the law and the lady-第35章

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Lord　Advocate　had　remarked；　assertions　not　supported　by　proof。
Not　one　atom　of　evidence　had　been　produced　to　show　that　it　was
the　wife　who　had　secretly　used　the　arsenic；　and　used　it　for　her
complexion。

My　one　consolation　was　that　the　reading　of　the　Trial　had　already
revealed　to　me　the　helpful　figures　of　two　friends　on　whose
sympathy　I　might　surely　rely。　The　crippled　Mr。　Dexter　had
especially　shown　himself　to　be　a　thorough　good　ally　of　my
husband's。　My　heart　warmed　to　the　man　who　had　moved　his　chair
against　the　bedside　tablethe　man　who　had　struggled　to　the　last
to　defend　Eustace's　papers　from　the　wretches　who　had　seized　them。
I　decided　then　and　there　that　the　first　person　to　whom　I　would
confide　my　aspirations　and　my　hopes　should　be　Mr。　Dexter。　If　he
felt　any　difficulty　about　advising　me；　I　would　then　apply　next　to
the　agent；　Mr。　Playmorethe　second　good　friend；　who　had　formally
protested　against　the　seizure　of　my　husband's　papers。

Fortified　by　this　resolution；　I　turned　the　page；　and　read　the
history　of　the　third　day　of　the　Trial。



CHAPTER　XVIII。

THIRD　QUESTIONWHAT　WAS　HIS　MOTIVE？

　THE　first　question　（Did　the　Woman　Die　Poisoned？）　had　been
answered；　positively。　The　second　question　（Who　Poisoned　Her？）　had
been　answered；　apparently。　There　now　remained　the　third　and　final
questionWhat　was　His　Motive？　The　first　evidence　called　in
answer　to　that　inquiry　was　the　evidence　of　relatives　and　friends
of　the　dead　wife。

Lady　Brydehaven；　widow　of　Rear…Admiral　Sir　George　Brydehaven；
examined　by　Mr。　Drew　（counsel　for　the　Crown　with　the　Lord
Advocate）；　gave　evidence　as　follows：

〃The　deceased　lady　（Mrs。　Eustace　Macallan）　was　my　niece。　She　was
the　only　child　of　my　sister；　and　she　lived　under　my　roof　after
the　time　of　her　mother's　death。　I　objected　to　her　marriage；　on
grounds　which　were　considered　purely　fanciful　and　sentimental　by
her　other　friends。　It　is　extremely　painful　to　me　to　state　the
circumstances　in　public；　but　I　am　ready　to　make　the　sacrifice　if
the　ends　of　justice　require　it。

〃The　prisoner　at　the　bar；　at　the　time　of　which　I　am　now　speaking；
was　staying　as　a　guest　in　my　house。　He　met　with　an　accident　while
he　was　out　riding　which　caused　a　serious　injury　to　one　of　his
legs。　The　leg　had　been　previously　hurt　while　he　was　serving　with
the　army　in　India。　This　circumstance　tended　greatly　to　aggravate
the　injury　received　in　the　accident。　He　was　confined　to　a
recumbent　position　on　a　sofa　for　many　weeks　together；　and　the
ladies　in　the　house　took　it　in　turns　to　sit　with　him；　and　while
away　the　weary　time　by　reading　to　him　and　talking　to　him。　My
niece　was　foremost　among　these　volunteer　nurses。　She　played
admirably　on　the　piano；　and　the　sick　man　happenedmost
unfortunately；　as　the　event　provedto　be　fond　of　music。

〃The　consequences　of　the　perfectly　innocent　intercourse　thus
begun　were　deplorable　consequences　for　my　niece。　She　became
passionately　attached　to　Mr。　Eustace　Macallan；　without　awakening
any　corresponding　affection　on　his　side。

〃I　did　my　best　to　interfere；　delicately　and　usefully；　while　it
was　still　possible　to　interfere　with　advantage。　Unhappily；　my
niece　refused　to　place　any　confidence　in　me。　She　persistently
denied　that　she　was　actuated　by　any　warmer　feeling　toward　Mr。
Macallan　than　a　feeling　of　friendly　interest。　This　made　it
impossible　for　me　to　separate　them　without　openly　acknowledging
my　reason　for　doing　so；　and　thus　producing　a　scandal　which　might
have　affected　my　niece's　reputation。　My　husband　was　alive　at　that
time；　and　the　one　thing　I　could　do　under　the　circumstances　was
the　thing　I　did。　I　requested　him　to　speak　privately　to　Mr。
Macallan；　and　to　appeal　to　his　honor　to　help　us　out　of　the
difficulty　without　prejudice　to　my　niece。

〃Mr。　Macallan　behaved　admirably。　He　was　still　helpless。　But　he
made　an　excuse　for　leaving　us　which　it　was　impossible　to　dispute。
In　two　days　after　my　husband　had　spoken　to　him　he　was　removed
from　the　house。

