the law and the lady-第34章

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that　there　might　have　been　rats　in　the　house；　though　they　were
not　aware　of　it。　The　possession　of　the　poison　was　traced　directly
to　my　husband；　and　to　no　one　else。　That　he　had　bought　it　was
actually　proved；　and　that　he　had　kept　it　was　the　one　conclusion
that　the　evidence　justified。

The　witnesses　who　came　next　did　their　best　to　press　the　charge
against　the　prisoner　home　to　him。　Having　the　arsenic　in　his
possession；　what　had　he　done　with　it？　The　evidence　led　the　jury
to　infer　what　he　had　done　with　it。

The　prisoner's　valet　deposed　that　his　master　had　rung　for　him　at
twenty　minutes　to　ten　on　the　morning　of　the　day　on　which　his
mistress　died；　and　had　ordered　a　cup　of　tea　for　her。　The　man　had
received　the　order　at　the　open　door　of　Mrs。　Macallan's　room；　and
could　positively　swear　that　no　other　person　but　his　master　was
there　at　the　time。

The　under…housemaid；　appearing　next；　said　that　she　had　made　the
tea；　and　had　herself　taken　it　upstairs　before　ten　o'clock　to　Mrs。
Macallan's　room。　Her　master　had　received　it　from　her　at　the　open
door。　She　could　look　in；　and　could　see　that　he　was　alone　in　her
mistress's　room。

The　nurse；　Christina　Ormsay；　being　recalled；　repeated　what　Mrs。
Macallan　had　said　to　her　on　the　day　when　that　lady　was　first
taken　ill。　She　had　said　（speaking　to　the　nurse　at　six　o'clock　in
the　morning）；　〃Mr。　Macallan　came　in　about　an　hour　since；　he　found
me　still　sleepless；　and　gave　me　my　composing　draught。〃　This　was
at　five　o'clock　in　the　morning；　while　Christina　Ormsay　was　asleep
on　the　sofa。　The　nurse　further　swore　that　she　had　looked　at　the
bottle　containing　the　composing　mixture；　and　had　seen　by　the
measuring　marks　on　the　bottle　that　a　dose　had　been　poured　out
since　the　dose　previously　given；　administered　by　herself。

On　this　occasion　special　interest　was　excited　by　the
cross…examination。　The　closing　questions　put　to　the
under…housemaid　and　the　nurse　revealed　for　the　first　time　what
the　nature　of　the　defense　was　to　be。

Cross…examining　the　under…housemaid；　the　Dean　of　Faculty　said：

〃Did　you　ever　notice　when　you　were　setting　Mrs。　Eustace
Macallan's　room　to　rights　whether　the　water　left　in　the　basin　was
of　a　blackish　or　bluish　color？〃　The　witness　answered；　〃I　never
noticed　anything　of　the　sort。〃

The　Dean　of　Faculty　went　on：

〃Did　you　ever　find　under　the　pillow　of　the　bed；　or　in　any　other
hiding　place　in　Mrs。　Macallan's　room；　any　books　or　pamphlets
telling　of　remedies　used　for　improving　a　bad　complexion？〃　The
witness　answered；　〃No。〃

The　Dean　of　Faculty　persisted：

〃Did　you　ever　hear　Mrs。　Macallan　speak　of　arsenic；　taken　as　a
wash　or　taken　as　a　medicine；　as　a　good　thing　to　improve　the
complexion？〃　The　witness　answered；　〃Never。〃

Similar　questions　were　next　put　to　the　nurse；　and　were　all
answered　by　this　witness　also　in　the　negative。

Here；　then；　in　spite　of　the　negative　answers；　was　the　plan　of　the
defense　made　dimly　visible　for　the　first　time　to　the　jury　and　to
the　audience。　By　way　of　preventing　the　possibility　of　a　mistake
in　so　serious　a　matter；　the　Chief　Judge　（the　Lord　Justice　Clerk）
put　this　plain　question；　when　the　witnesses　had　retired；　to　the
Counsel　for　the　defense：

〃The　Court　and　the　jury；〃　said　his　lordship；　〃wish　distinctly　to
understand　the　object　of　your　cross…examination　of　the　housemaid
and　the　nurse。　Is　it　the　theory　of　the　defense　that　Mrs。　Eustace
Macallan　used　the　arsenic　whichher　husband　purchased　for　the
purpose　of　improving　the　defects　of　her　complexion？〃

The　Dean　of　Faculty　answered：

〃That　is　what　we　say；　my　lord；　and　what　we　propose　to　prove　as
the　foundation　of　the　defense。　We　cannot　dispute　the　medical
evidence　which　declares　that　Mrs。　Macallan　died　poisoned。　But　we
assert　that　she　died　of　an　overdose　of　arsenic；　ignorantly　taken；
in　the　privacy　of　her　own　room；　as　a　remedy　for　the　defectsthe
proved　and　admitted　defectsof　her　complexion。　The　prisoner's
Declaration　before　the　Sheriff　expressly　sets　forth　that　he
purchased　the　arsenic　at　the　request　of　his　wife。〃

