the law and the lady-第36节

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doctors'　message；　I　doubt　if　he　would　have　ventured　to　charge　the
prisoner　with　the　murder　of　his　wife。　To　my　mind　the　charge　was
nothing　less　than　an　outrage。　I　resisted　the　seizure　of　the
prisoner's　Diary　and　letters；　animated　by　that　feeling。　Now　that
the　Diary　has　been　produced；　I　agree　with　the　prisoner's　mother
in　denying　that　it　is　fair　evidence　to　bring　against　him。　A　Diary
（when　it　extends　beyond　a　bare　record　of　facts　and　dates）　is
nothing　but　an　expression　of　the　poorest　and　weakest　side　in　the
character　of　the　person　who　keeps　it。　It　is；　in　nine　cases　out　of
ten；　the　more　or　less　contemptible　outpouring　of　vanity　and
conceit　which　the　writer　dare　not　exhibit　to　any　mortal　but
himself。　I　am　the　prisoner's　oldest　friend。　I　solemnly　declare
that　I　never　knew　he　could　write　downright　nonsense　until　I　heard
his　Diary　read　in　this　Court！

〃_He_　kill　his　wife！　_He_　treat　his　wife　with　neglect　and
cruelty！　I　venture　to　say；　from　twenty　years'　experience　of　him；
that　there　is　no　man　in　this　assembly　who　is　constitutionally
more　incapable　of　crime　and　more　incapable　of　cruelty　than　the
man　who　stands　at　the　Bar。　While　I　am　about　it；　I　go　further
still。　I　even　doubt　whether　a　man　capable　of　crime　and　capable　of
cruelty　could　have　found　it　in　his　heart　to　do　evil　to　the　woman
whose　untimely　death　is　the　subject　of　this　inquiry。

〃I　have　heard　what　the　ignorant　and　prejudiced　nurse；　Christina
Ormsay；　has　said　of　the　deceased　lady。　From　my　own　personal
observation；　I　contradict　every　word　of　it。　Mrs。　Eustace
Macallangranting　her　personal　defectswas　nevertheless　one　of
the　most　charming　women　I　ever　met　with。　She　was　highly　bred；　in
the　best　sense　of　the　word。　I　never　saw　in　any　other　person　so
sweet　a　smile　as　hers；　or　such　grace　and　beauty　of　movement　as
hers。　If　you　liked　music；　she　sang　beautifully；　and　few　professed
musicians　had　such　a　touch　on　the　piano　as　hers。　If　you　preferred
talking；　I　never　yet　met　with　the　man　（or　even　the　woman；　which
is　saying　a　great　deal　more）　whom　her　conversation　could　not
charm。　To　say　that　such　a　wife　as　this　could　be　first　cruelly
neglected；　and　then　barbarously　murdered；　by　the　manno！　by　the
martyrwho　stands　there；　is　to　tell　me　that　the　sun　never　shines
at　noonday；　or　that　the　heaven　is　not　above　the　earth。

〃Oh　yes！　I　know　that　the　letters　of　her　friends　show　that　she
wrote　to　them　in　bitter　complaint　of　her　husband's　conduct　to
her。　But　remember　what　one　of　those　friends　（the　wisest　and　the
best　of　them）　says　in　reply。　'I　own　to　thinking；'　she　writes；
'that　your　sensitive　nature　exaggerates
　or　misinterprets　the　neglect　that　you　experience　at　the　hands　of
your　husband。'　There；　in　that　one　sentence；　is　the　whole　truth！
Mrs。　Eustace　Macallan's　nature　was　the　imaginative；
self…tormenting　nature　of　a　poet。　No　mortal　love　could　ever　have
been　refined　enough　for　_her。_　Trifles　which　women　of　a　coarser
moral　fiber　would　have　passed　over　without　notice；　were　causes　of
downright　agony　to　that　exquisitely　sensitive　temperament。　There
are　persons　born　to　be　unhappy。　That　poor　lady　was　one　of　them。
When　I　have　said　this；　I　have　said　all。

