the law and the lady-第86章

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himself：

〃I　am　too　weak　to　travel　any　further；　Valeria。　Will　you　come　to
me　and　forgive　me？〃　A　few　pencil…marks　followed；　but　they　were
illegible。　The　writing　of　those　two　short　sentences　had　exhausted
him。

It　is　not　saying　much　for　myself；　I　knowbut；　having　confessed
it　when　I　was　wrong；　let　me；　at　least；　record　it　when　I　did　what
was　rightI　decided　instantly　on　giving　up　all　further
connection　with　the　recovery　of　the　torn　letter。　If　Eustace　asked
me　the　question；　I　was　resolved　to　be　able　to　answer　truly：　〃I
have　made　the　sacrifice　that　assures　your　tranquillity。　When
resignation　was　hardest；　I　have　humbled　my　obstinate　spirit；　and
I　have　given　way　for　my　husband's　sake。〃

There　was　half　an　hour　to　spare　before　I　left　the　vicarage　for
the　railway　station。　In　that　interval　I　wrote　again　to　Mr。
Playmore；　telling　him　plainly　what　my　position　was；　and
withdrawing；　at　once　and　forever；　from　all　share　in　investigating
the　mystery　which　lay　hidden　under　the　dust…heap　at　Gleninch。





CHAPTER　XLIV。

OUR　NEW　HONEYMOON。

　It　is　not　to　be　disguised　or　denied　that　my　spirits　were
depressed　on　my　journey　to　London。

To　resign　the　one　cherished　purpose　of　my　life；　when　I　had
suffered　so　much　in　pursuing　it；　and　when　I　had　（to　all
appearance）　so　nearly　reached　the　realization　of　my　hopes；　was
putting　to　a　hard　trial　a　woman's　fortitude　and　a　woman's　sense
of　duty。　Still；　even　if　the　opportunity　had　been　offered　to　me；　I
would　not　have　recalled　my　letter　to　Mr。　Playmore。　〃It　is　done；
and　well　done；〃　I　said　to　myself；　〃and　I　have　only　to　wait　a　day
to　be　reconciled　to　itwhen　I　give　my　husband　my　first　kiss。〃

I　had　planned　and　hoped　to　reach　London　in　time　to　start　for
Paris　by　the　night…mail。　But　the　train　was　twice　delayed　on　the
long　journey　from　the　North；　and　there　was　no　help　for　it　but　to
sleep　at　Benjamin's　villa；　and　to　defer　my　departure　until　the
morning。

It　was；　of　course；　impossible　for　me　to　warn　my　old　friend　of　the
change　in　my　plans。　My　arrival　took　him　by　surprise。　I　found　him
alone　in　his　library；　with　a　wonderful　illumination　of　lamps　and
candles；　absorbed　over　some　morsels　of　torn　paper　scattered　on
the　table　before　him。

〃What　in　the　world　are　you　about？〃　I　asked。

Benjamin　blushedI　was　going　to　say；　like　a　young　girl；　but
young　girls　have　given　up　blushing　in　these　latter　days　of　the
age　we　live　in。

〃Oh；　nothing；　nothing！〃　he　said；　confusedly。　〃Don't　notice　it。〃

He　stretched　out　his　hand　to　brush　the　morsels　of　paper　off　the
table。　Those　morsels　raised　a　sudden　suspicion　in　my　mind。　I
stopped　him。

〃You　have　heard　from　Mr。　Playmore！〃　I　said。　〃Tell　me　the　truth；
Benjamin。　Yes　or　no？〃

Benjamin　blushed　a　shade　deeper；　and　answered；　〃Yes。〃

〃Where　is　the　letter？〃

〃I　mustn't　show　it　to　you；　Valeria。〃

This　（need　I　say　it？）　made　me　determined　to　see　the　letter。　My
best　way　of　persuading　Benjamin　to　show　it　to　me　was　to　tell　him
of　the　sacrifice　that　I　had　made　to　my　husband's　wishes。　〃I　have
no　further　voice　in　the　matter；〃　I　added；　when　I　had　done。　〃It
now　rests　entirely　with　Mr。　Playmore　to　go　on　or　to　give　up；　and
this　is　my　last　opportunity　of　discovering　what　he　really　thinks
about　it。　Don't　I　deserve　some　little　indulgence？　Have　I　no　claim
to　look　at　the　letter？〃

Benjamin　was　too　much　surprised；　and　too　much　pleased　with　me；
when　he　heard　what　had　happened；　to　be　able　to　resist　my
entreaties。　He　gave　me　the　letter。

Mr。　Playmore　wrote　to　appeal　confidentially　to　Benjamin　as　a
commercial　man。　In　the　long　course　of　his　occupation　in　business；
it　was　just　possible　that　he　might　have　heard　of　cases　in　which
documents　have　been　put　together　again　after　having　been　torn　up
by　design　or　by　accident。　Even　if　his　experience　failed　in　this
particular；　he　might　be　able　to　refer　to　some　authority　in　London
who　would　be　capable　of　giving　an　opinion　on　the　subject。　By　way
of　explaining　his　strange　request；　Mr。　Playmore　reverted　to　the
notes　which　Benjamin　had　taken　at　Miserrimus　Dexter's　house；　and
informed　him　of　the　serious　importance　of　〃the　gibberish〃　which
he　had　reported　under　protest。　The　letter　closed　by　recommending
that　any　correspondence　which　ensued　should　be　kept
　a　secret　from　meon　the　ground　that　it　might　excite　false　hopes
in　my　mind　if　I　were　informed　of　it。

