the law and the lady-第70章
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〃It's a woman this time； ma'amor something like one；〃 said this
worthy person； confidentially。 〃A great； stout； awkward； stupid
creature； with a man's hat on and a man's stick in her hand。 She
says she has got a note for you； and she won't give it to anybody
_but_ you。 I'd better not let her inhad I？〃
Recognizing the original of the picture； I astonished the
housekeeper by consenting to receive the messenger immediately。
Ariel entered the roomin stolid silence； as usual。 But I
noticed a change in her which puzzled me。 Her dull eyes were red
and bloodshot。 Traces of tears （as I fancied） were visible on her
fat； shapeless cheeks。 She crossed the room； on her way to my
chair； with a less determined tread than was customary with her。
Could Ariel （I asked myself） be woman enough to cry？ Was it
within the limits of possibility that Ariel should approach me in
sorrow and in fear？
〃I hear you have brought something for me？〃 I said。 〃Won't you
sit down？〃
She handed me a letterwithout answering and without taking a
chair。 I opened the envelope。 The letter inside was written by
Miserrimus Dexter。 It contained these lines：
〃Try to pity me； if you have any pity left for a miserable man；
I have bitterly expiated the madness of a moment。 If you could
see meeven you would own that my punishment has been heavy
enough。 For God's sake； don't abandon me！ I was beside myself
when I let the feeling that you have awakened in me get the
better of my control。 It shall never show itself again； it shall
be a secret that dies with me。 Can I expect you to believe this？
No。 I won't ask you to believe me； I won't ask you to trust me in
the future。 If you ever consent to see me again； let it be in the
presence of any third person whom you may appoint to protect you。
I deserve thatI will submit to it； I will wait till time has
composed your angry feeling against me。 All I ask now is leav e
to hope。 Say to Ariel； 'I forgive him； and one day I will let him
see me again。' She will remember it； for love of me。 If you send
her back without a message； you send me to the mad…house。 Ask
her； if you don't believe me。
〃MISERRIMUS DEXTER。〃
I finished the strange letter； and looked at Ariel。
She stood with her eyes on the floor； and held out to me the
thick walking…stick which she carried in her hand。
〃Take the stick〃 were the first words she said to me。
〃Why am I to take it？〃 I asked。
She struggled a little with her sluggishly working mind； and
slowly put her thoughts into words。
〃You're angry with the Master；〃 she said。 〃Take it out on Me。
Here's the stick。 Beat me。〃
〃Beat you！〃 I exclaimed。
〃My back's broad；〃 said the poor creature。 〃I won't make a row。
I'll bear it。 Drat you； take the stick！ Don't vex _him。_ Whack it
out on my back。 Beat _me。_〃
She roughly forced the stick into my hand； she turned her poor
shapeless shoulders to me； waiting for the blow。 It was at once
dreadful and touching to see her。 The tears rose in my eyes。 I
tried； gently and patiently； to reason with her。 Quite useless！
The idea of taking the Master's punishment on herself was the one
idea in her mind。 〃Don't vex _him；_〃 she repeated。 〃Beat _me。_〃
〃What do you mean by 'vexing him'？〃 I asked。
She tried to explain； and failed to find the words。 She showed me
by imitation； as a savage might have shown me； what she meant。
Striding to the fire…place； she crouched on the rug； and looked
into the fire with a horrible vacant stare。 Then she clasped her
hands over her forehead； and rocked slowly to and fro； still
staring into the fire。 〃There's how he sits！〃 she said； with a
sudden burst of speech。 〃Hours on hours； there's how he sits！
Notices nobody。 Cries about _you。_〃
The picture she presented recalled to my memory the Report of
Dexter's health； and the doctor's plain warning of peril waiting
for him in the future。
Even if I could have resisted Ariel； I must have yielded to the
vague dread of consequences which now shook me in secret。
〃Don't do that！〃 I cried。 She was still rocking herself in
imitation of the 〃Master；〃 and still staring into the fire with
her hands to her head。 〃Get up； pray！ I am not angry with him
now。 I forgive him。〃
She rose on her hands and knees； and waited； looking up intently
into my face。 In that attitudemore like a dog than a human
beingshe repeated her customary petition when she wanted to fix
words that interested her in her mind。
〃Say it again！〃
I did as she bade me。 She was not satisfied。
〃Say it as it is in the letter；〃 she went on。 〃Say it as the
Master said it to Me。〃
I looked back at the letter； and repeated the form of message
contained in the latter part of it； word for word：
〃I forgive him； and one day I will let him see me again。〃
She sprang to her feet at a bound。 For the first time since she
had entered the room her dull face began to break slowly into
light and life。
〃That's it！〃 she cried。 〃Hear if I can say it； too； hear if I've
got it by heart。〃
Teaching her exactly as I should have taught a child； I slowly
fastened the message； word by word； on her mind。
〃Now rest yourself；〃 I said； 〃and let me give you something to
eat and drink after your long walk。〃
I might as well have spoken to one of the chairs。 She snatched up
her stick from the floor； and burst out with a hoarse shout of
joy。 〃I've got it by heart！〃 she cried。 〃This will cool the
Master's head！ Hooray！〃 She dashed out into the passage like a
wild animal escaping from its cage。 I was just in time to see her
tear open the garden gate； and set forth on her walk back at a
pace which made it hopeless to attempt to follow and stop her。
I returned to the sitting…room； pondering on a question which has
perplexed wiser heads than mine。 Could a man who was hopelessly
and entirely wicked have inspired such devoted attachment to him
as Dexter had inspired in the faithful woman who had just left
me？ in the rough gardener who had carried him out so gently on
the previous night？ Who can decide？ The greatest scoundrel living
always has a friendin a woman or a dog。
I sat down again at my desk； and made another attempt to write to
Mr。 Playmore。
Recalling； for the purpose of my letter； all that Miserrimus
Dexter had said to me； my memory dwelt with special interest on
the strange outbreak of feeling which had led him to betray the
secret of his infatuation for Eustace's first wife。 I saw again
the ghastly scene in the death…chamberthe deformed creature
crying over the corpse in the stillness of the first dark hours
of the new day。 The horrible picture took a strange hold on my
mind。 I arose； and walked up and down； and tried to turn my
thoughts some other way。 It was not to be done： the scene was too
familiar to me to be easily dismissed。 I had myself visited the
room and looked at the bed。 I had myself walked in the corridor
which Dexter had crossed on his way to take his last leave of
her。
The corridor？ I stopped。 My thoughts suddenly took a new
direction； uninfluenced by any effort of my will。
What other association besides the association with Dexter did I
connect with the corridor？ Was it something I had seen during my
visit to Gleninch？ No。 Was it something I had read？ I snatched up
the Report of the Trial to see。 It opened at a page which
contained the nurse's evidence。 I read the evidence through
again； without recovering the lost remembrance until I came to
these lines close at the end：
〃Before bed…time I went upstairs to prepare the remains of the
deceased lady for the coffin。 The room in which she lay was
locked； the door leading into Mr。 Macallan's room being secured；
as well as the door leading into the corridor。 The keys had been
taken away by Mr。 Gale。 Two of the men…servants were posted
outside the bedroom to keep watch。 They were to be relieved at
four in the morningthat was all they could tell me。〃
There was my lost association with the corridor！ There was what
I ought to have remembered when Miserrimus Dexter was telling me
of his visit to the dead！
How had he got into the bedroomthe doors being locked； and the
keys being taken away by Mr。 Gale？ Ther
