the law and the lady-第65章

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and　not　very　consistent　with　your　faith　in　your　husband's
innocence。　Clear　your　mind　of　one　mistake；〃　he　continued；
seriously；　〃which　may　fatally　mislead　you　if　you　persist　in
pursuing　your　present　course。　Miserrimus　Dexter；　you　may　take　my
word　for　it；　ceased　to　be　your　husband's　friend　on　the　day　when
your　husband　married　his　first　wife。　Dexter　has　kept　up
appearances；　I　grant　you；　both　in　public　and　in　private。　His
evidence　in　his　friend's　favor　at　the　Trial　was　given　with　the
deep　feeling　which　everybody　expected　from　him。　Nevertheless；　I
firmly　believe；　looking　under　the　surface；　that　Mr。　Macallan　has
no　bitterer　enemy　living　than　Miserrimus　Dexter。〃

He　turned　me　cold。　I　felt　that　here；　at　least；　he　was　right。　My
husband　had　wooed　and　won　the　woman　who　had　refused　Dexter's
offer　of　marriage。　Was　Dexter　the　man　to　forgive　that？　My　own
experience　answered　me；　and　said；　No。　〃Bear　in　mind　what　I　have
told　you；〃　Mr。　Playmore　proceeded。　〃And　now　let　us　get　on　to　your
own　position　in　this　matter；　and　to　the　interests　that　you　have
at　stake。　Try　to　adopt　my　point　of　view　for　the　moment　；　and　let
us　inquire　what　chance　we　have　of　making　any　further　advance
toward　a　discovery　of　the　truth。　It　is　one　thing　to　be　morally
convinced　（as　I　am）　that　Miserrimus　Dexter　is　the　man　who　ought
to　have　been　tried　for　the　murder　at　Gleninch；　and　it　is　another
thing；　at　this　distance　of　time；　to　lay　our　hands　on　the　plain
evidence　which　can　alone　justify　anything　like　a　public　assertion
of　his　guilt。　There；　as　I　see　it；　is　the　insuperable　difficulty
in　the　case。　Unless　I　am　completely　mistaken；　the　question　is　now
narrowed　to　this　plain　issue：　The　public　assertion　of　your
husband's　innocence　depends　entirely　on　the　public　assertion　of
Dexter's　guilt。　How　are　you　to　arrive　at　that　result？　There　is
not　a　particle　of　evidence　against　him。　You　can　only　convict
Dexter　on　Dexter's　own　confession。　Are　you　listening　to　me？〃

I　was　listening；　most　unwillingly。　If　he　were　right；　things　had
indeed　come　to　that　terrible　pass。　But　I　could　notwith　all　my
respect　for　his　superior　knowledge　and　experienceI　could　not
persuade　myself　that　he　_was_　right。　And　I　owned　it；　with　the
humility　which　I　really　felt。

He　smiled　good…humoredly。

〃At　any　rate；〃　he　said；　〃you　will　admit　that　Dexter　has　not
freely　opened　his　mind　to　you　thus　far？　He　is　still　keeping
something　from　your　knowledge　which　you　are　interested　in
discovering？〃

〃Yes。　I　admit　that。〃

〃Very　good。　What　applies　to　your　view　of　the　case　applies　to
mine。　I　say；　he　is　keeping　from　you　the　confession　of　his　guilt。
You　say；　he　is　keeping　from　you　information　which　may　fasten　the
guilt　on　some　other　person。　Let　us　start　from　that　point。
Confession；　or　information；　how　are　you　to　get　at　what　he　is　now
withholding　from　you？　What　influence　can　you　bring　to　bear　on　him
when　you　see　him　again？〃

〃Surely　I　might　persuade　him？〃

〃Certainly。　And　if　persuasion　failwhat　then？　Do　you　think　you
can　entrap　him　into　speaking　out？　or　terrify　him　into　speaking
out？〃

〃If　you　will　look　at　your　notes；　Mr。　Playmore；　you　will　see　that
I　have　already　succeeded　in　terrifying　himthough　I　am　only　a
woman　and　though　I　didn't　mean　to　do　it。〃

〃Very　well　answered。　You　mark　the　trick。　What　you　have　done　once
you　think　you　can　do　again。　Well；　as　you　are　determined　to　try
the　experiment；　it　can　do　you　no　harm　to　know　a　little　more　of
Dexter's　character　and　temperament　than　you　know　now。　Suppose　we
apply　for　information　to　somebody　who　can　help　us？〃

I　started；　and　looked　round　the　room。　He　made　me　do　ithe　spoke
as　if　the　person　who　was　to　help　us　was　close　at　our　elbows。

〃Don't　be　alarmed；〃　he　said。　〃The　oracle　is　silent；　and　the
oracle　is　here。〃

He　unlocked　one　of　the　drawers　of　his　desk；　produced　a　bundle　of
letters；　and　picked　out　one。

