the law and the lady-第25节

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moonlight；　I　heard　once　more　his　words　and　mine。　〃Forgive　me；〃　he
had　said；　〃for　having　loved　youpassionately；　devotedly　loved
you。　Forgive　me；　and　let　me　go。〃

And　I　had　answered；　〃Oh；　Eustace；　I　am　only　a　womandon't　madden
me！　I　can't　live　without　you。　I　must　and　will　be　your　wife！〃　And
now；　after　marriage　had　united　us；　we　were　parted！　Parted；　still
loving　each　as　passionately　as　ever。　And　why？　Because　he　had　been
accused　of　a　crime　that　he　had　never　committed；　and　because　a
Scotch　jury　had　failed　to　see　that　he　was　an　innocent　man。

I　looked　at　the　lovely　moonlight；　pursuing　these　remembrances　and
these　thoughts。　A　new　ardor　burned　in　me。　〃No！〃　I　said　to　myself。
〃Neither　relations　nor　friends　shall　prevail　on　me　to　falter　and
fail　in　my　husband's　cause。

The　assertion　of　his　innocence　is　the　work　of　my　life；　I　will
begin　it　to…night。〃

I　drew　down　the　blind　and　lighted　the　candles。　In　the　quiet
night；　alone　and　unaided；　I　took　my　first　step　on　the　toilsome
and　terrible　journey　that　lay　before　me。　From　the　title…page　to
the　end；　without　stopping　to　rest　and　without　missing　a　word；　I
read　the　Trial　of　my　husband　for　the　murder　of　his　wife。




PART　II。

PARADISE　REGAINED。




CHAPTER　XV。

THE　STORY　OF　THE　TRIAL。　THE　PRELIMINARIES。

　LET　me　confess　another　weakness；　on　my　part；　before　I　begin　the
Story　of　the　Trial。　I　cannot　prevail　upon　myself　to　copy；　for　the
second　time；　the　horrible　title…page　which　holds　up　to　public
ignominy　my　husband's　name。　I　have　copied　it　once　in　my　tenth
chapter。　Let　once　be　enough。

Turning　to　the　second　page　of　the　Trial；　I　found　a　Note；　assuring
the　reader　of　the　absolute　correctness　of　the　Report　of　the
Proceedings。　The　compiler　described　himself　as　having　enjoyed
certain　special　privileges。　Thus；　the　presiding　Judge　had　himself
revised　his　charge　to　the　jury。　And；　again；　the　chief　lawyers　for
the　prosecution　and　the　defense；　following　the　Judge's　example；
had　revised　their　speeches　for　and　against　the　prisoner。　Lastly；
particular　care　had　been　taken　to　secure　a　literally　correct
report　of　the　evidence　given　by　the　various　witnesses。　It　was
some　relief　to　me　to　discover　this　Note；　and　to　be　satisfied　at
the　outset　that　the　Story　of　the　Trial　was；　in　every　particular；
fully　and　truly　given。

The　next　page　interested　me　more　nearly　still。　It　enumerated　the
actors　in　the　Judicial　Dramathe　men　who　held　in　their　hands　my
husband's　honor　and　my　husband's　life。　Here　is　the　List：

THE　LORD　JUSTICE　CLERK；｝
　　　　　LORD　DRUMFENNICK；　｝Judges　on　the　Bench。
　　　　　　　LORD　NOBLEKIRK；　｝

　　　　　　　　　　THE　LORD　ADVOCATE　（Mintlaw）；　｝　DONALD　DREW；　Esquire
（Advocate…Depute）。｝　Counsel　for　the　Crown。

MR。　JAMES　ARLISS；　W。　S。；　Agent　for　the　Crown。

　　　　THE　DEAN　OF　FACULTY　（Farmichael）；　｝　Counsel　for　the　Panel
ALEXANDER　CROCKET；　Esquire　（Advocate）；｝　（otherwise　the　Prisoner）

