the law and the lady-第48章
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apparition； man and machinery blended in onethe new Centaur；
half man； half chairflew by me again in the dying light。 〃I am
Shakespeare！〃 cried the frantic creature now。 〃I am writing
'Lear；' the tragedy of tragedies。 Ancients and moderns； I am the
poet who towers over them all。 Light！ light！ the lines flow out
like lava from the eruption of my volcanic mind。 Light！ light！
for the poet of all time to write the words that live forever！〃
He ground and tore his way back toward the middle of the room。 As
he approached the fire…place a last morsel of unburned coal （or
wood） burst into momentary flame； and showed the open doorway。 In
that moment he saw us！ The wheel…chair stopped with a shock that
shook the crazy old floor of the room； altered its course； and
flew at us with the rush of a wild animal。 We drew back； just in
time to escape it； against the wall of the recess。 The chair
passed on； and burst aside the hanging tapestry。 The light of the
lamp in the circular room poured in through the gap。 The creature
in the chair checked his furious wheels； and looked back over his
shoulder with an impish curiosity horrible to see。
〃Have I run over them？ Have I ground them to powder for presuming
to intrude on me？〃 he said to himself。 As the expression of this
amiable doubt passed his lips his eyes lighted on us。 His mind
instantly veered back again to Shakespeare and King Lear。
〃Goneril and Regan！〃 he cried。 〃My two unnatural daughters； my
she…devil children come to mock at me！〃
〃Nothing of the sort；〃 said my mother…in…law； as quietly as if
she were addressing a perfectly reasonable being。 〃I am your old
friend； Mrs。 Macallan； and I have brought Eustace Macallan's
second wife to see you。〃
The instant she pronounced those last words； 〃Eustace Macallan's
second wife；〃 the man in the chair sprang out of it with a shrill
cry of horror； as if she had shot him。 For one moment we saw a
head and body in the air； absolutely deprived of the lower limbs。
The moment after； the terrible creature touched the floor as
lightly as a monkey； on his hands。 The grotesque horror of the
scene culminated in his hopping away on his hands； at a
prodigious speed； until he reached the fire…place in the long
room。 There he crouched over the dying embers； shuddering and
shivering； and muttering； 〃Oh； pity me； pity me！〃 dozens and
dozens of times to himself。
This was the man whose advice I had come to askwho assistance I
had confidently counted on in my hour of need。
CHAPTER XXV。
MISERRIMUS DEXTERSECOND VIEW
THOROUGHLY disheartened and disgusted； and （if I must honestly
confess it） thoroughly frightened too； I whispered to Mrs。
Macallan； 〃I was wrong； and you were right。 Let us go。〃
The ears of Miserrimus Dexter must have been as sensitive as the
ears of a dog。 He heard me say； 〃Let us go。〃
〃No！〃 he called out。 〃Bring Eustace Macallan's second wife in
here。 I am a gentlemanI must apologize to her。 I am a student
of human characterI wish to see her。〃
The whole man appeared to have undergone a complete
transformation。 He spoke in the gentlest of voices； and he sighed
hysterically when he had done； like a woman recovering from a
burst of tears。 Was it reviving courage or reviving curiosity？
When Mrs。 Macallan said to me； 〃The fit is over now； do you still
wish to go away？〃 I answered； 〃No； I am ready to go in。〃
〃Have you recovered your belief in him already？〃 asked my
mother…in…law； in her mercilessly satirical way。
〃I have recovered from my terror of him；〃 I replied。
〃I am sorry I terrified you；〃 said the soft voice at the
fire…place。 〃Some people think I am a little mad at times。 You
came； I suppose； at one of the timesif some people are right。 I
admit that I am a visionary。 My imagination runs away with me；
and I say and do strange things。 On those occasions； anybody who
reminds me of that horrible Trial throws me back again into the
past； and causes me unutterable nervous suffering。 I am a very
tender…hearted man。 As the necessary consequence （in such a world
