the law and the lady-第94章

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the　letter；　when　he　first　discovered　it　under　the　dead　woman's
pillow？

〃Answer：　The　same　motives　which　led　him　to　resist　the　seizure　of
the　Diary；　and　to　give　his　evidence　in　the　prisoner's　favor　at
the　Trial；　induced　him　to　preserve　the　letter　until　the　verdict
was　known。　Looking　back　once　more　at　his　last　words　（as　taken
down　by　Mr。　Benjamin）；　we　may　infer　that　if　the　verdict　had　been
Guilty；　he　would　not　have　hesitated　to　save　the　innocent　husband
by　producing　the　wife's　confession。　There　are　degrees　in　all
wickedness。　Dexter　was　wicked　enough　to　suppress　the　letter；
which　wounded　his　vanity　by　revealing　him　as　an　object　for
loathing　and　contemptbut　he　was　not　wicked　enough　deliberately
to　let　an　innocent　man　perish　on　the　scaffold。　He　was　capable　of
exposing　the　rival　whom　he　hated　to　the　infamy　and　torture　of　a
public　accusation　of　murder；　but；　in　the　event　of　an　adverse
verdict；　he　shrank　before　the　direr　cruelty　of　letting　him　be
hanged。　Reflect；　in　this　connection；　on　what　he　must　have
suffered；　villain　as　he　was；　when　he　first　read　the　wife's
confession。　He　had　calculated　on　undermining　her　affection　for
her　husbandand　whither　had　his　calculations　led　him？　He　had
driven　the　woman　whom　he　loved　to　the　last　dreadful　refuge　of
death　by　suicide！　Give　these　considerations　their　due　weight；　and
you　will　understand　that　some　little　redeeming　virtue　might　show
itself；　as　the　result　even　of　_this_　man's　remorse。

〃Second　Question：　What　motive　influenced　Miserrimus　Dexter's
conduct；　when　Mrs。　（Valeria）　Macallan　informed　him　that　she
proposed　reopening　the　inquiry　into　the　poisoning　at　Gleninch？

〃Answer：　In　all　probability；　Dexter's　guilty　fears　suggested　to
him　that　he　might　have　been　watched　on　the　morning　when　he
secretly　entered　the　chamber　in　which　the　first　Mrs。　Eustace　lay
dead。　Feeling　no　scruples　himself　to　restrain　him　from　listening
at　doors　and　looking　through　keyholes；　he　would　be　all　the　more
ready　to　suspect　other　people　of　the　same　practices。　With　this
dread　in　him；　it　would　naturally　occur　to　his　mind　that　Mrs。
Valeria　might　meet　with　the　person　who　had　watched　him；　and　might
hear　all　that　the　person　had　discoveredunless　he　led　her　astray
at　the　outset　of　her　investigations。　Her　own　jealous　suspicions
of　Mrs。　Beauly　offered　him　the　chance　of　easily　doing　this。　And
he　was　all　the　readier　to　profit　by　the　chance；　being　himself
animated　by　the　most　hostile　feeling　toward　that　lady。　He　knew
her　as　the　enemy　who　destroyed　the　domestic　peace　of　the　mistress
of　the　house；　he　loved　the　mistress　of　the　houseand　he　hated
her　enemy　accordingly。　The　preservation　of　his　guilty　secret；　and
the　persecution　of　Mrs。　Beauly：　there　you　have　the　greater　and
the　lesser　motive　of　his　conduct　in　his　relations　with　Mrs。
Eustace　the　second！〃*


…　*　Note　by　the　writer　of　the
Narrative：

Look　back　for　a　further　illustration　of　this　point　of　view　to　the
scene　at　Benjamin's　house　（Chapter　XXXV。）；　where　Dexter；　in　a
moment　of　ungovernable　agitation；　betrays　his　own　secret　to
Valeria。　…

Benjamin　laid　down　his　notes；　and　took　off　his　spectacles。

〃We　have　not　thought　it　necessary　to　go　further　than　this；〃　he
said。　〃Is　there　any　point　you　can　think　of　that　is　still　left
unexplained？〃

I　reflected。　There　was　no　point　of　any　importance　left
unexplained　that　I　could　remember。　But　there　was　one　little
matter　（suggested　by　the　recent　allusions　to　Mrs。　Beauly）　which　I
wished　（if　possible）　to　have　thoroughly　cleared　up。

〃Have　you　and　Mr。　Playmore　ever　spoken　together　on　the　subject　of
my　husband's　former　attachment　to　Mrs。　Beauly？〃　I　asked。　〃Has　Mr。
Playmore　ever　told　you　why　Eustace　did　not　marry　her；　after　the
Trial？〃

〃I　put　that　question　to　Mr。　Playmore　myself；〃　said　Benjamin。　〃He
answered　it　easily　enough。　Being　your　husband's　confidential
friend　and　adviser；　he　was　consulted　when　Mr。　Eustace　wrote　to
Mrs。　Beauly；　after　the　Trial；　and　he　repeated　the　substance　of
the　letter；　at　my　request。　Would　you　like　to　hear　what　I　remember
of　it；　in　my　turn？〃

