the law and the lady-第29节

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follows：

〃On　the　twenty…sixth　of　October　I　received　a　communication　from
Doctor　Jerome；　of　Edinburgh；　and　from　Mr。　Alexander　Gale；　medical
practitioner；　residing　in　the　village　or　hamlet　of　Dingdovie；
near　Edinburgh。　The　communication　related　to　the　death；　under
circumstances　of　suspicion；　of　Mrs。　Eustace　Macallan；　at　her
husband's　house；　hard　by　Dingdovie；　called　Gleninch。　There　were
also　forwarded　to　me；　inclosed　in　the　document　just　mentioned；
two　reports。　One　described　the　results　of　a　postmortem
examination　of　the　deceased　lady；　and　the　other　stated　the
discoveries　made　after　a　chemical　analysis　of　certain　of　the
interior　organs　of　her　body。　The　result　in　both　instances　proved
to　demonstration　that　Mrs。　Eustace　Macallan　had　died　of　poisoning
by　arsenic。

〃Under　these　circumstances；　I　set　in　motion　a　search　and　inquiry
in　the　house　at　Gleninch　and　elsewhere；　simply　for　the　purpose　of
throwing　light　on　the　circumstances　which　had　attended　the　lady's
death。

〃No　criminal　charge　in　connection　with　the　death　was　made　at　my
office　against　any　person；　either　in　the　communication　which　I
received　from　the　medical　men　or　in　any　other　form。　The
investigations　at　Gleninch　and　elsewhere；　beginning　on　the
twenty…sixth　of　October；　were　not　completed　until　the
twenty…eighth。　Upon　this　latter　dateacting　on　certain
discoveries　which　were　reported　to　me；　and　on　my　own　examination
of　letters　and　other　documents　brought　to　my　officeI　made　a
criminal　charge　against　the　prisoner；　and　obtained　a　warrant　for
his　apprehension。　He　was　examined　before　the　Sheriff　on　the
twenty…ninth　of　October；　and　was　committed　for　trial　before　this
Court。〃

The　Fiscal　having　made　his　statement；　and　having　been
cross…examined　（on　technical　matters　only）；　the　persons　employed
in　his　office　were　called　next。　These　men　had　a　story　of
startling　interest　to　tell。　Theirs　were　the　fatal　discoveries
which　had　justified　the　Fiscal　in　charging　my　husband　with　the
murder　of　his　wife。　The　first　of　the　witnesses　was　a　sheriff's
officer。　He　gave　his　name　as　Isaiah　Schoolcraft。

Examined　by　Mr。　DrewAdvocate…Depute；　and　counsel　for　the　Crown；
with　the　Lord　AdvocateIsaiah　Schoolcraft　said：

〃I　got　a　warrant　on　the　twenty…sixth　of　October　to　go　to　the
country…house　near　Edinburgh　called　Gleninch。　I　took　with　me
Robert　Lorrie；　assistant　to　the　Fiscal。　We　first　examined　the
room　in　which　Mrs。　Eustace　Macallan　had　died。　On　the　bed；　and　on
a　movable　table　which　was　attached　to　it；　we　found　books　and
writing　materials；　and　a　paper　containing　some　unfinished　verses
in　manuscript；　afterward　identified　as　being　in　the　handwriting
of　the　deceased。　We　inclosed　these　articles　in　paper；　and　sealed
them　up。

〃We　next　opened　an　Indian　cabinet　in　the　bedroom。　Here　we　found
many　more　verses　on　many　more　sheets　of　paper　in　the　same
hand…writing。　We　also　discovered；　first　some　letters；　and　next　a
crumpled　piece　of　paper　thrown　aside　in　a　corner　of　one　of　the
shelves。　On　closer　examination；　a　chemist's　printed　label　was
discovered　on　this　morsel　of　paper。　We　also　found　in　the　folds　of
it　a　few　scattered　grains　of　some　white　powder。　The　paper　and　the
letters　were　carefully　inclosed；　and　sealed　up　as　before。

〃Further　investigation　of　the　room　revealed　nothing　which　could
throw　any　light　on　the　purpose　of　our　inquiry。　We　examined　the
clothes；　jewelry；　and　books　of　the　deceased。　These　we　left　under
lock　and　key。　We　also　found　her　dressing…case；　which　we　protected
by　seals；　and　took　away　with　us　to　the　Fiscal's　office；　along
with　all　the　other　articles　that　we　had　discovered　in　the　room。

〃The　next　day　we　continued　our　examination　in　the　house；　having
received　in　the　interval　fresh　instructions　from　the　Fiscal。　We
began　our　work　in　the　bedroom　communicating　with　the　room　in
which　Mrs。　Macallan　had　died。　It　had　been　kept　locked　since　the
death。　Finding　nothing　of　any　importance　here；　we　went　next　to
another　room　on　the　same　floor；　in　which　we　were　informed　the
prisoner　was　then　lying　ill　in　bed。

〃His　illness　was　described　to　us　as　a　nervous　complaint；　caused
by　the　death　of　his　wife；　and　by　the　proceedings　which　had
followed　it。　He　was　reported　to　be　quite　incapable　of　exerting
himself；　and　quite　unfit　to　see　strangers。　We　insisted
nevertheless　（in　deference　to　our　instructions）　on　obtaining
admission　to　his　room。　He　made　no　reply　when　we　inquired　whether
he　had　or　had　not　removed　anything　from　the　sleeping…room　next　to
his　late　wife's；　which　he　usually　occupied；　to　the　sleeping…room
in　which　he　now　lay。　All　he　did　was　to　close　his　eyes；　as　if　he
were　too　feeble　to　speak　to　us　or　to　notice　us。　Without　further
disturbing　him；　we　began　to　examine　the　room　and　the　different
objects　in　it。

