the law and the lady-第28节

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satisfied；　he　told　me　to　leave　him　alone　with　Mr。　Gale。　'We　will
ring；'　he　said；　'when　we　want　you　here　again。'

〃It　was　a　long　time　before　they　rang　for　me。　The　coachman　was
sent　for　before　I　was　summoned　back　to　the　bedroom。　He　was
dispatched　to　Edinburgh　for　the　second　time；　with　a　written
message　from　Dr。　Jerome　to　his　head　servant；　saying　that　there
was　no　chance　of　his　returning　to　the　city　and　to　his　patients
for　some　hours　to　come。　Some　of　us　thought　this　looked　badly　for
Mrs。　Macallan。　Others　said　it　might　mean　that　the　doctor　had
hopes　of　saving　her；　but　expected　to　be　a　long　time　in　doing　it。

〃At　last　I　was　sent　for。　On　my　presenting　myself　in　the　bedroom；
Doctor　Jerome　went　out　to　speak　to　Mr。　Macallan；　leaving　Mr。　Gale
along　with　me。　From　that　time　as　long　as　the　poor　lady　lived　I
was　never　left　alone　with　her。　One　of　the　two　doctors　was　always
in　her　room。　Refreshments　were　prepared　for　them；　but　still　they
took　it　in　turns　to　eat　their　meal；　one　relieving　the　other　at
the　bedside。　If　they　had　administered　remedies　to　their　patient；
I　should　not　have　been　surprised　by　this　proceeding。　But　they
were　at　the　end　of　their　remedies；　their　only　business　the　seemed
to　be　to　keep　watch。　I　was　puzzled　to　account　for　this。　Keeping
watch　was　the　nurse's　business。　I　thought　the　conduct　of　the
doctors　very　strange。

〃　By　the　time　that　the　lamp　was　lighted　in　the　sick…room　I　could
see　that　the　end　was　near。　Excepting　an　occasional　feeling　of
cramp　in　her　legs；　she　seemed　to　suffer　less。　But　her　eyes　looked
sunk　in　her　head；　her　skin　was　cold　and　clammy；　her　lips　had
turned　to　a　bluish　paleness。　Nothing　roused　her　nowexcepting
the　last　attempt　made　by　her　husband　to　see　her。　He　came　in　with
Doctor　Jerome；　looking　like　a　man　terror…struck。　She　was　past
speaking；　but　the　moment　she　saw　him　she　feebly　made　signs　and
sounds　which　showed　that　she　was　just　as　resolved　as　ever　not　to
let　him　come　near　her。　He　was　so　overwhelmed　that　Mr。　Gale　was
obliged　to　help　him　out　of　the　room。　No　other　person　was　allowed
to　see　the　patient。　Mr。　Dexter　and　Mrs。　Beauly　made　their
inquiries　outside　the　door；　and　were　not　invited　in。　As　the
evening　drew　on　the　doctors　sat　on　either　side　of　the　bed；
silently　watching　her；　silently　waiting　for　her　death。

〃Toward　eight　o'clock　she　seemed　to　have　lost　the　use　of　her
hands　and　arms：　they　lay　helpless　outside　the　bed…clothes。　A
little　later　she　sank　into　a　sort　of　dull　sleep。　Little　by　little
the　sound　of　her　heavy　breathing　grew　fainter。　At　twenty　minutes
past　nine　Doctor　Jerome　told　me　to　bring　the　lamp　to　the　bedside。
He　looked　at　her；　and　put　his　hand　on　her　heart。　Then　he　said　to
me；　'You　can　go　downstairs；　nurse：　it　is　all　over。'　He　turned　to
Mr。　Gale。　'Will　you　inquire　if　Mr。　Macallan　can　see　us？'　he　said。
I　opened　the　door　for　Mr。　Gale；　and　followed　him　out。　Doctor
Jerome　called　me　back　for　a　moment；　and　told　me　to　give　him　the
key　of　the　door。　I　did　so；　of　course；　but　I　thought　this　also
very　strange。　When　I　got　down　to　the　servants'　hall　I　found　there
was　a　general　feeling　that　something　was　wrong。　We　were　all
uneasywithout　knowing　why。

〃A　little　later　the　two　doctors　left　the　house。　Mr。　Macallan　had
been　quite　incapable　of　receiving　them　and　hearing　what　they　had
to　say。　In　this　difficulty　they　had　spoken　privately　with　Mr。
Dexter；　as　Mr。　Macallan's　old　friend；　and　the　only　gentleman　then
staying　at　Gleninch。

〃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。

〃In　the　absence　of　any　explanations　or　directions；　I　took　the
liberty　of　knocking　at　the　door　of　Mr。　Dexter's　room。　From　his
lips　I　first　heard　the　startling　news。　Both　the　doctors　had
refused　to　give　the　usual　certificate　of　death！　There　was　to　be　a
medical　examination　of　the　body　the　next　morning。〃

　There　the　examination　of　the　nurse；　Christina　Ormsay；　came　to　an
end。

Ignorant　as　I　was　of　the　law；　I　could　see　what　impression　the
evidence　（so　far）　was　intended　to　produce　on　the　minds　of　the
jury。　After　first　showing　that　my　husband　had　had　two
opportunities　of　administering　the　poisononce　in　the　medicine
and　once　in　the　teathe　counsel　for　the　Crown　led　the　jury　to
infer　that　the　prisoner　had　taken　those　opportunities　to　rid
himself　of　an　ugly　and　jealous　wife；　whose　detestable　temper　he
could　no　longer　endure。