〃The　remedy　was　well　intended；　but　it　came　too　late；　and　it
utterly　failed。　The　mischief　was　done。　My　niece　pined　away
visibly；　neither　medical　help　nor　change　of　air　and　scene　did
anything　for　her。　In　course　of　timeafter　Mr。　Macallan　had
recovered　from　the　effects　of　his　accidentI　found　that　she　was
carrying　on　a　clandestine　correspondence　with　him　by　means　of　her
maid。　His　letters；　I　am　bound　to　say；　were　most　considerately　and
carefully　written。　Nevertheless；　I　felt　it　my　duty　to　stop　the
correspondence。

〃My　interferencewhat　else　could　I　do　but　interfere？brought
matters　to　a　crisis。　One　day　my　niece　was　missing　at
breakfast…time。　The　next　day　we　discovered　that　the　poor
infatuated　creature　had　gone　to　Mr。　Macallan's　chambers　in
London；　and　had　been　found　hidden　in　his　bedroom　by　some　bachelor
friends　who　came　to　visit　him。

〃For　this　disaster　Mr。　Macallan　was　in　no　respect　to　blame。
Hearing　footsteps　outside；　he　had　only　time　to　take　measures　for
saving　her　character　by　concealing　her　i　n　the　nearest　roomand
the　nearest　room　happened　to　be　his　bedchamber。　The　matter　was
talked　about；　of　course；　and　motives　were　misinterpreted　in　the
vilest　manner。　My　husband　had　another　private　conversation　with
Mr。　Macallan。　He　again　behaved　admirably。　He　publicly　declared
that　my　niece　had　visited　him　as　his　betrothed　wife。　In　a
fortnight　from　that　time　he　silenced　scandal　in　the　one　way　that
was　possiblehe　married　her。

〃I　was　alone　in　opposing　the　marriage。　I　thought　it　at　the　time
what　it　has　proved　to　be　sincea　fatal　mistake。

〃It　would　have　been　sad　enough　if　Mr。　Macallan　had　only　married
her　without　a　particle　of　love　on　his　side。　But　to　make　the
prospect　more　hopeless　still；　he　was　at　that　very　time　the　victim
of　a　misplaced　attachment　to　a　lady　who　was　engaged　to　another
man。　I　am　well　aware　that　he　compassionately　denied　this；　just　as
he　compassionately　affected　to　be　in　love　with　my　niece　when　he
married　her。　But　his　hopeless　admiration　of　the　lady　whom　I　have
mentioned　was　a　matter　of　fact　notorious　among　his　friends。　It
may　not　be　amiss　to　add　that　_her_　marriage　preceded　_his_
marriage。　He　had　irretrievably　lost　the　woman　he　really　lovedhe
was　without　a　hope　or　an　aspiration　in　lifewhen　he　took　pity　on
my　niece。

〃In　conclusion；　I　can　only　repeat　that　no　evil　which　could　have
happened　（if　she　had　remained　a　single　woman）　would　have　been
comparable；　in　my　opinion；　to　the　evil　of　such　a　marriage　as
this。　Never；　I　sincerely　believe；　were　two　more　ill…assorted
persons　united　in　the　bonds　of　matrimony　than　the　prisoner　at　the
bar　and　his　deceased　wife。〃

The　evidence　of　this　witness　produced　a　strong　sensation　among
the　audience；　and　had　a　marked　effect　on　the　minds　of　the　jury。
Cross…examination　forced　Lady　Brydehaven　to　modify　some　of　her
opinions；　and　to　acknowledge　that　the　hopeless　attachment　of　the
prisoner　to　another　woman　was　a　matter　of　rumor　only。　But　the
facts　in　her　narrative　remained　unshaken；　and；　for　that　one
reason；　they　invested　the　crime　charged　against　the　prisoner　with
an　appearance　of　possibility；　which　it　had　entirely　failed　to
assume　during　the　earlier　part　of　the　Trial。

Two　other　ladies　（intimate　friends　of　Mrs。　Eustace　Macallan）　were
called　next。　They　differed　from　Lady　Brydehaven　in　their　opinions
on　the　propriety　of　the　marriage　but　on　all　the　material　points
they　supported　her　testimony；　and　confirmed　the　serious
impression　which　the　first　witness　had　produced　on　every　person
in　Court。

The　next　evidence　which　the　prosecution　proposed　to　put　in　was
the　silent　evidence　of　the　letters　and　the　Diary　found　at
Gleninch。

In　answer　to　a　question　from　the　Bench；　the　Lord　Advocate　stated
that　the　letters　were　written　by　friends　of　the　prisoner　and　his
deceased　wife；　and　that　passages　in　them　bore　directly　on　the
terms　on　which　the　two　associated　in　their　married　life。　The
Diary　was　still　more　valuable　as　evidence。　It　contained　the
prisoner's　daily　record　of　domestic　events；　and　of　the　thoughts
and　feelings　which　they　aroused　in　him　at　the　time。

A　most　painful　scene　followed　this　explanation。

Writing；　as　I　do；　long　after　the　events　took　place；　I　still
cannot　prevail　upon　myself　to　describe　in　detail　what　my　unhappy
hus