the law and the lady-第32节

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assume　during　the　earlier　part　of　the　Trial。

Two　other　ladies　（intimate　friends　of　Mrs。　Eustace　Macallan）　were
called　next。　They　differed　from　Lady　Brydehaven　in　their　opinions
on　the　propriety　of　the　marriage　but　on　all　the　material　points
they　supported　her　testimony；　and　confirmed　the　serious
impression　which　the　first　witness　had　produced　on　every　person
in　Court。

The　next　evidence　which　the　prosecution　proposed　to　put　in　was
the　silent　evidence　of　the　letters　and　the　Diary　found　at
Gleninch。

In　answer　to　a　question　from　the　Bench；　the　Lord　Advocate　stated
that　the　letters　were　written　by　friends　of　the　prisoner　and　his
deceased　wife；　and　that　passages　in　them　bore　directly　on　the
terms　on　which　the　two　associated　in　their　married　life。　The
Diary　was　still　more　valuable　as　evidence。　It　contained　the
prisoner's　daily　record　of　domestic　events；　and　of　the　thoughts
and　feelings　which　they　aroused　in　him　at　the　time。

A　most　painful　scene　followed　this　explanation。

Writing；　as　I　do；　long　after　the　events　took　place；　I　still
cannot　prevail　upon　myself　to　describe　in　detail　what　my　unhappy
husband　said　and　did　at　this　distressing　period　of　the　Trial。
Deeply　affected　while　Lady　Brydehaven　was　giving　her　evidence；　he
had　with　difficulty　restrained　himself　from　interrupting　her。　He
now　lost　all　control　over　his　feelings。　In　piercing　tones；　which
rang　through　the　Court；　he　protested　against　the　contemplated
violation　of　his　own　most　sacred　secrets　and　his　wife's　most
sacred　secrets。　〃Hang　me；　innocent　as　I　am！〃　he　cried；　〃but　spare
me　_that！_〃　The　effect　of　this　terrible　outbreak　on　the　audience
is　reported　to　have　been　indescribable。　Some　of　the　women　present
were　in　hysterics。　The　Judges　interfered　from　the　Bench；　but　with
no　good　result。　Quiet　was　at　length　restored　by　the　Dean　of
Faculty；　who　succeeded　in　soothing　the　prisoner；　and　who　then
addressed　the　Judges；　pleading　for　indulgence　to　his　unhappy
client　in　most　touching　and　eloquent　language。　The　speech；　a
masterpiece　of　impromptu　oratory；　concluded　with　a　temperate　yet
strongly　urged　protest　against　the　reading　of　the　papers
discovered　at　Gleninch。

The　three　Judges　retired　to　consider　the　legal　question　submitted
to　them。　The　sitting　was　suspended　for　more　than　half　an　hour。

As　usual　in　such　cases；　the　excitement　in　the　Court　communicated
itself　to　the　crowd　outside　in　the　street。　The　general　opinion
hereled；　as　it　was　supposed；　by　one　of　the　clerks　or　other
inferior　persons　connected　with　the　legal　proceedingswas
decidedly　adverse　to　the　prisoner's　chance　of　escaping　a　sentence
of　death。　〃If　the　letters　and　the　Diary　are　read；〃　said　the
brutal　spokesman　of　the　mob；　〃the　letters　and　the　Diary　will　hang
him。〃

On　the　return　of　the　Judges　into　Court；　it　was　announced　that
they　had　decided；　by　a　majority　of　two　to　one；　on　permitting　the
documents　in　dispute　to　be　produced　in　evidence。　Each　of　the
Judges；　in　turn；　gave　his　reasons　for　the　decision　at　which　he
had　arrived。　This　done；　the　Trial　proceeded。　The　reading　of　the
extracts　from　the　letters　and　the　extracts　from　the　Diary　began。

The　first　letters　produced　were　the　letters　found　in　the　Indian
cabinet　in　Mrs。　Eustace　Macallan's　room。　They　were　addressed　to
the　deceased　lady　by　intimate　（female）　friends　of　hers；　with　whom
she　was　accustomed　to　correspond。　Three　separate　extracts　from
letters　written　by　three　different　correspondents　were　selected
to　be　read　in　Court。

FIRST　CORRESPONDENT：　〃I　despair；　my　dearest　Sara；　of　being　able
to　tell　you　how　your　last　letter　has　distressed　me。　Pray　forgive
me　if　I　own　to　thinking　that　your　very　sensitive　nature
exaggerates　or　misinterprets；　quite　unconsciously；　of　course；　the
neglect　that　you　experience　at　the　hands　of　your　husband。　I
cannot　say　anything　about　_his_　peculiarities　of　character；
because　I　am　not　well　enough　acquainted　with　him　to　know　what
they　are。　But；　my　dear；　I　am　much　older　than　you；　and　I　have　had
a　much　longer　experience　than　yours　of　what　somebody　calls　'the
lights　and　shadows　of　married　life。'　Speaking　from　that
experience；　I　must　tell　you　what　I　have　observed。　Young　married
women；　like　you；　who　are　devotedly　attached　to　their　husbands；
are　apt　to　make　one　very　serious　mistake。　As　a　rule；　they　all
expect　too　much　from　their　husbands。　Men；　my　poor　Sara；　are　not
like　_us。_　Their　love；　even　when　it　is　quite　sincere；　is　not　like
our　love。　It　does　not　last　as　it　does　with　us。　It　is　not　the　one
hope　and　one　thought　of　their　lives；　as　it　is　with　us。　We　have　no
alternative；　even　when　we　most　truly　respect　and　love　them；　but
to　make　allowance　for　this　difference　between　the　man's　nature
and　the　woman's。　I　do　not　for　one　moment　excuse　your　husband's
coldness。　He　is　wrong；　for　example；　in　never　looking　at　you　when
he　speaks　to　you；　and　in　never　noticing　the　efforts　that　you　make
to　please　him。　He　is　worse　than　wronghe　is　really　cruel；　if　you
likein　never　returning　your　kiss　when　you　kiss　him。　But；　my
dear；　are　you　quite　sure　that　he　is　always　_designedly_　cold　and
cruel？　May　not　his　conduct　be　sometimes　the　result　of　troubles
and　anxieties　which　weigh　on　his　mind；　and　which　are　troubles　and
anxieties　that　you　cannot　share？　If　you　try　to　look　at　his
behavior　in　this　light；　you　will　understand　many　things　which
puzzle　and　pain　you　now。　Be　patient　with　him；　my　child。　Make　no
complaints；　and　never　approach　him　with　your　caresses　at　times
when　his　mind　is　preoccupied　or　his　temper　ruffled。　This　may　be
hard　advice　to　follow；　loving　him　as　ardently　as　you　do。　But；
rely　on　it；　the　secret　of　happiness　for　us　women　is　to　be　found
（alas！　only　too　often）　in　such　exercise　of　restraint　and
resignation　as　your　old　friend　now　recommends。　Think；　my　dear；
over　what　I　have　written；　and　let　me　hear　from　you　again。〃

