armadale-第160章

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named　Waldron。　Aha！　that　name　startles　you；　does　it？　You've　read
the　Trial　of　the　famous　Mrs。　Waldron；　like　the　rest　of　the　world？
And　you　know　who　Miss　Gwilt　is　now；　without　my　telling　you？〃

He　paused；　and　looked　at　his　father　in　sudden　perplexity。　Far
from　being　overwhelmed　by　the　discovery　which　had　just　burst　on
him；　Mr。　Bashwood；　after　the　first　natural　movement　of　surprise；
faced　his　son　with　a　self…possession　which　was　nothing　short　of
extraordinary　under　the　circumstances。　There　was　a　new　brightness
in　his　eyes；　and　a　new　color　in　his　face。　If　it　had　been　possible
to　conceive　such　a　thing　of　a　man　in　his　position；　he　seemed　to
be　absolutely　encouraged　instead　of　depressed　by　what　he　had　just
heard。　〃Go　on；　Jemmy；〃　he　said；　quietly；　〃I　am　one　of　the　few
people　who　didn't　read　the　trial；　I　only　heard　of　it。〃

Still　wondering　inwardly；　Bashwood　the　younger　recovered　himself；
and　went　on。

〃You　always　were；　and　you　always　will　be；　behind　the　age；〃　he
said。　〃When　we　come　to　the　trial；　I　can　tell　you　as　much　about　it
as　you　need　know。　In　the　meantime；　we　must　go　back　to　the
baroness　and　Mr。　Waldron。　For　a　certain　number　of　nights　the
Englishman　let　the　card…sharpers　have　it　all　their　own　way；　in
other　words；　he　paid　for　the　privilege　of　making　himself
agreeable　to　Miss　Gwilt。　When　he　thought　he　had　produced　the
necessary　impression　on　her；　he　exposed　the　whole　confederacy
without　mercy。　The　police　interfered；　the　baroness　found　herself
in　prison；　and　Miss　Gwilt　was　put　between　the　two　alternatives　of
accepting　Mr。　Waldron's　protection　or　being　thrown　on　the　world
again。　She　was　amazingly　virtuous；　or　amazingly　clever；　which　you
please。　To　Mr。　Waldron's　astonishment；　she　told　him　that　she
could　face　the　prospect　of　being　thrown　on　the　world；　and　that　he
must　address　her　honorably　or　leave　her　forever。　The　end　of　it
was　what　the　end　always　is；　where　the　man　is　infatuated　and　the
woman　is　determined。　To　the　disgust　of　his　family　and　friends；
Mr。　Waldron　made　a　virtue　of　necessity；　and　married　her。〃

〃How　old　was　he？〃　asked　Bashwood　the　elder；　eagerly。

Bashwood　the　younger　burst　out　laughing。　〃He　was　about　old
enough；　daddy；　to　be　your　son；　and　rich　enough　to　have　burst　that
precious　pocket…book　of　yours　with　thousand…pound　notes！　Don't
hang　your　head。　It　wasn't　a　happy　marriage；　though　he　_was_　so
young　and　so　rich。　They　lived　abroad；　and　got　on　well　enough　at
first。　He　made　a　new　will；　of　course；　as　soon　as　he　was　married；
and　provided　handsomely　for　his　wife；　under　the　tender　pressure
of　the　honey…moon。　But　women　wear　out；　like　other　things；　with
time；　and　one　fine　morning　Mr。　Waldron　woke　up　with　a　doubt　in
his　mind　whether　he　had　not　acted　like　a　fool。　He　was　an
ill…tempered　man；　he　was　discontented　with　himself；　and　of　course
he　made　his　wife　feel　it。　Having　begun　by　quarreling　with　her；　he
got　on　to　suspecting　her；　and　became　savagely　jealous　of　every
male　creature　who　entered　the　house。　They　had　no　incumbrances　in
the　shape　of　children；　and　they　moved　from　one　place　to　another；
just　as　his　jealousy　inclined　him；　till　they　moved　back　to
England　at　last；　after　having　been　married　close　on　four　years。
He　had　a　lonely　old　house　of　his　own　among　the　Yorkshire　moors；
and　there　he　shut　his　wife　and　himself　up　from　every　living
creature；　except　his　servants　and　his　dogs。　Only　one　result　could
come；　of　course；　of　treating　a　high…spirited　young　woman　in　that
way。　It　may　be　her　fate；　or　it　may　be　chance；　but；　whenever　a
woman　is　desperate；　there　is　sure　to　be　a　man　handy　to　take
advantage　of　it。　The　man　in　this　case　was　rather　a　'dark　horse；'
as　they　say　on　the　turf。　He　was　a　certain　Captain　Manuel；　a
native　of　Cuba；　and　（according　to　his　own　account）　an　ex…officer
in　the　Spanish　navy。　He　had　met　Mr。　Waldron's　beautiful　wife　on
the　journey　back　to　England；　had　contrived　to　speak　to　her　in
spite　of　her　husband's　jealousy；　and　had　followed　her　to　her
place　of　imprisonment　in　Mr。　Waldron's　house　on　the　moors。　The
captain　is　described　as　a　clever；　determined　fellowof　the
daring　piratical　sortwith　the　dash　of　mystery　about　him　that
women　like〃

