidently unconscious was its motion.
Clad merely in her white bed-clothes, with face as white as they, the
mother was rushing to save her babe. Her expression was one of
fixed intense horror; her lips were apart, her eyes dilated, but she
spoke no word. She flew to the nurse and snatched her infant into
her arms, pressing it against her breast, palpitating with her frightful
emotion.
She stood erect and firm, but trembling in every limb, staring at
Susan with the same fixed look. Her white throat rose and fell
convulsively with the choking sensations that prevented her from
speaking.
She stood thus an awful image for many minutes, the frightened
servants gazing at her open-mouthed, not knowing what to do. At
last she spoke; she raised her arm, and pointing at Susan, cried in a
voice that did not sound like her own, so strange and hollow it was,
"Go! Go!"
Susan hesitated, and seemed to be about to speak, when the
mother made a step towards her, with so menacing a gesture, with
such fury in her eyes—altogether so different a being from the timid
girl of old—that Susan was quite cowed, and lost her presence of
mind. She shrank back and tried to smile, but she could not manage
it; the grin as of a wild beast at bay, full of rage and mortal fear, was
the only result.
"Go!" cried the mother again.
Susan felt that she was beaten, she could do no more, she looked
round at the group, and then without a word slunk out of the door,
which the housemaid, recovering her presence of mind, slammed
indignantly behind her.
Mary hurried upstairs with the baby, saying nothing, and went into
her bed-room, the two women following, full of simple sympathy, yet
knowing not how to show it.
Then to their astonishment the poor mother, with frantic haste, yet
with tender care, pulled the clothes off her child, and laid him on the
bed. With an eager anxiety that was painful to see, she examined all
the little body, dreading lest she should find the small spot which
showed that the accursed instrument of the Sisterhood had done its
work.
But there was nothing to be seen. "Oh, my God! I thank Thee, I
thank Thee. Oh, my God! My Christ," she cried, incoherently, as she
fell weeping on the child, covering it with passionate kisses. Then
she rose and said wildly, "Jane! Jane! please look and see that there
is no mark—no wound—nothing. I cannot see, my eyes are so dim.
Please look carefully, and make quite, quite certain of it."
The nurse, thinking to humour her poor crazed mistress, pretended
to examine the baby, though her own eyes were really as dim with
tears as were the mother's. "No, ma'am, I assure you that there is
nothing at all—nothing. The little darling is all right; but now you
must go to bed, poor dear; you will be very ill if you don't. For your
little baby's sake go to bed, and try and rest."
Mary, now as docile as a child, allowed herself to be put into her
bed, and sobbed herself asleep—a broken slumber full of frightful
dreams, from which she awoke into as painful a delirium.
 CHAPTER XXX.
THE LAST OF SUSAN RILEY.
When Susan was outside Dr. Duncan's house, she walked away
rapidly, careless whither, cursing and hating herself and all the world
besides, in the sense of the ignominious manner of her failure in her
plans.
She was not yet fifty yards from the house, when she perceived,
hobbling towards her along the pavement, the same stooping,
shabby, old woman whom she had observed near Mrs. Harris's shop
a few days previously.
In her irritable mood, Susan would not move aside for the old
creature, but pushed roughly against her as she passed.
But to her surprise, the apparently feeble hag, instead of reeling
aside, or even falling, as she had half expected her to do, suddenly
extended her hand and seized Susan by the arm with so firm and
nervous a grip that it stopped her short, notwithstanding the speed
at which she was walking. Susan turned round fiercely to face her,
and then was astonished to see every sign of decrepitude disappear
from the woman who held her. The stooping back straightened; the
hands no longer trembled with the weakness of extreme old age; it
was a tall, middle-aged woman who stood erect before her; and she
recognized the stern, pale face of Catherine King, whose eyes were
looking intently into hers as if reading her inmost thoughts.
Unnerved by her recent discomfiture, Susan shrank beneath the
strong grasp and keen eye of her former Chief, and was too startled
by her unexpected appearance to speak a word.
These few months had worked a great change in the features of
Catherine King. She appeared much older; her hair was much
whiter; and though her eye had lost little of its old fire, the light in it
was unnatural as of fever, and there were several signs about her to
indicate that some slow but fatal disease had taken hold of her.
She was indeed broken-hearted. She had lost Mary and the Scheme
—the only two affections in the whole world for her; so she had
gone away, as a wounded wild beast does, to die alone in some out-
of-the-way spot in the wilderness of London where no one knew her.