SECOND　CORRESPONDENT：　〃How　can　you　be　so　foolish；　Sara；　as　to
waste　your　love　on　such　a　cold…blooded　brute　as　your　husband
seems　to　be？　To　be　sure；　I　am　not　married　yet；　or　perhaps　I
should　not　be　so　surprised　at　you。　But　I　shall　be　married　one　of
these　days；　and　if　my　husband　ever　treat　me　as　Mr。　Macallan　tre
ats　you；　I　shall　insist　on　a　separation。　I　declare；　I　think　I
would　rather　be　actually　beaten；　like　the　women　among　the　lower
orders；　than　be　treated　with　the　polite　neglect　and　contempt
which　you　describe。　I　burn　with　indignation　when　I　think　of　it。
It　must　be　quite　insufferable。　Don't　bear　it　any　longer；　my　poor
dear。　Leave　him；　and　come　and　stay　with　me。　My　brother　is　a
lawyer；　as　you　know。　I　read　to　him　portions　of　your　letter；　and
he　is　of　opinion　that　you　might　get　what　he　calls　a　judicial
separation。　Come　and　consult　him。〃

THIRD　CORRESPONDENT：　〃YOU　know；　my　dear　Mrs。　Macallan；　what　_my_
experience　of　men　has　been。　Your　letter　does　not　surprise　me　in
the　least。　Your　husband's　conduct　to　you　points　to　one
conclusion。　He　is　in　love　with　some　other　woman。　There　is
Somebody　in　the　dark；　who　gets　from　him　everything　that　he　denies
to　you。　I　have　been　through　it　alland　I　know！　Don't　give　way。
Make　it　the　business　of　your　life　to　find　out　who　the　creature
is。　Perhaps　there　may　be　more　than　one　of　them。　It　doesn't
matter。　One　or　many；　if　you　can　only　discover　them；　you　may　make
his　existence　as　miserable　to　him　as　he　makes　your　existence　to
you。　If　you　want　my　experience　to　help　you；　say　the　word；　and　it
is　freely　at　your　service。　I　can　come　and　stay　with　you　at
Gleninch　any　time　after　the　fourth　of　next　month。〃

With　those　abominable　lines　the　readings　from　the　letters　of　the
women　came　to　an　end。　The　first　and　longest　of　the　Extracts
produced　the　most　vivid　impression　in　Court。　Evidently　the　writer
was　in　this　case　a　worthy　and　sensible　person。　It　was　generally
felt；　however；　that　all　three　of　the　letters；　no　matter　how
widely　they　might　differ　in　tone；　justified　the　same　conclusion。
The　wife's　position　at　Gleninch　（if　the　wife's　account　of　it　were
to　be　trusted）　was　the　position　of　a　neglected　and　an　unhappy
woman。

The　correspondence　of　the　prisoner；　which　had　been　found；　with
his　Diary；　in　the　locked　bed…table　drawer；　was　produced　next。　The
letters　in　this　case　were　with　one　exception　all　written　by　men。
Though　the　tone　of　them　was　moderation　itself　as　compared　with
the　second　and　third　of　the　women's　letters；　the　conclusion　still
pointed　the　same　way。　The　life　of　the　husband　at　Gleninch
appeared　to　be　just　as　intolerable　as　the　life　of　the　wife。

For　example；　one　of　the　prisoner's　male　friends　wrote　inviting
him　to　make　a　yacht　voyage　around　the　world。　Another　suggested　an
absence　of　six　months　on　the　Continent。　A　third　recommended
field…sports　and　fishing。　The　one　object　aimed　at　by　all　the
writers　was　plainly　to　counsel　a　separation；　more　or　less
plausible　and　more　or　less　complete；　between　the　married　pair。

The　last　letter　read　was　addressed　to　the　prisoner　in　a　woman's
handwriting；　and　was　signed　by　a　woman's　Christian　name　only。

〃Ah；　my　poor　Eustace；　what　a　cruel　destiny　is　ours！〃　the　letter
began。　〃When　I　think　of　your　life；　sacrificed　to　that　wretched
woman；　my　heart　bleeds　for　you。　If　_we_　had　been　man　and　wifeif
it　had　been　_my_　unutterable　happiness　to　love　and　cherish　the
best；　the　dearest　of　menw