MR。　THORNIEBANK；　W。　S。；｝
　　MR。　PLAYMORE；　W。　S。；　｝　Agents　for　the　Panel。

The　Indictment　against　the　prisoner　then　followed。　I　shall　not
copy　the　uncouth　language；　full　of　needless　repetitions　（and；　if
I　know　anything　of　the　subject；　not　guiltless　of　bad　grammar　as
well）；　in　which　my　innocent　husband　was　solemnly　and　falsely
accused　of　poisoning　his　first　wife。　The　less　there　is　of　that
false　and　hateful　Indictment　on　this　page；　the　better　and　truer
the　page　will　look；　to　_my_　eyes。

To　be　brief；　then；　Eustace　Macallan　was　〃indicted　and　accused；　at
the　instance　of　David　Mintlaw；　Esquire；　Her　Majesty's　Advocate；
for　Her　Majesty's　interest；〃　of　the　Murder　of　his　Wife　by　poison；
at　his　residence　called　Gleninch；　in　the　county　of　Mid…Lothian。
The　poison　was　alleged　to　have　been　wickedly　and　feloniously
given　by　the　prisoner　to　his　wife　Sara；　on　two　occasions；　in　the
form　of　arsenic；　administered　in　tea；　medicine；　〃or　other　article
or　articles　of　food　or　drink；　to　the　prosecutor　unknown。〃　It　was
further　declared　that　the　prisoner's　wife　had　died　of　the　poison
thus　administered　b　y　her　husband；　on　one　or　other；　or　both；　of
the　stated　occasions；　and　that　she　was　thus　murdered　by　her
husband。　The　next　paragraph　asserted　that　the　said　Eustace
Macallan；　taken　before　John　Daviot；　Esquire；　advocate；
Sheriff…Substitute　of　Mid…Lothian；　did　in　his　presence　at
Edinburgh　（on　a　given　date；　viz。；　the　29th　of　October）；　subscribe
a　Declaration　stating　his　innocence　of　the　alleged　crime：　this
Declaration　being　reserved　in　the　Indictmenttogether　with
certain　documents；　papers　and　articles；　enumerated　in　an
Inventoryto　be　used　in　evidence　against　the　prisoner。　The
Indictment　concluded　by　declaring　that；　in　the　event　of　the
offense　charged　against　the　prisoner　being　found　proven　by　the
Verdict；　he；　the　said　Eustace　Macallan；　〃ought　to　be　punished
with　the　pains　of　the　law；　to　deter　others　from　committing　like
crimes　in　all　time　coming。〃

So　much　for　the　Indictment！　I　have　done　with　itand　I　am
rejoiced　to　be　done　with　it。

An　Inventory　of　papers；　documents；　and　articles　followed　at　great
length　on　the　next　three　pages。　This；　in　its　turn；　was　succeeded
by　the　list　of　the　witnesses；　and　by　the　names　of　the　jurors
（fifteen　in　number）　balloted　for　to　try　the　case。　And　then；　at
last；　the　Report　of　the　Trial　began。　It　resolved　itself；　to　my
mind；　into　three　great　Questions。　As　it　appeared　to　me　at　the
time；　so　let　me　present　it　here。


CHAPTER　XVI。

FIRST　QUESTIONDID　THE　WOMAN　DIE　POISONED？

　THE　proceedings　began　at　ten　o'clock。　The　prisoner　was　placed　at
the　Bar；　before　the　High　Court　of　Justiciary；　at　Edinburgh。　He
bowed　respectfully　to　the　Bench；　and　pleaded　Not　Guilty；　in　a　low
voice。

