Tales of Terror and Mystery
The Black Doctor
Ifunderthepressureofeventsshebrokethatseal,shehasmyentiresympathyandforgiveness.
"ItwasonlylastnightthatIreturnedtoEngland,andduringallthistimeIhaveheardnothingofthesensationwhichmysupposeddeathhadcaused,noroftheaccusationthatMr.ArthurMortonhadbeenconcernedinit.ItwasinalateeveningpaperthatIreadanaccountoftheproceedingsofyesterday,andIhavecomethismorningasfastasanexpresstraincouldbringmetotestifytothetruth."
SuchwastheremarkablestatementofDr.AloysiusLanawhichbroughtthetrialtoasuddentermination.AsubsequentinvestigationcorroboratedittotheextentoffindingoutthevesselinwhichhisbrotherErnestLanahadcomeoverfromSouthAmerica.Theship’sdoctorwasabletotestifythathehadcomplainedofaweakheartduringthevoyage,andthathissymptomswereconsistentwithsuchadeathaswasdescribed.
AstoDr.AloysiusLana,hereturnedtothevillagefromwhichhehadmadesodramaticadisappearance,andacompletereconciliationwaseffectedbetweenhimandtheyoungsquire,thelatterhavingacknowledgedthathehadentirelymisunderstoodtheother’smotivesinwithdrawingfromhisengagement.ThatanotherreconciliationfollowedmaybejudgedfromanoticeextractedfromaprominentcolumnintheMorningPost:
"AmarriagewassolemnizeduponSeptember19th,bytheRev.StephenJohnson,attheparishchurchofBishop’sCrossing,betweenAloysiusXavierLana,sonofDonAlfredoLana,formerlyForeignMinisteroftheArgentineRepublic,andFrancesMorton,onlydaughterofthelateJamesMorton,J.P