Tales of Terror and Mystery
The Black Doctor
JamesLowry,thesecondsonofLordBelton,wasthemeansofintroducinghimtocountysociety,wherehebecameafavouritethroughthecharmofhisconversationandtheeleganceofhismanners.Anabsenceofantecedentsandofrelativesissometimesanaidratherthananimpedimenttosocialadvancement,andthedistinguishedindividualityofthehandsomedoctorwasitsownrecommendation.
Hispatientshadonefault—andonefaultonly—tofindwithhim.Heappearedtobeaconfirmedbachelor.Thiswasthemoreremarkablesincethehousewhichheoccupiedwasalargeone,anditwasknownthathissuccessinpracticehadenabledhimtosaveconsiderablesums.Atfirstthelocalmatchmakerswerecontinuallycouplinghisnamewithoneorotheroftheeligibleladies,butasyearspassedandDr.Lanaremainedunmarried,itcametobegenerallyunderstoodthatforsomereasonhemustremainabachelor.Someevenwentsofarastoassertthathewasalreadymarried,andthatitwasinordertoescapetheconsequenceofanearlymisalliancethathehadburiedhimselfatBishop’sCrossing.And,then,justasthematchmakershadfinallygivenhimupindespair,hisengagementwassuddenlyannouncedtoMissFrancesMorton,ofLeighHall.
MissMortonwasayoungladywhowaswellknownuponthecountry-side,herfather,JamesHaldaneMorton,havingbeentheSquireofBishop’sCrossing.Bothherparentswere,however,dead,andshelivedwithheronlybrother,ArthurMorton,whohadinheritedthefamilyestate.