When she changed her residence, she left behind her no clue by
which she might be traced. She avoided even her one faithful friend,
Sister Eliza, whose society was now painful to her for the memories
it called up—a standing reproach.
For a few moments Catherine King looked into Susan's face, a bitter
smile playing on her lips the while, then she addressed her.
"And what are you doing in this part of the world, my old associate?"
"That is my business, Mrs. King, and not yours," hissed out Susan.
"Indeed, Sister Susan! I am not so sure of that," said Catherine,
quietly. "But I have not come down here to argue with you, but to
give you certain orders which you will have to obey."
"Orders! from you!—obey you! Why, you must be mad!"
"You think so!" continued Catherine, as quietly as ever. "Well, to
begin with, I know why you have been down here so much lately. I
know whom you are hunting down."
"Catherine King! too much learning has made you mad!" exclaimed
Susan, with a derisive laugh which could not conceal the uneasiness
she really felt.
"Mad, perhaps; but not so mad that I cannot put a stop—and at
once, too—to all this plotting of yours, Sister Susan."
"I have no fear of you now, Mrs. King, I can assure you."
"But you have of the gallows."
"It strikes me that those same gallows would have to string you up
as well, O my accomplice! O great centre of the Sisterhood!" replied
Susan with a bow, and in tones of mock politeness.
Catherine looked at her contemptuously and said, "I am not a
coward like you. Do you imagine that fear of death would deter me
from anything? Life has nothing for me now. I tell you, woman! that
if I was to be hanged to-morrow, the knowledge would trouble me
far less than the discovery of one new grey hair in your head, or of
one fresh wrinkle on your face, would trouble you. I may tell you
that I am dying. An incurable disease of the heart is hurrying me to
the grave; and it is sweet to me to know this, I am so weary of this
world. But enough of that—you know me by this time. Now, Susan
Riley, I intend to prevent you from carrying out your scheme of
vengeance against that girl. I warn you to desist, or I shall have to
make matters very unpleasant for you."
Susan here made a gesture of impatience, and withdrawing herself
from Catherine's grasp, commenced to walk down the road. The
Chief let her go, but walked by the side of her and continued: "Very
well, Sister Susan, we will walk on if you like it better. Certainly we
will attract less attention than if we stand discussing in one spot—
not that I care who sees, or even overhears us, for that matter."
"Be quick, then, and let me hear what you have to say—then leave
me," said Susan, in a sullen voice.
"That is exactly what I intend to do. I shall leave you as soon as I
have brought you to reason. Now mark me, Susan Riley! I intend to
call on Dr. Duncan to-morrow. I shall tell him all about the Society—
that is, all that is necessary for my purpose—and without
endangering anyone. I shall also tell him all your history, and
acquaint him of your plots against his wife."
"And hang yourself as well as me!"
"Not necessarily. Dr. Duncan will not make use of his information
except in self-defence. He will not molest you unless you become
dangerous to him."
"Traitor that you are and mad-woman!" cried Susan, passionately,
"What are you doing? You inveigled us all into this precious scheme
of yours, and then betrayed us on account of this miserable
hysterical girl. And now—"
"Stop!" interrupted Catherine, sternly, "I never betrayed you. I would
not sanction an unnecessary assassination; on this you all deserted
me. But the work you are engaged on now is in no way connected
with the Society, you are merely satisfying your private malice. I
have been watching you for some time, Sister Susan; and I intend to
take the sting out of you before I leave you to-day."
"I do not fear you," replied Susan with a forced carelessness of
manner. "You have no hold upon me. Now come, Sister Catherine!
after all, what could you prove against me that could do me much
injury? Why, absolutely nothing!"
"So you think that, do you? so you defy my power!" said Catherine
with the same quiet smile of assurance that had made Susan's heart
sink before. "Well! I shall have to go into details, that is all. Now,
listen to what I have to say, Susan! I am quite aware that little could
be made out of your connection with the Society, seeing that we
never carried our scheme into action, save on one occasion, by the
way, I think you had something to do with that, a barrister was it
not? Private malice was not the least of your motives then, too." She
paused and seemed to enjoy the sight of Susan's blanching face.
"But let that matter pass. It would be difficult to bring that home to
you."
"Impossible," said Susan, recovering a little of her courage.
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