as this）； I am a miserable wretch。 Accept my excuses。 Come in；
both of you。 Come in and pity me。〃
A child would not have been frightened of him now。 A child would
have gone in and pitied him。
The room was getting darker and darker。 We could just see the
crouching figure of Miserrimus Dexter at the expiring fireand
that was all。
〃Are we to have no light？〃 asked Mrs。 Macallan。 〃And is this lady
to see you； when the light comes； out of your chair？〃
He lifted something bright and metallic； hanging round his neck；
and blew on it a series of shrill； trilling； bird…like notes。
After an interval he was answered by a similar series of notes
sounding faintly in some distant region of the house。
〃Ariel is coming；〃 he said。 〃Compose yourself； Mamma Macallan；
Ariel with make me presentable to a lady's eyes。〃
He hopped away on his hands into the darkness at the end of the
room。 〃Wait a little； said Mrs。 Macallan； 〃and you will have
another surpriseyou will see the 'delicate Ariel。'〃
We heard heavy footsteps in the circular room。
〃Ariel！〃 sighed Miserrimus Dexter out of the darkness； in his
softest notes。
To my astonishment the coarse； masculine voice of the cousin in
the man's hatthe Caliban's； rather than the Ariel's
voiceanswered； 〃Here！〃
〃My chair； Ariel！〃
The person thus strangely misnamed drew aside the tapestry； so as
to let in more light； then entered the room； pushing the wheeled
chair before her。 She stooped and lifted Miserrimus Dexter from
the floor； like a child。 Before she could put him into the chair；
he sprang out of her arms with a little gleeful cry； and alighted
on his seat； like a bird alighting on its perch！
〃The lamp；〃 said Miserrimus Dexter； 〃and the
looking…glass。Pardon me；〃 he added； addressing us； 〃for turning
my back on you。 You mustn't see me until my hair is set to
rights。Ariel！ the brush； the comb； and the perfumes！〃
Carrying the lamp in one hand； the looking…glass in the other；
and the brush （with the comb stuck in it） between her teeth；
Ariel the Second； otherwise Dexter's cousin； presented herself
plainly before me for the first time。 I could now see the girl's
round； fleshy； inexpressive face； her rayless and colorless eyes；
her coarse nose and heavy chin。 A creature half alive； an
imperfectly developed animal in shapeless form clad in a man's
pilot jacket； and treading in a man's heavy laced boots； with
nothing but an old red…flannel petticoat； and a broken comb in
her frowzy flaxen hair； to tell us that she was a womansuch was
the inhospitable person who had received us in the darkness when
we first entered the house。
This wonderful valet； collecting her materials for dressing her
still more wonderful master's hair； gave him the looking…glass （a
hand …mirror）； and addressed herself to her work。
She combed； she brushed； she oiled； she perfumed the flowing
locks and the long silky beard of Miserrimus Dexter with the
strangest mixture of dullness and dexterity that I ever saw。 Done
in brute silence； with a lumpish look and a clumsy gait； the work
was perfectly well done nevertheless。 The imp in the chair
superintended the whole proceeding critically by means of his
hand…mirror。 He was too deeply interested in this occupation to
speak until some of the concluding touches to his beard brought
the misnamed Ariel in front of him； and so turned her full face
toward the part of the room in which Mrs。 Macallan and I were
standing。 Then he addressed us； taking especial care； however；
not to turn his head our way while his toilet was still
incomplete。
〃Mamma Macallan；〃 he said； 〃what is the Christian name of your
son's second wife？〃
〃Why do you want to know？〃 asked my mother…in…law。
〃I want to know because I can't address her as 'Mrs。 Eustace
Macallan。'〃
〃Why not？〃
〃It recalls _the other_ Mrs。 Eustace Macallan。 If I am reminded
of those horrible days at Gleninch my fortitude will give wayI
shall burst out screaming again。〃
Hearing this； I hastened to interpose。
〃My name is Valeria；〃 I said。
〃A Roman name；〃 remarked Miserrimus Dexter。 〃I like it。 My mind
is cast in the Roman mold。 My bodily bu