It　was　observed　by　every　one　present　that　the　prisoner's　face
betrayed　traces　of　acute　mental　suffering。　He　was　deadly　pale。
His　eyes　never　once　wandered　to　the　crowd　in　the　Court。　When
certain　witnesses　appeared　against　him；　he　looked　at　them　with　a
momentary　attention。　At　other　times　he　kept　his　eyes　on　the
ground。　When　the　evidence　touched　on　his　wife's　illness　and
death；　he　was　deeply　affected；　and　covered　his　face　with　his
hands。　It　was　a　subject　of　general　remark　and　general　surprise
that　the　prisoner；　in　this　case　（although　a　man）；　showed　far　less
self…possession　than　the　last　prisoner　tried　in　that　Court　for
murdera　woman；　who　had　been　convicted　on　overwhelming　evidence。
There　were　persons　present　（a　small　minority　only）　who　considered
this　want　of　composure　on　the　part　of　the　prisoner　to　be　a　sign
in　his　favor。　Self…possession；　in　his　dreadful　position；
signified；　to　their　minds；　the　stark　insensibility　of　a　heartless
and　shameless　criminal；　and　afforded　in　itself　a　presumption；　not
of　innocence；　but　of　guilt。

The　first　witness　called　was　John　Daviot；　Esquire；
Sheriff…Substitute　of　Mid…Lothian。　He　was　examined　by　the　Lord
Advocate　（as　counsel　for　the　prosecution）；　and　said：

〃The　prisoner　was　brought　before　me　on　the　present　charge。　He
made　and　subscribed　a　Declaration　on　the　29th　of　October。　It　was
freely　and　voluntarily　made；　the　prisoner　having　been　first　duly
warned　and　admonished。〃

Having　identified　the　Declaration；　the　Sheriff…Substitutebeing
cross…examined　by　the　Dean　of　Faculty　（as　counsel　for　the
defense）continued　his　evidence　in　these　words：

〃The　charge　against　the　prisoner　was　Murder。　This　was
communicated　to　him　before　he　made　the　Declaration。　The　questions
addressed　to　the　prisoner　were　put　partly　by　me；　partly　by
another　officer；　the　procurator…fiscal。　The　answers　were　given
distinctly；　and；　so　far　as　I　could　judge；　without　reserve。　The
statements　put　forward　in　the　Declaration　were　all　made　in　answer
to　questions　asked　by　the　procurator…fiscal　or　by　myself。〃

A　clerk　in　the　Sheriff…Clerk's　office　then　officially　produced
the　Declaration；　and　corroborated　the　evidence　of　the　witness　who
had　preceded　him。

The　appearance　of　the　next　witness　created　a　marked　sensation　in
the　Court。　This　was　no　less　a　person　than　the　nurse　who　had
attended　Mrs。　Macallan　in　her　last　illnessby　name　Christina
Ormsay。

After　the　first　formal　answers；　the　nurse　（examined　by　the　Lord
Advocate）　proceeded　to　say：

〃I　was　first　sent　for　to　attend　the　deceased　lady　on　the　7th　of
October。　She　was　then　suffering　from　a　severe　cold；　accompanied
by　a　rheumatic　affection　of　the　left　knee…joint。　Previous　to　this
I　understood　that　her　health　had　been　fairly　good。　She　was　not　a
very　difficult　person　to　nurse　when　you　got　used　to　her；　and
understood　how　to　manage　her。　The　main　difficulty　was　caused　by
her　temper。　She　was　not　a　sullen　person；　she　was　headstrong　and
violenteasily　excited　to　fly　into　a　passion；　and　quite　reckless
in　her　fits　of　anger　as　to　what　she　said　or　did。　At　such　times　I
really　hardly　think　she　knew　what　she　was　about。　My　own　idea　is
that　her　temper　was　made　still　more　irritable　by　unhappiness　in
her　married　life。　She　was　far　from　being　a　reserved　person。
Indeed；　she　was　disposed　（as　I　thought）　to　be　a　little　too
communicative　about　herself　and　her　troubles　with　persons　like　me
who　were　beneath　her　in　station。　She　did　not　scruple；　for
instance；　to　tell　me　（when　we　had　been　long　enough　together　to
get　used　to　each　other）　that　she　was　very　unhappy；　and　fretted　a
good　deal　about　her　husband。　One　night；　when　she　wa