Tales of Terror and Mystery
The Black Doctor
InpersonMissMortonwastallandstately,andshewasfamousforherquick,impetuousnatureandforherstrengthofcharacter.ShemetDr.Lanaatagarden-party,andafriendship,whichquicklyripenedintolove,sprangupbetweenthem.Nothingcouldexceedtheirdevotiontoeachother.Therewassomediscrepancyinage,hebeingthirty-seven,andshetwenty-four;but,saveinthatonerespect,therewasnopossibleobjectiontobefoundwiththematch.TheengagementwasinFebruary,anditwasarrangedthatthemarriageshouldtakeplaceinAugust.
Uponthe3rdofJuneDr.Lanareceivedaletterfromabroad.Inasmallvillagethepostmasterisalsoinapositiontobethegossip-master,andMr.Bankley,ofBishop’sCrossing,hadmanyofthesecretsofhisneighboursinhispossession.Ofthisparticularletterheremarkedonlythatitwasinacuriousenvelope,thatitwasinaman’shandwriting,thatthepostscriptwasBuenosAyres,andthestampoftheArgentineRepublic.ItwasthefirstletterwhichhehadeverknownDr.Lanatohavefromabroadandthiswasthereasonwhyhisattentionwasparticularlycalledtoitbeforehehandedittothelocalpostman.Itwasdeliveredbytheeveningdeliveryofthatdate.
Nextmorning—thatis,uponthe4thofJune—Dr.LanacalleduponMissMorton,andalonginterviewfollowed,fromwhichhewasobservedtoreturninastateofgreatagitation.MissMortonremainedinherroomallthatday,andhermaidfoundherseveraltimesintears.Inthecourseofaweekitwasanopensecrettothewholevillagethattheengagementwasatanend,thatDr.