I　owned　that　I　should　like　to　hear　it。　What　Benjamin　thereupon
told　me；　exactly　coincided　with　what　Miserrimus　Dexter　had　told
meas　related　in　the　thirtieth　chapter　of　my　narrative。　Mrs。
Beauly　had　been　a　witness　of　the　public　degradation　of　my
husband。　That　was　enough　in　itself　to　prevent　him　from　marrying
her：　He　broke　off　with　_her_　for　the　same　reason　which　had　led
him　to　separate　himself　from　_me。_　Existence　with　a　woman　who
knew　that　he　had　been　tried　for　his　life　as　a　murderer　was　an
existence　which　he　had　not　resolution　enough　to　face。　The　two
accounts　agreed　in　every　particular。　At　last　my　jealous　curiosity
was　pacified；　and　Benjamin　was　free　to　dismiss　the　past　from
further　consideration；　and　to　approach　the　more　critical　and　more
interesting　topic　of　the　future。

His　first　inquiries　related　to　Eustace。　He　asked　if　my　husband
had　any　suspicion　of　the　proceedings　which　had　taken　place　at
Gleninch。

I　told　him　what　had　happened；　and　how　I　had　contrived　to　put　off
the　inevitable　disclosure　for　a　time。

My　old　friend's　face　cleared　up　as　he　listened　to　me。

〃This　will　be　good　news　for　Mr。　Playmore；〃　he　said。　〃Our
excellent　friend；　the　lawyer；　is　sorely　afraid　that　our　dis
coveries　may　compromise　your　position　with　your　husband。　On　the
one　hand；　he　is　naturally　anxious　to　spare　Mr。　Eustace　the
distress　which　he　must　certainly　feel；　if　he　read　his　first
wife's　confession。　On　the　other　hand；　it　is　impossible；　in
justice　（as　Mr。　Playmore　puts　it）　to　the　unborn　children　of　your
marriage；　to　suppress　a　document　which　vindicates　the　memory　of
their　father　from　the　aspersion　that　the　Scotch　Verdict　might
otherwise　cast　on　it。〃

I　listened　attentively。　Benjamin　had　touched　on　a　trouble　which
was　still　secretly　preying　on　my　mind。

〃How　does　Mr。　Playmore　propose　to　meet　the　difficulty？〃　I　asked。

〃He　can　only　meet　it　in　one　way；〃　Benjamin　replied。　〃He　proposes
to　seal　up　the　original　manuscript　of　the　letter；　and　to　add　to
it　a　plain　statement　of　the　circumstances　under　which　it　was
discovered；　supported　by　your　signed　attestation　and　mine；　as
witnesses　to　the　fact。　This　done；　he　must　leave　it　to　you　to　take
your　husband　into　your　confidence；　at　your　own　time。　It　will　then
be　for　Mr。　Eustace　to　decide　whether　he　will　open　the
inclosureor　whether　he　will　leave　it；　with　the　seal　unbroken；
as　an　heirloom　to　his　children；　to　be　made　public　or　not；　at
their　discretion；　when　they　are　of　an　age　to　think　for
themselves。　Do　you　consent　to　this；　my　dear？　Or　would　you　prefer
that　Mr。　Playmore　should　see　your　husband；　and　act　for　you　in　the
matter？〃

I　decided；　without　hesitation；　to　take　the　responsibility　on
myself。　Where　the　question　of　guiding　Eustace's　decision　was
concerned；　I　considered　my　influence　to　be　decidedly　superior　to
the　influence　of　Mr。　Playmore。　My　choice　met　with　Benjamin's　full
approval。　He　arranged　to　write　to　Edinburgh；　and　relieve　the
lawyer's　anxieties　by　that　day's　post。

The　one　last　thing　now　left　to　be　settled　related　to　our　plans
for　returning　to　England。　The　doctors　were　the　authorities　on
this　subject。　I　promised　to　consult　them　about　it　at　their　next
visit　to　Eustace。

　〃Have　you　anything　more　to　say　to　me？〃　Benjamin　inquired；　as　he
opened　his　writing…case。

I　thought　of　Miserrimus　Dexter　and　Ariel；　and　I　inquired　if　he
had　heard　any　news　of　them　lately。　My　old　friend　sighed；　and
warned　me　that　I　had　touched　on　a　painful　subject。

〃The　best　thing　that　can　happen　to　that　unhappy　man　is　likely　to
happen；〃　he　said。　〃The　one　change　in　him　is　a　change　that
threatens　paralysis。　You　may　hear　of　his　death　before　you　get
back　to　England。〃

〃And　Ariel？〃　I　asked。

〃Quite　unaltered；〃　Benjamin　answered。　〃Perfectly　happy　so　long　as
she　is　with　'the　Master。'　From　all　I　can　hear　of　her；　poor　soul；
she　doesn't　reckon　Dexter　among　moral　beings。　She　laughs　at　the
idea　of　his　dying；　and　she　waits　patiently；　in　the　firm
persuasion　that　he　will　recognize　her　again。〃

Benjamin's　news　saddened　and　silenced　me。　I　left　him　to　his
letter。




CHAPTER　L。

THE　LAST　OF　THE　STORY。

In　ten　days　more　we　returned　to　England；　accompanied　by　Benjamin。