the law and the lady-第77章
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Benjamin； speaking sternly behind him。 〃The next time you address
her； remember； if you please； that you have no business with her
Christian name。〃
Benjamin's rebuke passed； like Benjamin's retort； unheeded and
unheard。 To all appearance； Miserrimus Dexter had completely
forgotten that there was such a person in the room。
〃You have delighted me with the sight of you；〃 he went on。 〃Add
to the pleasure by letting me hear your voice。 Talk to me of
yourself。 Tell me what you have been doing since you left
England。〃
It was necessary to my object to set the conversation afloat； and
this was as good a way of doing it as any other。 I told him
plainly how I had been employed during my absence。
〃So you are still fond of Eustace？〃 he said； bitterly。
〃I love him more dearly than ever。〃
He lifted his hands； and hid his face。 After waiting a while； he
went on； speaking in an odd； muffled manner； still under cover of
his hands。
〃And you leave Eustace in Spain；〃 he said； 〃and you return to
England by yourself！ What made you do that？〃
〃What made me first come here and ask you to help me； Mr。
Dexter？〃
He dropped his hands； and looked at me。 I saw in his eyes； not
amazement only； but alarm。
〃Is it possible；〃 he exclaimed； 〃that you won't let that
miserable matter rest even yet？ Are you still determined to
penetrate the mystery at Gleninch？〃
〃I am still determined； Mr。 Dexter； and I still hope that you may
be able to help me。〃
The old distrust that I remembered so well darkened again over
his face the moment I said those words。
〃How can I help you？〃 he asked。 〃Can I alter facts？〃 He stopped。
His face brightened again； as if some sudden sense of relief had
come to him。 〃I did try to help you；〃 he went on。 〃I told you
that Mrs。 Beauly's absence was a device to screen herself from
suspicion； I told you that the poison might have been given by
Mrs。 Beauly's maid。 Has reflection convinced you？ Do you see
something in the idea？〃
This return to Mrs。 Beauly gave me my first chance of leading the
talk to the right topic。
〃I see nothing in the idea；〃 I answered。 〃I see no motive。 Had
the maid any reason to be an enemy to the late Mrs。 Eustace？〃
〃Nobody had any reason to be an enemy to the late Mrs。 Eustace！〃
he broke out； loudly and vehemently。 〃She was all goodness； all
kindness； she never injured any human creature in thought or
deed。 She was a saint upon earth。 Respect her memory！ Let the
martyr rest in her grave！〃 He covered his face again with his
hands； and shook and shuddered under the paroxysm of emotion that
I had roused in him。
Ariel suddenly and softly left her stool； and approached me。
〃Do you see my ten claws？〃 she whispered； holding out her hands。
〃Vex the Master again； and you will feel my ten claws on your
throat！〃
Benjamin rose from his seat： he had seen the action； without
hearing the words。 I signed to him to keep his place。
Ariel returned to her stool； and looked up again at her master。
〃Don't cry；〃 she said。 〃Come on。 Here are the strings。 Tease me
again。 Make me screech with the smart of it。〃
He never answered； and never moved。
Ariel bent her slow mind to meet the difficulty of attracting his
attention。 I saw it in her frowning brows； in her colorless eyes
looking at me vacantly。 On a sudden； she joyfully struck the open
palm of one of her hands with the fist of the other。 She had
triumphed。 She had got an idea。
〃Master！〃 she cried。 〃Master！ You haven't told me a story for
ever so long。 Puzzle my thick head。 Make my flesh creep。 Come on。
A good long story。 All blood and crimes。〃
Had she accidentally hit on the right suggestion to strike his
wayward fancy？ I knew his high opinion of his own skill in
〃dramatic narrative。〃 I knew that one of his favorite amusements
was to puzzle Ariel by telling her stories that she could not
understand。 Would he wander away into the regions of wild
romance？ Or would he remember that my obstinacy still threatened
him with reopening the inquiry into the tragedy at Gleninch？ and