〃When　we　were　arranging　your　husband's　defense；〃　he　said；　〃we
felt　some　difficulty　about　including　Miserrimus　Dexter　among　our
witnesses。　We　had　not　the　slightest　suspicion　of　him；　I　need
hardly　tell　you。　But　we　were　all　afraid　of　his　eccentricity；　and
some　among　us　even　feared　that　the　excitement　of　appearing　at　the
Trial　might　drive　him　completely　out　of　his　mind。　In　this
emergency　we　applied　to　a　doctor　to　help　us。　Under　some　pretext；
which　I　forget　now；　we　introduced　him　to　Dexter。　And　in　due
course　of　time　we　received　his　report。　Here　it　is。〃

He　opened　the　letter；　and　marking　a　certain　passage　in　it　with　a
pencil；　handed　it　to　me。

〃Read　the　lines　which　I　have　marked；〃　he　said；　〃they　will　be
quite　sufficient　for　our　purpose。〃

I　read　these　words：

〃Summing　up　the　results　of　my　observation；　I　may　give　it　as　my
opinion　that　there　is　undoubtedly　latent　insanity　in　this　case；
but　that　no　active　symptoms　of　madness　have　presented　themselves
as　yet。　You　may；　I　think；　produce　him　at　the　Trial；　without　fear
of　consequences。　He　may　say　and　do　all　sorts　of　odd　things；　but
he　has　his　mind　under　the　control　of　his　will；　and　you　may　trust
his　self…esteem　to　exhibit　him　in　the　character　of　a
substantially　intelligent　witness。

〃As　to　the　future；　I　am；　of　course；　not　able　to　speak　positively。
I　can　only　state　my　views。

〃That　he　will　end　in　madness　（if　he　live）；　I　entertain　little　or
no　doubt。　The　question　of　_when_　the　madness　will　show　itself
depends　entirely　on　the　state　of　his　health。　His　nervous　system
is　highly　sensitive；　and　there　are　signs　that　his　way　of　life　has
already　damaged　it。　If　he　conquer　the　bad　habits　to　which　I　have
alluded　in　an　earlier　part　of　my　report；　and　if　he　pass　many
hours　of　every　day　quietly　in　the　open　air；　he　may　last　as　a　sane
man　for　years　to　come。　If　he　persist　in　his　present　way　of
lifeor；　in　other　words；　if　further　mischief　occur　to　that
sensitive　nervous　systemhis　lapse　into　insanity　must　infallibly
take　place　when　the　mischief　has　reached　its　culminating　point。
Without　warning　to　himself　or　to　others；　the　whole　mental
structure　will　give　way；　and；　at　a　moment's　notice；　while　he　is
acting　as　quietly　or　speaking　as　intelligently　as　at　his　best
time；　the　man　will　drop　（if　I　may　use　the　expression）　into
madness　or　idiocy。　In　either　case；　when　the　catastrophe　has
happened；　it　is　only　due　to　his　friends　to　add　that　they　can　（as
I　believe）　entertain　no　hope　of　his　cure。　The　balance　once　lost；
will　be　lost　for　life。〃

There　it　ended。　Mr。　Playmore　put　the　letter　back　in　his　drawer。

〃You　have　just　read　the　opinion　of　one　of　our　highest　living
authorities；〃　he　said。　〃Does　Dexter　strike　you　as　a　likely　man　to
give　his　nervous　system　a　chance　of　recovery？　Do　you　see　no
obstacles　and　no　perils　in　your　way？〃

My　silence　answered　him。

〃Suppose　you　go　back　to　Dexter；〃　he　proceeded。　〃And　suppose　that
the　doctor's　opinion　exaggerates　the　peril　in　his　case。　What　are
you　to　do？　The　last　time　you　saw　him；　you　had　the　immense
advantage　of　taking　him　by　surprise。　Those　sensitive　nerves　of
his　gave　way；　and　he　betrayed　the　fear　that　you　aroused　in　him。
Can　you　take　him　by　surprise　again？　Not　you！　He　is　prepared　for
you　now；　and　he　will　be　on　his　guard。　If　you　encounter　nothing
worse；　you　will　have　his　cunning　to　deal　with　next。　Are　you　his
match　at　that？　But　for　Lady　Clarinda　he　would　have　hopelessly
misled　you　on　the　subject　of　Mrs。　Beauly。〃

There　was　no　answering　this；　either。　I　was　foolish　enough　to　try
to　answer　it；　for　all　that。

〃He　told　me　the　truth　so　far　as　he　knew　it；〃　I　rejoined。　〃He
really　saw　what　he　said　he　saw　in　the　corridor　at　Gleninch。〃

〃He　told　you　the　truth；〃　returned　Mr。　Playmore；　〃because　he　was
cunning　enough　to　see　that　the　truth　would　help　him　in　irritating
your　suspicions。　You　don't　really　believe　that　he　shared　your
suspicions？〃

〃Why　not？〃　I　said。　〃He　was　as　ignorant　of　what　Mrs。　Beauly　was
really　doing　on　that　night　as　I　wasuntil　I　met　Lady　Clarinda。
It　remains　to　be　seen　whether　he　will　not　be　as　much　astonished
as　I　was　when　I　tell　him　what　Lady　Clarinda　told　me。〃

This　smart　reply　produced　an　effect　which　I　had　not　anticipated。

To　my　surprise；　Mr。　Playmore　abruptly　dropped　all　further
discussion　on　his　side。　He　appeared　to　despair　of　convincing　me；
and　he　owned　it　indirectly　in　his　next　words。

〃W