The strange transfiguration of Hannah Stubbs

In the morning, after the surgeon’s examination, the Baron anticipated his dictum. “You need not attempt to buoy me up with false hopes,” he said, “for I can see the truth for myself. She will not get over it!” “I fear not! She has a wonderful constitution--the strength of a lion--but there are internal injuries, and mortification has commenced, and a few hours (say twenty-four), must see it terminated. I cannot give you any hope!” “Thank you for being candid! It is best to know the worst at once! I suppose we may give her anything she can take!” “Just so, but I should advise the use of soporifics if great pain comes on, as it must, I fear, do!” The men shook hands, and the Baron returned to Hannah’s side. At all events, he thought, she should not accuse him of inattention now. He found her again awake and restless, with bright feverish eyes and an anxious look on her features. “Doctor!” she gasped, as soon as he appeared, “I shan’t get over this--I feel it! There’s a great fire inside of me, and my ’ead keeps going round. I’ve got my death some’ow, I know. And I must see my pore mother afore I dies!” “Your _mother_, Hannah!” cried Von Steinberg, aghast. “O! yes, Doctor, please!” replied the girl, weakly sobbing, “’cos she was very good to me, afore I took up with devils and things. She couldn’t abide woices nor shadders, couldn’t mother, and I was a bad gal, I feels it now, to go agen ’er! It cut me to the ’eart, when we parted so cruel, and if the Professor ’adn’t stood my friend, I dunno what I _should_ ’ave done! And Joe too--my young man as was--he turned me off along of the same thing, and I dessay ’e was right, but I loved ’im true, Doctor--I told the Sig-nor so--and I should like to say good-bye to ’im also since I’m a’going!” “But, Hannah, you must not talk like that! You’re in great pain, I know, but we will pull you through yet--see if we don’t!” “No! you won’t,” replied the girl, shaking her head; “there’s a summat in my stummick, as tells me I shan’t never walk out of this ’ere bed. And so, if I could see my pore mother once more, Doctor, and--and--my young man, if so be ’e ain’t married another yet--it would make me easier than anythink else!” “Then you shall see them, if it is in my power,” said Von Steinberg, as he rose to leave her. “And the Professor, too, Doctor--my pore old ’usband,” added Hannah. “’E’ll miss me a bit, won’t ’e, cos we was always sich good friends--’e and I,--always sich good friends!” murmured the dying girl, in a faint voice. Commending her to the care of the nurse, the Baron did what he considered was the last and kindest duty he could perform towards her, and that was to go down with all haste to Settlefield, and if possible bring her people up to London to see her once more. He used the utmost expedition in accomplishing his errand, but it was some hours before he reached the village, and then it was to find the little cottage in darkness and mourning--Mrs. Stubbs having died the day before. When the widower heard the errand on which Von Steinberg had come, he expressed a sort of rough regret at his daughter’s hopeless condition, but he did not volunteer to accompany him back to Town. “You see, Sir, it’s loike this,” he argued, “the missus she would ’ave been very glad to see our Hannah afore she died, but it was not to be, and she lays dead in that theer room, and ’ave lef’ me with hall these childer on my ’ands, which I can’t leave ’em, not for Hannah, nor no one. You must please to tell ’er with my dooty as it is so, and p’r’aps when she’s strong and ’earty agen, she’ll remember her pore father and ’ow ’e ’as to work to maintain ’er brothers and sisters, and she rolling in riches, as you may say.” “But she will _never_ be strong and hearty again,” exclaimed Von Steinberg, impatiently. “I tell you that my poor wife is dying. She cannot last more than four-and-twenty hours!” “Well! I couldn’t go so soon, if I wanted ever so,” replied the man. “Theer’s my lawful wife a’laying dead in that theer room, and I wouldn’t leave the ’ouse whilst she’s in it, not for a ’undred darters, be they whom they may!” “Very well, then, it is of no use my staying here,” said the Baron, “but I thought you would have had a little more heart!” “Our Hannah haven’t been sich a perticular good darter to us, Sir, arter all, you know! She wouldn’t give up them devils and things, as near broke ’er pore mother’s ’eart, and when she was married to rale gentlemen like Mr. Ricardo and yerself, she never come anigh us, nor sent us a word for years--not till she sent them twenty