“Crosthwaite--Crosthwaite: where have I heard it? It is not pretty, as you say; it is a north-country name, Yorkshire perhaps, or--where did I hear it? Ah, I remember, some one had been making inquiries down-stairs.”
“It was Geoffrey,” cried Milly unawares: and then blushed more deeply than she had hitherto blushed either for shame or anger, and caught herself up, and drew back a little, in embarrassment which did not seem to have any adequate cause.
“Then you know the people?” the doctor said in surprise.
“We know only their Christian names,” Grace, somewhat startled too, explained eagerly to cover her sister. “The son is Geoffrey, and the old lady is Miss Anna.”
“Bless me!” cried the doctor, “this is very peculiar. Oh! but you said there was another lady--a lady and her son? Yes, yes, I see--a Mrs Somebody--and this Miss Anna.”
Dr Brewer’s surprise grew more and more. “I know a Geoffrey Underwood,” he said, “a young barrister--a very nice young fellow. To be sure! he belongs to two ladies who live up Hampstead way. This is very curious. He is an excellent young fellow. He will tell me at once what the mystery is--if there is any mystery; but, my dear young ladies, I am afraid your romance will come to nothing if Geoffrey Underwood is in it; for you may be sure he is not a young fellow to lend himself to any bad business. Your beautiful old lady may be cracked, you know; she must be off her head--a harmless lunatic perhaps. I very much disapprove of it,” said the doctor, with professional warmth; “entirely, in every way--but still there are people who, out of mistaken kindness, insist upon keeping such cases at home--a thing that never ought to be done.”
Grace had listened with some dismay, feeling her house of cards tumbling about her ears. “She was not insane, if that is what you mean. They were afraid of her. She was the one who talked the most. I am sure she was not insane; and then Mrs Underwood, too--you remember, Milly?--she said, ‘If it is so we are relations;’ and then her son, he said, ‘It will make the greatest difference to us all.’”
“He said so? then perhaps after all there is something in it,” said Dr Brewer. The doctor began to look serious. “One can never understand the outs and ins of a family. So many people that have a good deal of money to leave make foolish wills. It may be something of that kind. Bless me! poor young Underwood, a fine young fellow. It will be hard upon him. You must excuse me if I see both sides of the case,” he added gravely; “young Underwood is----” and here he came to a dead pause.