〃She's　not　the　same　as　other　women！〃　interposed　Mr。　Bashwood；
suddenly　interrupting　his　son。　〃Did　she？〃　His　voice　failed　him；
and　he　stopped　without　bringing　the　question　to　an　end。

〃Did　she　like　the　captain？〃　suggested　Bashwood　the　younger；　with
another　laugh。　〃According　to　her　own　account　of　it；　she　adored
him。　At　the　same　time　her　conduct　（as　represented　by　herself）　was
perfectly　innocent。　Considering　how　carefully　her　husband　watched
her；　the　statement　（incredible　as　it　appears）　is　probably　true。
For　six　weeks　or　so　they　confined　themselves　to　corresponding
privately；　the　Cuban　captain　（who　spoke　and　wrote　English
perfectly）　having　contrived　to　make　a　go…between　of　one　of　the
female　servants　in　the　Yorkshire　house。　How　it　might　have　ended
we　needn't　trouble　ourselves　to　inquireMr。　Waldron　himself
brought　matters　to　a　crisis。　Whether　he　got　wind　of　the
clandestine　correspondence　or　not；　doesn't　appear。　But　this　is
certain；　that　he　came　home　from　a　ride　one　day　in　a　fiercer
temper　than　usual；　that　his　wife　showed　him　a　sample　of　that　high
spirit　of　hers　which　he　had　never　yet　been　able　to　break；　and
that　it　ended　in　his　striking　her　across　the　face　with　his
riding…whip。　Ungentlemanly　conduct；　I　am　afraid　we　must　admit；
but；　to　all　outward　appearance；　the　riding…whip　produced　the　most
astonishing　results。　From　that　moment　the　lady　submitted　as　she
had　never　submitted　before。　For　a　fortnight　afterward　he　did　what
he　liked；　and　she　never　thwarted　him；　he　said　what　he　liked；　and
she　never　uttered　a　word　of　protest。　Some　men　might　have
suspected　this　sudden　reformation　of　hiding　something　dangerous
under　the　surface。　Whether　Mr。　Waldron　looked　at　it　in　that
light；　I　can't　tell　you。　All　that　is　known　is　that；　before　the
mark　of　the　whip　was　off　his　wife's　face；　he　fell　ill；　and　that
in　two　days　afterward　he　was　a　dead　man。　What　do　you　say　to
that？〃

〃I　say　he　deserved　it！〃　answered　Mr。　Bashwood；　striking　his　hand
excitedly　on　the　table；　as　his　son　paused　and　looked　at　him。

〃The
　doctor　who　attended　the　dying　man　was　not　of　your　way　of
thinking；〃　remarked　Bashwood　the　younger；　dryly。　〃He　called　in
two　other　medical　men；　and　they　all　three　refused　to　certify　the
death。　The　usual　legal　investigation　followed。　The　evidence　of
the　doctors　and　the　evidence　of　the　servants　pointed　irresistibly
in　one　and　the　same　direction；　and　Mrs。　Waldron　was　committed　for
trial；　on　the　charge　of　murdering　her　husband　by　poison。　A
solicitor　in　first…rate　criminal　practice　was　sent　for　from
London　to　get　up　the　prisoner's　defense；　and　these　'Instructions'
took　their　form　and　shape　accordingly。What's　the　matter？　What
do　you　want　now？〃

Suddenly　rising　from　his　chair；　Mr。　Bashwood　stretched　across　the
table；　and　tried　to　take　the　papers　from　his　son。　〃I　want　to　look
at　them；〃　he　burst　out；　eagerly。　〃I　want　to　see　what　they　say
about　the　captain　from　Cuba。　He　was　at　the　bottom　of　it；
JemmyI'll　swear　he　was　at　the　bottom　of　it！〃

〃Nobody　doubted　that　who　was　in　the　secret　of　the　case　at　the
time；〃　rejoined　his　son。　〃But　nobody　could　prove　it。　Sit　down
again；　dad；　and　compose　yourself。　There's　nothing　here　about
Captain　Manuel　but　the　lawyer's　private　suspicions　of　him；　for
the　counsel　to　act　on　or　not；　at　the　counsel's　discretion。　From
first　to　last　she　persisted　in　screening　the　captain。　At　the
outset　of　the　business　she　volunteered　two　statements　to　the
lawyerboth　of　which　he　suspected　to　be　false。　In　the　first
place　she　declared　that　she　was　innocent　of　the　crime。　He　wasn't
surprised；　of　course；　so　far；　his　clients　were；　as　a　general
rule；　in　the　habit　of　deceiving　him　in　that　way。　In　the　second
place；　while　admitting　her　private　correspondence　with　the　Cuban
captain；　she　declared　that　the　letters　on　both　sides　related
solely　to　a　proposed　elopement；　to　which　her　husband's　barbarous
treatment　had　induced　her　to　consent。　The　lawyer　naturally　asked
to　see　the　letters。　'He　has　burned　all　my　letters；　and　I　have
burned　all　his；'　was　the　only　answer　he　got。　It　was　quite
possible　that　Captain