The　Lord　Justice　Clerk　inquired　upon　this　if　there　were　any
objection　on　the　part　of　either　of　the　learned　counsel　to　have
the　Declaration　read　in　Court　before　the　Trial　proceeded　further。

To　this　the　Dean　of　Faculty　replied　that　he　would　be　glad　to　have
the　Declaration　read。　If　he　might　use　the　expression；　it　would
usefully　pave　the　way　in　the　minds　of　the　jury　for　the　defense
which　he　had　to　submit　to　them。

The　Lord　Advocate　（speaking　on　the　other　side）　was　happy　to　be
able　to　accommodate　his　learned　brother　in　this　matter。　So　long
as　the　mere　assertions　which　the　Declaration　contained　were　not
supported　by　proof；　he　looked　upon　that　document　as　evidence　for
the　prosecution；　and　he　too　was　quite　willing　to　have　it　read。

Thereupon　the　prisoner's　Declaration　of　his　innocenceon　being
char　ged　before　the　Sheriff　with　the　murder　of　his　wifewas
read；　in　the　following　terms：

〃I　bought　the　two　packets　of　arsenic；　on　each　occasion　at　my
wife's　own　request。　On　the　first　occasion　she　told　me　the　poison
was　wanted　by　the　gardener　for　use　in　the　conservatories。　On　the
second　occasion　she　said　it　was　required　by　the　cook　for　ridding
the　lower　part　of　the　house　of　rats。

〃I　handed　both　packets　of　arsenic　to　my　wife　immediately　on　my
return　home。　I　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　poison　after　buying　it。
My　wife　was　the　person　who　gave　orders　to　the　gardener　and
cooknot　I。　I　never　held　any　communication　with　either　of　them。

〃I　asked　my　wife　no　questions　about　the　use　of　the　arsenic；
feeling　no　interest　in　the　subject。　I　never　entered　the
conservatories　for　months　together；　I　care　little　about　flowers。
As　for　the　rats；　I　left　the　killing　of　them　to　the　cook　and　the
other　servants；　just　as　I　should　have　left　any　other　part　of　the
domestic　business　to　the　cook　and　the　other　servants。

〃My　wife　never　told　me　she　wanted　the　arsenic　to　improve　her
complexion。　Surely　I　should　be　the　last　person　admitted　to　the
knowledge　of　such　a　secret　of　her　toilet　as　that？　I　implicitly
believed　what　she　told　me；　viz。；　that　the　poison　was　wanted　for
the　purposes　specified　by　the　gardener　and　the　cook。

〃I　assert　positively　that　I　lived　on　friendly　terms　with　my　wife；
allowing；　of　course；　for　the　little　occasional　disagreements　and
misunderstandings　of　married　life。　Any　sense　of　disappointment　in
connection　with　my　marriage　which　I　might　have　felt　privately　I
conceived　it　to　be　my　duty　as　a　husband　and　a　gentleman　to
conceal　from　my　wife。　I　was　not　only　shocked　and　grieved　by　her
untimely　deathI　was　filled　with　fear　that　I　had　not；　with　all
my　care；　behaved　affectionately　enough　to　her　in　her　lifetime。

〃Furthermore；　I　solemnly　declare　that　I　know　no　more　of　how　she
took　the　arsenic　found　in　her　body　than　the　babe　unborn。　I　am
innocent　even　of　the　thought　of　harming　that　unhappy　woman。　I
administered　the　composing　draught　exactly　as　I　found　it　in　the
bottle。　I　afterward　gave　her　the　cup　of　tea　exactly　as　I　received
it　from　the　under…housemaid's　hand。　I　never　had　access　to　the
arsenic　after　I　placed　the　two　packages　in　my　wife's　possession。
I　am　entirely　ignorant　of　what　she　did　with　them　or　of　where　she
kept　them。　I　declare　before　God　I　am　innocent　of　the　horrible
crime　with　which　I　am　charged。〃

With　the　reading　of　those　true　and　touching　words　the　proceedings
on　the　second　day　of　the　Trial　came　to　an　end。

　So　far；　I　must　own；　the　effect　on　me　of　reading　the　Report　was
to　depress　my　spirits　and　to　lower　my　hopes。　The　whole　weight　of
the　evidence　at　the　close　of　the　second　day　was　against　my
unhappy　husband。　Woman　as　I　was；　and　partisan　as　I　was；　I　could
plainly　see　that。

The　merciless　Lord　Advocate　（I　confess　I　hated　him！）　had　proved
（1）　that　Eustace　had　bought　the　poison；　（2）　that　the　reason　which
he　had　given　to　the　druggists　for　buying　the　poison　was　not　the
true　reason；　（3）　that　he　had　had　two　opportunities　of　secretly
administering　the　poison　to　his　wife。　On　the　other　side；　what　had
the　Dean　of　Faculty　proved？　As　yetnothing。　The　assertions　in
the　prisoner's　Declaration　of　his　innocence　were　still；　as　the
Lord　Advocate　had　remarked；　assertions　not　supported　by　proof。
Not　one　atom　of　evidence　had　been　produc