the law and the lady-第22章
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as respectable as you are； if you come to that。 My name is
Hoighty。 My parents are in business； and my mamma has seen better
days； and mixed in the best of company。〃
There Miss Hoighty lifted her handkerchief again to her face； and
burst modestly into tears behind it。
It was certainly hard to hold her responsible for what had
happened。 I answered as kindly as I could； and I attempted to
speak to Major Fitz…David in her defense。 He knew what terrible
anxieties were oppressing me at that moment； and； considerately
refusing to hear a word； he took the task of consoling his young
prima donna entirely on himself。 What he said to her I neither
heard nor cared to hear： he spoke in a whisper。 It ended in his
pacifying Miss Hoighty； by kissing her hand； and leading her （as
he might have led a duchess） out of the room。
〃I hope that foolish girl has not annoyed youat such a time as
this；〃 he said； very earnestly； when he returned to the sofa。 〃I
can't tell you how grieved I am at what has happened。 I was
careful to warn you； as you may remember。 Still； if I could only
have foreseen〃
I let him proceed no further。 No human forethought could have
provided against what had happened。 Besides； dreadful as the
discovery had been； I would rather have made it； and suffered
under it； as I was suffering now； than have been kept in the
dark。 I told him this。 And then I turned to the one subject that
was now of any interest to methe subject of my unhappy husband。
〃How did he come to this house？〃 I asked。
He came here with Mr。 Benjamin shortly after I returned；〃 the
Major replied。
〃Long after I was taken ill？〃
〃No。 I had just sent for the doctorfeeling seriously alarmed
about you。〃
〃What brought him here？ Did he return to the hotel and miss me？〃
〃Yes。 He returned earlier than he had anticipated； and he felt
uneasy at not finding you at the hotel。〃
〃Did he suspect me of being with you？ Did he come here from the
hotel？〃
〃No。 He appears to have gone first to Mr。 Benjamin to inquire
about you。 What he heard from your old friend I cannot say。 I
only know that Mr。 Benjamin accompanied him when he came here。〃
This brief explanation was quite enough for meI understood what
had happened。 Eustace would easily frighten simple old Benjamin
about my absence from the hotel； and； once alarmed； Benjamin
would be persuaded without difficulty to repeat the few words
which had passed between us on the subject of Major Fitz…David。
My husband's presence in the Major's house was perfectly
explained。 But his extraordinary conduct in leaving the room at
the very time when I was just recovering my senses still remained
to be accounted for。 Major Fitz…David looked seriously
embarrassed when I put the question to him。
〃I hardly know how to explain it to you；〃 he said。 〃Eustace has
surprised and disappointed me。〃
He spoke very gravely。 His looks told me more than his words： his
looks alarmed me。
〃Eustace has not quarreled with you？〃 I said。
〃Oh no！〃
〃He understands that you have not broken your promise to him？〃
〃Certainly。 My youn g vocalist （Miss Hoighty） told the doctor
exactly what had happened； and the doctor in her presence
repeated the statement to your husband。〃
〃Did the doctor see the Trial？〃
〃Neither the doctor nor Mr。 Benjamin has seen the Trial。 I have
locked it up； and I have carefully kept the terrible story of
your connection with the prisoner a secret from all of them。 Mr。
Benjamin evidently has his suspicions。 But the doctor has no
idea； and Miss Hoighty has no idea； of the true cause of your
fainting fit。 They both believe that you are subject to serious
nervous attacks； and that your husband's name is really
Woodville。 All that the truest friend could do to spare Eustace I
have done。 He persists； nevertheless； in blaming me for letting
you enter my house。 And worse； far worse than this； he persists
in declaring the event of to…day has fatally estranged you from
him。 'There is an end of our married life；' he said to me； 'now
she knows that I am the man who was tried at Edinburgh for
poisoning my wife！〃'
I rose from the sofa in horror。
〃Good God！〃 I cried； 〃does Eustace suppose that I doubt his
innocence？〃
〃He denies that it is possible for you or for anybody to believe
in his innocence；〃 the Major replied。
〃Help me to the door；〃 I said。 〃Where is he？ I must and will see
him！〃
I dropped back exhausted on the sofa as I said the words。 Major
Fitz…David poured out a glass of wine from the bottle on the
table； and insisted on my drinking it。
〃You shall see him；〃 said the Major。 〃I promise you that。 The
doctor has forbidden him to leave the house until you have seen
him。 Only wait a little！ My poor； dear lady； wait； if it is only
for a few minutes； until you are stronger。〃
I had no choice but to obey him。 Oh； those miserable； helpless
minutes on the sofa！ I cannot write of them without shuddering at
the recollectioneven at this distance of time。
〃Bring him here！〃 I said。 〃Pray； pray bring him here！〃
〃Who is to persuade him to come back？〃 asked the Major； sadly。
〃How can I； how can anybody； prevail with a mana madman I had
almost said！who could leave you at the moment when you first
opened your eyes on him？ I saw Eustace alone in the next room
while the doctor was in attendance on you。 I tried to shake his
obstinate distrust of your belief in his innocence and of my
belief in his innocence by every argument and every appeal that
an old friend could address to him。 He had but one answer to give
me。 Reason as I might； and plead as I might； he still persisted
in referring me to the Scotch Verdict。〃
〃The Scotch Verdict？〃 I repeated。 〃What is that？〃
The Major looked surprised at the question。
〃Have you really never heard of the Trial？〃 he said。
〃Never。〃
〃I thought it strange；〃 he went on； 〃when you told me you had
found out your husband's true name； that the discovery appeared
to have suggested no painful association to your mind。 It is not
more than three years since all England was talking of your
husband。 One can hardly wonder at his taking refuge； poor fellow；
in an assumed name。 Where could you have been at the time？〃
〃Did you say it was three years ago？〃 I asked。
〃Yes。〃
〃I think I can explain my strange ignorance of what was so well
known to every one else。 Three years since my father was alive。 I
was living with him in a country…house in Italyup in the
mountains； near Sienna。 We never saw an English newspaper or met
with an English traveler for weeks and weeks together。 It is just
possible that there might have been some reference made to the
Trial in my father's letters from England。 If there were； he
never told me of it。 Or； if he did mention the case； I felt no
interest in it； and forgot it again directly。 Tell mewhat has
the Verdict to do with my husband's horrible doubt of us？ Eustace
is a free man。 The Verdict was Not Guilty； of course？〃
Major Fitz…David shook his head sadly。
〃Eustace was tried in Scotland；〃 he said。 〃There is a verdict
allowed by the Scotch law； which （so far as I know） is not
permitted by the laws of any other civilized country on the face
of the earth。 When the jury are in doubt whether to condemn or
acquit the prisoner brought before them； they are permitted； in
Scotland； to express that doubt by a form of compromise。 If there
is not evidence enough； on the one hand； to justify them in
finding a prisoner guilty； and not evidence enough； on the other
hand； to thoroughly convince them that a prisoner is innocent；
they extricate themselves from the difficulty by finding a
verdict of Not Proven。〃
〃Was that the Verdict when Eustace was tried？〃 I asked。
〃Yes。〃
〃The jury were not quite satisfied that my husband was guilty？
and not quite satisfied that my husband was innocent？ Is that
what the Scotch Verdict means？〃
〃That is what the Scotch Verdict means。 For three years that
doubt about him in the minds of the jury who tried him has stood
on public record。〃
Oh； my poor darling！ my innocent martyr！ I understood it at last。
The false name in which he had married me； the terrible words he
had spoken when he had warned me to r
