the law and the lady-第40章

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general　view。　A　coverlet　which　had　been　thrown　over　his　chair　had
fallen　off　during　his　progress　through　the　throng。　The　loss　of　it
exposed　to　the　public　curiosity　the　head；　the　arms；　and　the　trunk
of　a　living　human　being：　absolutely　deprived　of　the　lower　limbs。
To　make　this　deformity　all　the　more　striking　and　all　the　more
terrible；　the　victim　of　it　wasas　to　his　face　and　his　bodyan
unusually　handsome　and　an　unusually　well…made　man。　His　long　silky
hair；　of　a　bright　and　beautiful　chestnut　color；　fell　over
shoulders　that　were　the　perfection　of　strength　and　grace。　His
face　was　bright　with　vivacity　and　intelligence。　His　large　clear
blue　eyes　and　his　long　delicate　white　hands　were　like　the　eyes
and　hands　of　a　beautiful　woman。　He　would　have　looked　effeminate
but　for　the　manly　proportions　of　his　throat　and　chest；　aided　in
their　effect　by　his　flowing　beard　and　long　mustache；　of　a　lighter
chestnut　shade　than　the　color　of　his　hair。　Never　had　a
magnificent　head　and　body　been　more　hopelessly　ill…bestowed　than
in　this　instance！　Never　had　Nature　committed　a　more　careless　or　a
more　cruel　mistake　than　in　the　making　of　this　man！

He　was　sworn；　seated；　of　course；　in　his　chair。　Having　given　his
name；　he　bowed　to　the　Judges　and　requested　their　permission　to
preface　his　evidence　with　a　word　of　explanation。

〃People　generally　laugh　when　they　first　hear　my　strange　Christian
name；〃　he　said；　in　a　low；　clear；　resonant　voice　which　penetrated
to　the　remotest　corners　of　the　Court。　〃I　may　inform　the　good
people　here　that　many　names；　still　common　among　us；　have　their
significations；　and　that　mine　is　one　of　them。　'Alexander；'　for
instance；　means；　in　the　Greek；　'a　helper　of　men。'　'David'　means；
in　Hebrew；　'well…beloved。'　'Francis'　means；　in　German；　'free。'　My
name；　'Miserrimus；'　means；　in　Latin；　'most　unhappy。'　It　was　given
to　me　by　my　father；　in　allusion　to　the　deformity　which　you　all
seethe　deformity　with　which　it　was　my　misfortune　to　be　born。
You　won't　laugh　at　'Miserrimus'　again；　will　you？〃　He　turned　to
the　Dean　of　Faculty；　waiting　to　examine　him　for　the　defense。　〃Mr。
Dean。　I　am　at　your　service。　I　apologize　for　delaying；　even　for　a
moment；　the　proceedings　of　the　Court。〃

He　delivered　his　little　address　with　perfect　grace　and
good…humor。　Examined　by　the　Dean；　he　gave　his　evidence　clearly；
without　the　slightest　appearance　of　hesitation　or　reserve。

〃I　was　staying　at　Gleninch　as　a　guest　in　the　house　at　the　time　of
Mrs。　Eustace　Macallan's　death；〃　he　began。　〃Doctor　Jerome　and　Mr。
Gale　desired　to　see　me　at　a　private　interviewthe　prisoner　being
then　in　a　state　of　prostration　which　made　it　impossible　for　him
to　attend　to　his　duties　as　master　of　the　house。　At　this　interview
the　two　doctors　astonished　and　horrified　me　by　declaring　that
Mrs。　Eustace　Macallan　had　died　poisoned。　They　left　it　to　me　to
communicate　the　dreadful　news　to　her　husband；　and　they　warned　me
that　a　post…mortem　examination　must　be　held　on　the　body。

〃If　the　Fiscal　had　seen　my　old　friend　when　I　communicated　the
doctors'　message；　I　doubt　if　he　would　have　ventured　to　charge　the
prisoner　with　the　murder　of　his　wife。　To　my　mind　the　charge　was
nothing　less　than　an　outrage。　I　resisted　the　seizure　of　the
prisoner's　Diary　and　letters；　animated　by　that　feeling。　Now　that
the　Diary　has　been　produced；　I　agree　with　the　prisoner's　mother
in　denying　that　it　is　fair　evidence　to　bring　against　him。　A　Diary
（when　it　extends　beyond　a　bare　record　of　facts　and　dates）　is
nothing　but　an　expression　of　the　poorest　and　weakest　side　in　the
character　of　the　person　who　keeps　it。　It　is；　in　nine　cases　out　of
ten；　the　more　or　less　contemptible　outpouring　of　vanity　and
conceit　which　the　writer　dare　not　exhibit　to　any　mortal　but
himself。　I　am　the　prisoner's　oldest　friend。　I　solemnly　declare
that　I　never　knew　he　could　write　downright　nonsense　until　I　heard
his　Diary　read　in　this　Court！