pounds, which I’m sure another little sum like that larst, would come in very convenient just now!” Karl von Steinberg was too much irritated by his refusal to visit his dying child, to feel very liberally inclined towards the cold-hearted old grumbler just then. “I cannot stay to hear any more of your troubles now,” he said, “for I must return to the side of my poor wife. By and by, perhaps, when I have time to think, I may help you a little, for her sake!” He tore back to London as quickly as he could, half expecting to find that Hannah had left _him_ also, without a last good-bye. But she was still alive, and in less pain--the cruel mortification had done its work--her spirit was holding on to earth by a single thread. As he entered her room, he found both the nurse and housekeeper there, whilst Hannah was sitting up in bed, notwithstanding her splints and bandages, with a bright look of expectation on her face. He was just about to try and soothe her last moments with some pleasing fiction of her mother coming to her soon, when he was startled by hearing her exclaim, as she stretched out her arms towards the foot of the bed, “O! mother! mother! I know’d as you’d forgive me at the larst! Ah! it _is_ good to see you, mother, arter all these years! But don’tee cry! I shall soon be well again, now you’ve come to fetch me, and forgive me for them devils and things, and take me ’ome to live along of you!” The plain face glowed with delighted anticipation--the swollen hands were stretched out with rapture--the eyes, lovely to the last, beamed upon the apparition that stood before her, and the spirit of Hannah Stubbs, with the most gratifying result of all her mediumship, flew into the arms of her waiting mother, whilst her body fell back lifeless on the pillows. She had passed away in total ignorance of all that had befallen her since she had left her mother’s care for that of Ricardo--she did not know that she had ever been obsessed by Leonora, or that her hand had committed a murder, or that she had been unfaithful, or insolent, or overbearing! Poor ignorant, innocent Hannah Stubbs! Stupid, plain and uninteresting, as she came from His hand, she returned to her Creator, to be beautified and refined and enlightened, under the process of her Father’s love! THE END. TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES The Bernhard Tauchnitz (Leipzig, 1896) edition was consulted for the changes listed below. Obsolete and inconsistent spellings (e.g. negociations, laughing stock/laughing-stock, needlework/needle-work, etc.) have been preserved. Alterations to the text: Add ToC. Punctuation: fix some quotation mark pairings/nestings. [Chapter I] Change “he and the Sig-nor will be _closetted_ for hours together” to _closeted_. [Chapter III] “Is she very stupid. very clumsy, very impertinent?” change period to a comma. (“It ain’t that, Sir,” she said, shaking her head, “In course I was) change the last comma to a period. [Chapter IV] “she must shake like an aspen leaf I found ’er in the kitchen” add period after _leaf_. [Chapter V] Change “you were to see Doctor Steinberg again _tonight_?” to _to-night_. [Chapter VI] “that it does not all proceed from giving her _medecine_!” to _medicine_. “they found themselves once more _closetted_ with Hannah Stubbs” to _closeted_. [Chapter VII] (don’t take ’eed to your ways,” retorted his irate adversary, “Me and) change the last comma to a period. “doings of Satan--and no more will. this young man ’ere!” delete the period. [Chapter VIII] “If he had _announccd_ that he intended to murder Hannah Stubbs” to _announced_. [Chapter IX] “continue to call her Hannah _has_ usual” to _as_. [Chapter XII] “when pressed, as late as ten o’clock at night, Now! go on with” change the second comma to a period. “and ’ave you left them for good. and where are you living now?” change the period to a comma. [Chapter XIII] “Karl _van_ Steinberg alone remaining behind for a few minutes” to _von_. “if her condition were normal. or if they could trace any” change the period to a comma. [Chapter XIV] (but English is so hard,” she added, pathetically,) change the third comma to a period. [Chapter XV] “against her; the would accept any explanation she chose to child give--she was only...” change _the_ to _she_ and delete _child_. (“O! don’t speak of such a thing pray! I shouldn’t) add comma after _thing_. [Chapter XVI] “but all this talk about Spiritualism is only got up, for want of a better excitement.” delete the comma. [Chapter XVII] “I lost her in so cruelly sudden a manner Only four days ill” add period after _manner_. [End of text]