Having　directed　his　examination　to　the　attainment　of　this　object；
the　Lord　Advocate　had　done　with　the　witness。　The　Dean　of
Facultyacting　in　the　prisoner's　intereststhen　rose　to　bring
out　the　favorable　side　of　the　wife's　character　by　cross…examining
the　nurse。　If　he　succeeded　in　this　attempt；　the　jury　might
reconsider　their　conclusion　that　the　wife　was　a　person　who　had
exasperated　her　husband　beyond　endurance。　In　that　case；　where　（so
far）　was　the　husband's　motive　for　poisoning　her？　and　where　was
the　presumption　of　the　prisoner's　guilt？

Pressed　by　this　skillful　lawyer；　the　nurse　was　obliged　to　exhibit
my　husband's　first　wife　under　an　entirely　new　aspect。　Here　is　the
substance　of　what　the　Dean　of　Faculty　extracted　from　Christina
Ormsay：

〃I　persist　in　declaring　that　Mrs。　Macallan　had　a　most　violent
temper。　But　she　was　certainly　in　the　habit　of　making　amends　for
the　offense　that　she　gave　by　her　violence。　When　she　was　quiet
again　she　always　made　her　excuses　to　me；　and　she　made　them　with　a
good　grace。　Her　manners　were　engaging　at　such　times　as　these。　She
spoke　and　acted　like　a　well…bred　lady。　Then；　again；　as　to　her
personal　appearance。　Plain　as　she　was　in　face；　she　had　a　good
figure；　her　hands　and　feet；　I　was　told；　had　been　modeled　by　a
sculptor。　She　had　a　very　pleasant　voice；　and　she　was　reported
when　in　health　to　sing　beautifully。　She　was　also　（if　her　maid's
account　was　to　be　trusted）　a　pattern　in　the　matter　of　dressing
for　the　other　ladies　in　the　neighborhood。　Then；　as　to　Mrs。
Beauly；　though　she　was　certainly　jealous　of　the　beautiful　young
widow；　she　had　shown　at　the　same　time　that　she　was　capable　of
controlling　that　feeling。　It　was　through　Mrs。　Macallan　that　Mrs。
Beauly　was　in　the　house。　Mrs。　Beauly　had　wished　to　postpone　her
visit　on　account　of　the　state　of　Mrs。　Macallan's　health。　It　was
Mrs。　Macallan　herselfnot　her　husbandwho　decided　that　Mrs。
Beauly　should　not　be　disappointed；　and　should　pay　her　visit　to
Gleninch　then　and　there。　Further；　Mrs。　Macallan　（in　spite　of　her
temper）　was　popular　with　her　friends　and　popular　with　her
servants。　There　was　hardly　a　dry　eye　in　the　house　when　it　was
known　she　was　dying。　And；　further　still；　in　those　little　domestic
disagreements　at　which　the　nurse　had　been　present；　Mr。　Macallan
had　never　lost　his　temper；　and　had　never　used　harsh　language：　he
seemed　to　be　more　sorry　than　angry　when　the　quarrels　took
place。〃Moral　for　the　jury：　Was　this　the　sort　of　woman　who　would
exasperate　a　man　into　poisoning　her？　And　was　this　the　sort　of　man
who　would　be　capable　of　poisoning　his　wife？

Having　produced　this　salutary　counter…impression；　the　Dean　of
Faculty　sat　down；　and　the　medical　witnesses　were　called　next。

Here　the　evidence　was　simply　irresistible。

Dr。　Jerome　and　Mr。　Gale　positively　swore　that　the　symptoms　of　the
illness　were　the　symptoms　of　poisoning　by　arsenic。　The　surgeon
who　had　performed　the　post…mortem　examination　followed。　He
positively　swore　that　the　appearance　of　the　internal　organs
proved　Doctor　Jerome　and　Mr。　Gale　to　be　right　in　declaring　that
their　patient　had　died　poisoned。　Lastly；　to　complete　this
overwhelming　testimony；　two　analytical　chemists　actually　produced
in　Court　the　arsenic　which　they　had　found　in　the　body；　in　a
quantity　admittedly　sufficient　to　have　killed　two　persons　instead
of　one。　In　the　face　of　such　evidence　as　this；　cross…examination
was　a　mere　form。　The　first　Question　raised　by　the　TrialDid　the
Woman　Die　Poisoned？was　answered　in　the　affirmative；　and
answered　beyond　the　possibility　of　doubt。

The　next　witnesses　called　were　witnesses　concerned　with　the
question　that　now　followedthe　obscure　and　terrible　question；
Who　Poisoned　Her？


CHAPTER　XVII。

SECOND　QUESTIONWHO　POISONED　HER？。

　THE　evidence　of　the　doctors　and　the　chemists　closed　the
proceedings　on　the　first　day　of　the　Trial。

On　the　second　day　the　evidence　to　be　produced　by　the　prosecution
was　anticipated　with　a　general　feeling　of　curiosity　and　interest。
The　Court　was　now　to　hear　what　had　been　seen　and　done　by　the
persons　officially　appointed　to　verify　such　cases　of　suspected
crime　as　the　case　which　had　occurred　at　Gleninch。　The
Procurator…Fiscalbeing　the　person　officially　appointed　to
direct　the　preliminary　investigations　of　the　lawwas　the　first
witness　called　on　the　second　day　of　the　Trial。

Examined　by　the　Lord　Advocate；　the　Fiscal　gave　his　evidence；　as
follows：

〃On　the　twenty…sixth　of　October　I　received　a　communication　from
Doctor　Jerome；　of　Edinburgh；　and　from　Mr。　Alexander　Gale；　me