would he set his cunning at work to mislead me by some new
stratagem？ This latter course was the course which my past
experience of him suggested that he would take。 But； to my
surprise and alarm； I found my past experience at fault。 Ariel
succeeded in diverting his mind from the subject which had been
in full possession of it the moment before she spoke！ He showed
his face again。 It was overspread by a broad smile of gratified
self…esteem。 He was weak enough now to let even Ariel find her
way to his vanity。 I saw it with a sense of misgiving； with a
doubt whether I had not delayed my visit until too late； which
turned me cold from head to foot。
Miserrimus Dexter spoketo Ariel； not to me。
〃Poor devil！〃 he said； patting her head complacently。 〃You don't
understand a word of my stories； do you？ And yet I can make the
flesh creep on your great clumsy bodyand yet I can hold your
muddled mind； and make you like it。 Poor devil！〃 He leaned back
serenely in his chair； and looked my way again。 Would the sight
of me remind him of the words that had passed between us not a
minute since？ No！ There was the pleasantly tickled self…conceit
smiling at me exactly as it had smiled at Ariel。 〃I excel in
dramatic narrative； Mrs。 Valeria；〃 he said。 〃And this creature
here on the stool is a remarkable proof of it。 She is quite a
psychological study when I tell her one of my stories。 It is
really amusing to see the half…witted wretch's desperate efforts
to understand me。 You shall have a specimen。 I have been out of
spirits while you were awayI haven't told her a story for weeks
past； I will tell her one now。 Don't suppose it's any effort to
me！ My invention is inexhaustible。 You are sure to be amusedyou
are naturally seriousbut you are sure to be amused。 I am
naturally serious too； and I always laugh at her。〃
Ariel clapped her great shapeless hands。 〃He always laughs at
me！〃 she said； with a proud look of superiority directed straight
at me。
I was at a loss； seriously at a loss； what to do。
The outbreak which I had provoked in leading him to speak of the
late Mrs。 Eustace warned me to be careful； and to wait for my
opportunity before I reverted to _that_ subject。 How else could I
turn the conversation so as to lead him； little by little； toward
the betrayal of the secrets which he was keeping from me？ In this
uncertainty； one thing only seemed to be plain。 To let him tell
his story would be simply to let him waste the precious minutes。
With a vivid remembrance of Ariel's 〃ten claws；〃 I decided；
nevertheless on discouraging Dexter's new whim at every possible
opportunity and by every means in my power。
〃Now； Mrs。 Valeria；〃 he began； loudly and loftily； 〃listen。 Now；
Ariel； bring your brains to a focus。 I improvise poetry； I
improvise fiction。 We will begin with the good old formula of the
fairy stories。 Once upon a time〃
I was waiting for my opportunity to interrupt him when he
interrupted himself。 He stopped； with a bewildered look。 He put
his hand to his head； and passed it backward and forward over his
forehead。 He laughed feebly。
〃I seem to want rousing；〃 he said
Was his mind gone。？ There had been no signs of it until I had
unhappily stirred his memory of the dead mistress of Gleninch。
Was the weakness which I had already noticed； was the
bewilderment which I now saw； attributable to the influence of a
passing disturbance only？ In other words； had I witnessed nothing
more serious than a first warning to him and to us？ Would he soon
recover himself； if we were patient； and gave him time？ Even
Benjamin was interested at last； I saw him trying to look at
Dexter around the corner of the chair。 Even Ariel was surprised
and uneasy。 She had no dark glances to cast at me now。
We all waited to see what he would do； to hear what he would say；
next。
〃My harp！〃 he cried。 〃Music will rouse me。〃
Ariel brought him his harp。
〃Master；〃 she said； wonderingly； 〃what's come to you？〃
He waved his hand； commanding her to be silent。
〃Ode to Invention；〃 he announced； loftily； addressing himself to
me。 〃Poetry and music improvised by Dexter。 Silence！ Attention！〃