〃_He_　kill　his　wife！　_He_　treat　his　wife　with　neglect　and
cruelty！　I　venture　to　say；　from　twenty　years'　experience　of　him；
that　there　is　no　man　in　this　assembly　who　is　constitutionally
more　incapable　of　crime　and　more　incapable　of　cruelty　than　the
man　who　stands　at　the　Bar。　While　I　am　about　it；　I　go　further
still。　I　even　doubt　whether　a　man　capable　of　crime　and　capable　of
cruelty　could　have　found　it　in　his　heart　to　do　evil　to　the　woman
whose　untimely　death　is　the　subject　of　this　inquiry。

〃I　have　heard　what　the　ignorant　and　prejudiced　nurse；　Christina
Ormsay；　has　said　of　the　deceased　lady。　From　my　own　personal
observation；　I　contradict　every　word　of　it。　Mrs。　Eustace
Macallangranting　her　personal　defectswas　nevertheless　one　of
the　most　charming　women　I　ever　met　with。　She　was　highly　bred；　in
the　best　sense　of　the　word。　I　never　saw　in　any　other　person　so
sweet　a　smile　as　hers；　or　such　grace　and　beauty　of　movement　as
hers。　If　you　liked　music；　she　sang　beautifully；　and　few　professed
musicians　had　such　a　touch　on　the　piano　as　hers。　If　you　preferred
talking；　I　never　yet　met　with　the　man　（or　even　the　woman；　which
is　saying　a　great　deal　more）　whom　her　conversation　could　not
charm。　To　say　that　such　a　wife　as　this　could　be　first　cruelly
neglected；　and　then　barbarously　murdered；　by　the　manno！　by　the
martyrwho　stands　there；　is　to　tell　me　that　the　sun　never　shines
at　noonday；　or　that　the　heaven　is　not　above　the　earth。

〃Oh　yes！　I　know　that　the　letters　of　her　friends　show　that　she
wrote　to　them　in　bitter　complaint　of　her　husband's　conduct　to
her。　But　remember　what　one　of　those　friends　（the　wisest　and　the
best　of　them）　says　in　reply。　'I　own　to　thinking；'　she　writes；
'that　your　sensitive　nature　exaggerates
　or　misinterprets　the　neglect　that　you　experience　at　the　hands　of
your　husband。'　There；　in　that　one　sentence；　is　the　whole　truth！
Mrs。　Eustace　Macallan's　nature　was　the　imaginative；
self…tormenting　nature　of　a　poet。　No　mortal　love　could　ever　have
been　refined　enough　for　_her。_　Trifles　which　women　of　a　coarser
moral　fiber　would　have　passed　over　without　notice；　were　causes　of
downright　agony　to　that　exquisitely　sensitive　temperament。　There
are　persons　born　to　be　unhappy。　That　poor　lady　was　one　of　them。
When　I　have　said　this；　I　have　said　all。

〃No！　There　is　one　word　more　still　to　be　added。

〃It　may　be　as　well　to　remind　the　prosecution　that　Mrs。　Eustace
Macallan's　death　was　in　the　pecuniary　sense　a　serious　loss　to　her
husband。　He　had　insisted　on　having　the　whole　of　her　fortune
settled　on　herself；　and　on　her　relatives　after　her；　when　he
married。　Her　income　from　that　fortune　helped　to　keep　in　splendor
the　house　and　grounds　at　Gleninch。　The　prisoner's　own　resources
（aided　even　by　his　mother's　jointure）　were　quite　inadequate　fitly
to　defray　the　expenses　of　living　at　his　splendid　country…seat。
Knowing　all　the　circumstances；　I　can　positively　assert　that　the
wife's　death　has　deprived　the　husband　of　two…thirds　of　his
income。　And　the　prosecution；　viewing　him　as　the　basest　and
cruelest　of　men；　declares　that　he　deliberately　killed　herwith
all　his　pecuniary　interests　pointing　to　the　preservation　of　her
life！

〃It　is　useless　to　ask　me　whether　I　noticed　anything　in　the
conduct　of　the　prisoner　and　Mrs。　Beauly　which　might　justify　a
wife's　jealousy。　I　never　observed　Mrs。　Beauly　with　any　attention；
and　I　never　encouraged　the　prisoner　in　talking　to　me　about　her。
He　was　a　general　admirer　of　pretty　womenso　far　as　I　know；　in　a
perfectly　innocent　way。　That　he　could　prefer　Mrs。　Beauly　to　his
wife　is　inconceivable　to　me；　unless　he　were　out　of　his　senses。　I
never　had　any　reason　to　believe　that　he　was　out　of　his　senses。

〃As　to　the　question　of　the　arsenicI　mean　the　question　of
tracing　that　poison　to　the　possession　of　Mrs。　Eustace　MacallanI
am　able　to　give　evidence　which　may；　perhaps；　be　worthy　of　the
attention　of　the　Court。

〃I　was　present　in　the　Fiscal's　office　during　the　examination　of
the　papers；　and　of　the　other　objects　discovered　at　Gleninch。　The
dressing…case　belonging　to　the　deceased　lady　was　shown　to　me
after　its　contents　had　been　officially　investigated　by　the　Fiscal
himself。　I　happen　to　have　a　very　sensitive　sense　of　touch。　In
handling　the　lid　of　the　dressing…case；　on　the　inner　side　I　felt
something　at　a　certain　place　which　induced　me　to　examine　the
w