Darkwater by V. J. Banis Page A

examined her again and again and I can find nothing at all wrong with the woman.”
    â€œI rather thought as much myself. I had the impression she was malingering. And yet....”
    He nodded his head in understanding. “Yes, there is that ‘and yet,’ isn’t there? There is no doubt that she feels poorly. She could not be pretending all of that.”
    â€œFrankly, there have been times when I thought surely her physical pain must be real. She suffers so with it.”
    â€œThe mind is a powerful thing.”
    â€œYes, that is true.” Jennifer paused, thinking. “Don’t you think that some fresh air and sunshine, and maybe a little exercise...?”
    â€œThey would do no harm, and probably some good. If you could get her to agree to them. But there is more to it than that, I’m sure of it. She is tragically unhappy, and I believe it is this that is making her ill.”
    He looked for a moment as if he were going to venture his opinion as to the cause of this unhappiness, but at the last minute he thought better of it. She was, after all, only a paid servant of the Deres and he their physician, and they could hardly begin to gossip about the Dere’s personal business.
    Jennifer stood up. “Then there is nothing you can advise me to do so far as the care of Mrs. Dere?”
    â€œTry to keep her calm and avoid the sort of excitement that brings on her spells. And it might not be a bad idea to pursue your notion of getting her outside a little bit each day. But I wouldn’t insist on it if she doesn’t feel so inclined. Most of all, I think she wants babying. Perhaps if her husband spent a little time with her, it would cheer her up somewhat....” He let his voice trail off. That was as far as he dared venture into that subject.
    â€œI will do what I can.” She started for the door, but before she reached it, a thought occurred to her and she turned back.
    â€œDoctor, do you know a woman who lives in the swamp, Mrs. Hodges?”
    He smiled and nodded. “Yes. The people hereabouts call her the swamp witch. I would avoid her if I were you. She’s mostly harmless, but certainly unstable.”
    â€œDo you think...?” She hesitated. “Do you believe she is a witch?”
    He gave her a look of mild reproach. “No, I don’t believe that, but she has effected some cures that seemed like magic to folks hereabout. She’s very knowledgeable about herbs and natural methods of healing, and there are miracles that can be worked with them if one knows enough. I wish I knew more. She has cured one or two cases where medical science was helpless. But that is not real magic, it is only advanced knowledge. That is all the Middle Ages witches were, you know, people who were misfits and who were, in many cases, ahead of their time in the knowledge they possessed, the same kind of knowledge, of herbs and berries and such. But why do you ask about Mrs. Hodges?”
    â€œI was only curious. I had heard she was the mother of a girl living at Darkwater, Liza. Do you know the child?”
    â€œYes, but I could hardly believe she is Mrs. Hodges daughter. The woman is seventy if she’s a day, and Liza can’t be more than thirteen or fourteen.”
    â€œShe could be a granddaughter, perhaps.”
    â€œIt is possible,” he said with a shrug. “But I would still doubt it very much. That would presuppose that at some time Mrs. Hodges had a child of her own, and if she did, no one around here ever heard of it. She has lived in this neighborhood for decades, you see, and surely someone would have known if she had a child. Word gets around.”
    â€œI suppose that is so. But I’m told Mr. Dere found her with Mrs. Hodges. If she is not Mrs. Hodges daughter, where do you suppose she came from?”
    Another shrug. “There was so much confusion after the war. Children were abandoned by families who could not care for