〃While　we　were　so　employed；　we　were　interrupted　by　a　strange
sound。　We　likened　it　to　the　rumbling　of　wheels　in　the　corridor
outside。

〃The　door　opened；　and　there　came　swiftly　in　a　gentlemana
cripplewheeling　himself　along　in　a　chair。　He　wheeled　his　chair
straight　up　to　a　little　table　which　stood　by　the　prisoner's
bedside；　and　said　something　to　him　in　a　whisper　too　low　to　be
overheard。　The　prisoner　opened　his　eyes；　and　quickly　answered　by
a　sign。　We　informed　the　crippled　gentleman；　quite　respectfully；
that　we　could　not　allow　him　to　be　in　the　room　at　this　time。　He
appeared　to　think　nothing　of　what　we　said。　He　only　answered；　'My
name　is　Dexter。　I　am　one　of　Mr。　Macallan's　old　friends。　It　is　you
who　are　intruding　herenot　I。'　We　again　notified　to　him　that　he
must　leave　the　room；　and　we　pointed　out　particularly　that　he　had
got　his　chair　in　such　a　position　against　the　bedside　table　as　to
prevent　us　from　examining　it。　He　only　laughed。　'Can't　you　see　for
yourselves；'　he　said；　'that　it　is　a　table；　and　nothing　more？'　In
reply　to　this　we　warned　him　that　we　were　acting　under　a　legal
warrant；　and　that　he　might　get　into　trouble　if　he　obstructed　us
in　the　execution　of　our　duty。　Finding　there　was　no　moving　him　by
fair　means；　I　took　his　chair　and　pulled　it　away；　while　Robert
Lorrie　laid　hold　of　the　table　and　carried　it　to　the　other　end　of
the　room。　The　crippled　gentleman　flew　into　a　furious　rage　with　me
for　presuming　to　touch　his　chair。　'My　chair　is　Me；'　he　said：　'how
dare　you　lay　hands　on　Me？'　I　first　opened　the　door；　and　then；　by
way　of　accommodating　him；　gave　the　chair　a　good　push　behind　with
my　stick　instead　of　my　hand；　and　so　sent　it　and　him　safely　and
swiftly　out　of　the　room。

〃Having　locked　the　door；　so　as　to　prevent　any　further　intrusion；
I　joined　Robert　Lorrie　in　examining　the　bedside　table。　It　had　one
drawer　in　it；　and　that　drawer　we　found　secured。

〃We　asked　the　prisoner　for　the　key。

〃He　flatly　refused　to　give　it　to　us；　and　said　we　had　no　right　to
unlock　his　drawers。　He　was　so　angry　that　he　even　declared　it　was
lucky　for　us　he　was　too　weak　to　rise　from　his　bed。　I　answered
civilly　that　our　duty　obliged　us　to　examine　the　drawer；　and　that
if　he　still　declined　to　produce　the　key；　he　would　only　oblige　us
to　take　the　table　away　and　have　the　lock　opened　by　a　smith。

〃While　we　were　still　disputing　there　was　a　knock　at　the　door　of
the　room。

〃I　opened　the　door　cautiously。　Instead　of　the　crippled　gentleman；
whom　I　had　expected　to　see　again；　there　was　another　stranger
standing　outside。　The　prisoner　hailed　him　as　a　friend　and
neighbor；　and　eagerly　called　upon　him　for　protection　from　us。　We
found　this　second　gentleman　pleasant　enough　to　deal　with。　He
informed　us　readily　that　he　had　been　sent　for　by　Mr。　Dexter；　and
that　he　was　himself　a　lawyer；　and　he　asked　to　see　our　warrant。
Having　looked　at　it；　he　at　once　informed　the　prisoner　（evidently
very　much　to　the　prisoner's　surprise）　that　he　must　submit　to　have
the　drawer　examined；　under　protest。　And　then；　without　more　ado；
he　got　the　key；　and　opened　the　table　drawer　for　us　himself。

〃We　found　inside　several　letters；　and　a　large　book　with　a　lock　to
it；　having　the　words　'My　Diary'　inscribed　on　it　in　gilt　letters。
As　a　matter　of　course；　we　took　possession　of　the　letters　and　the
Diary；　and　sealed　them　up；　to　be　given　to　the　Fiscal。　At　the　same
time　the　gentleman　wrote　out　a　protest　on　the　prisoner's　behalf；
and　handed　us　his　card。　The　card　informed　us　that　he　was　Mr。
Playmore；　now　one　of　the　Agents　for　the　prisoner。　The　card　and
the　protest　were　deposited；　with　the　other　documents；　in　the　care
of　the　Fiscal。　No　other　discoveries　of　any　importance　were　made
at　Gleninch。

〃Our　next　inquiries　took　us　to　Edinburghto　the　druggist　whose
label　we　had　found　on　the　crumpled　morsel　of　paper；　and　to　other
druggists　likewise　whom　we　were　instructed　to　question。　On　the
twenty…eighth　of　October　the　Fiscal　was　in　possession　of　all　the
information　that　we　could　collect；　and　our　duties　for　the　time
　being　came　to　an　end。〃

This　concluded　the　evidence　of　Schoolcraft　and　Lorrie。　It　was　not
shaken　on　cross…examination；　and　it　was　plainly　unfavorable　to
the　prisoner。

Matters　grew　worse　still　when　the　next　witnesses　were　called。　The
druggist　whose　label　had　been　found　on　the　crumpled　bit　of　paper
now　appeared　on　the　stand；　to　make　the　position　of　my　unhappy
husband　more　critical　than　ever。

Andrew　Kinlay；　druggist；　of　Edinburgh；　deposed　as　follows：

〃I　keep