I　now　understood　the　tone　which　my　worthy　adviser　had　adopted　in
writing　to　me。　His　interest　in　the　recovery　of　the　letter　was
evidently　so　overpowering　that　common　prudence　compelled　him　to
conceal　it　from　me；　in　case　of　ultimate　failure。　This　did　not
look　as　if　Mr。　Playmore　was　likely　to　give　up　the　investigation
on　my　withdrawal　from　it。　I　glanced　again　at　the　fragments　of
paper　on　Benjamin's　table；　with　an　interest　in　them　which　I　had
not　felt　yet。

〃Has　anything　been　found　at　Gleninch？〃　I　asked。

〃No；〃　said　Benjamin。　〃I　have　only　been　trying　experiments　with　a
letter　of　my　own；　before　I　wrote　to　Mr。　Playmore。〃

〃Oh；　you　have　torn　up　the　letter　yourself；　then？〃

〃Yes。　And；　to　make　it　all　the　more　difficult　to　put　them　together
again；　I　shook　up　the　pieces　in　a　basket。　It's　a　childish　thing
to　do；　my　dear；　at　my　age〃

He　stopped；　looking　very　much　ashamed　of　himself。

〃Well；〃　I　went　on；　〃and　have　you　succeeded　in　putting　your　letter
together　again？〃

〃It's　not　very　easy；　Valeria。　But　I　have　made　a　beginning。　It's
the　same　principle　as　the　principle　in　the　'Puzzles'　which　we
used　to　put　together　when　I　was　a　boy。　Only　get　one　central　bit
of　it　right；　and　the　rest　of　the　Puzzle　falls　into　its　place　in　a
longer　or　a　shorter　time。　Please　don't　tell　anybody；　my　dear。
People　might　say　I　was　in　my　dotage。　To　think　of　that　gibberish
in　my　note…book　having　a　meaning　in　it；　after　all！　I　only　got　Mr。
Playmore's　letter　this　morning；　andI　am　really　almost　ashamed
to　mention　itI　have　been　trying　experiments　on　torn　letters；
off　and　on；　ever　since。　You　won't　tell　upon　me；　will　you？〃

I　answered　the　dear　old　man　by　a　hearty　embrace。　Now　that　he　had
lost　his　steady　moral　balance；　and　had　caught　the　infection　of　my
enthusiasm；　I　loved　him　better　than　ever。

But　I　was　not　quite　happy；　though　I　tried　to　appear　so。　Struggle
against　it　as　I　might；　I　felt　a　little　mortified　when　I
remembered　that　I　had　resigned　all　further　connection　with　the
search　for　the　letter　at　such　a　time　as　this。　My　one　comfort　was
to　think　of　Eustace。　My　one　encouragement　was　to　keep　my　mind
fixed　as　constantly　as　possible　on　the　bright　change　for　the
better　that　now　appeared　in　the　domestic　prospect。　Here；　at
least；　there　was　no　disaster　to　fear；　here　I　could　honestly　feel
that　I　had　triumphed。　My　husband　had　come　back　to　me　of　his　own
free　will；　he　had　not　given　way；　under　the　hard　weight　of
evidencehe　had　yielded　to　the　nobler　influences　of　his
gratitude　and　his　love。　And　I　had　taken　him　to　my　heart
againnot　because　I　had　made　discoveries　which　left　him　no　other
alternative　than　to　live　with　me；　but　because　I　believed　in　the
better　mind　that　had　come　to　him；　and　loved　and　trusted　him
without　reserve。　Was　it　not　worth　some　sacrifice　to　have　arrived
at　this　result！　Truemost　true！　And　yet　I　was　a　little　out　of
spirits。　Ah；　well！　well！　the　remedy　was　within　a　day's　journey。
The　sooner　I　was　with　Eustace　the　better。

Early　the　next　morning　I　left　London　for　Paris　by　the
tidal…train。　Benjamin　accompanied　me　to　the　Terminus。

〃I　shall　write　to　Edinburgh　by　to…day's　post；〃　he　said；　in　the
interval　before　the　train　moved　out　of　the　station。　〃I　think　I
can　find　the　man　Mr。　Playmore　wants　to　help　him；　if　he　decides　to
go　on。　Have　you　any　message　to　send；　Valeria？〃

〃No。　I　have　done　with　it；　Benjamin；　I　have　nothing　more　to　say。〃

〃Shall　I　write　and　tell　you　how　it　ends；　if　Mr。　Playmore　does
really　try　the　experiment　at　Gleninch？〃

I　answered；　as　I　felt；　a　little　bitterly。

〃Yes；〃　I　said　〃Write　and　tell　me　if　the　experiment　fail。〃

My　old　friend　smiled。　He　knew　me　better　than　I　knew　myself。

〃All　right！〃　he　said；　resignedly。　〃I　have　got　the　address　of　your
banker's　correspondent　in　Paris。　You　will　have　to　go　there　for
money；　my　dear；　and　you　_may_　find　a　letter　waiting　for　you　in
the　office　when　you　least　expect　it。　Let　me　hear　ho