〃No！　There　is　one　word　more　still　to　be　added。

〃It　may　be　as　well　to　remind　the　prosecution　that　Mrs。　Eustace
Macallan's　death　was　in　the　pecuniary　sense　a　serious　loss　to　her
husband。　He　had　insisted　on　having　the　whole　of　her　fortune
settled　on　herself；　and　on　her　relatives　after　her；　when　he
married。　Her　income　from　that　fortune　helped　to　keep　in　splendor
the　house　and　grounds　at　Gleninch。　The　prisoner's　own　resources
（aided　even　by　his　mother's　jointure）　were　quite　inadequate　fitly
to　defray　the　expenses　of　living　at　his　splendid　country…seat。
Knowing　all　the　circumstances；　I　can　positively　assert　that　the
wife's　death　has　deprived　the　husband　of　two…thirds　of　his
income。　And　the　prosecution；　viewing　him　as　the　basest　and
cruelest　of　men；　declares　that　he　deliberately　killed　herwith
all　his　pecuniary　interests　pointing　to　the　preservation　of　her
life！

〃It　is　useless　to　ask　me　whether　I　noticed　anything　in　the
conduct　of　the　prisoner　and　Mrs。　Beauly　which　might　justify　a
wife's　jealousy。　I　never　observed　Mrs。　Beauly　with　any　attention；
and　I　never　encouraged　the　prisoner　in　talking　to　me　about　her。
He　was　a　general　admirer　of　pretty　womenso　far　as　I　know；　in　a
perfectly　innocent　way。　That　he　could　prefer　Mrs。　Beauly　to　his
wife　is　inconceivable　to　me；　unless　he　were　out　of　his　senses。　I
never　had　any　reason　to　believe　that　he　was　out　of　his　senses。

〃As　to　the　question　of　the　arsenicI　mean　the　question　of
tracing　that　poison　to　the　possession　of　Mrs。　Eustace　MacallanI
am　able　to　give　evidence　which　may；　perhaps；　be　worthy　of　the
attention　of　the　Court。

〃I　was　present　in　the　Fiscal's　office　during　the　examination　of
the　papers；　and　of　the　other　objects　discovered　at　Gleninch。　The
dressing…case　belonging　to　the　deceased　lady　was　shown　to　me
after　its　contents　had　been　officially　investigated　by　the　Fiscal
himself。　I　happen　to　have　a　very　sensitive　sense　of　touch。　In
handling　the　lid　of　the　dressing…case；　on　the　inner　side　I　felt
something　at　a　certain　place　which　induced　me　to　examine　the
whole　structure　of　the　lid　very　carefully。　The　result　was　the
discovery　of　a　private　repository　concealed　in　the　space　between
the　outer　wood　and　the　lining。　In　that　repository　I　found　the
bottle　which　I　now　produce。〃

The　further　examination　of　the　witness　was　suspended　while　the
hidden　bottle　was　compared　with　the　bottles　properly　belonging　to
the　dressing…case。

These　last　were　of　the　finest　cut　glass；　and　of　a　very　elegant
formentirely　unlike　the　bottle　found　in　the　private　repository；
which　was　of　the　commonest　manufacture；　and　of　the　shape
ordinarily　in　use　among　chemists。　Not　a　drop　of　liquid；　not　the
smallest　atom　of　any　solid　substance；　remained　in　it。　No　smell
exhaled　from　itand；　more　unfortunately　still　for　the　interests
of　the　defense；　no　label　was　found　attached　to　the　bottle　when　it
had　been　discovered。

The　chemist　who　had　sold　the　second　supply　of　arsenic　to　the
prisoner　was　recalled　and　examined。　He　declared　that　the　bottle
was　exactly　like　the　bottle　in　which　he　had　placed　the　arsenic。
It　was；　however；　equally　like　hundreds　of　other　bottles　in　his
shop。　In　the　absence　of　the　label　（on　which　he　had　himself
written　the　word　〃Poison〃）；　it　was　impossible　for　him　to　identify
the　bottle。　The　dressing…case　and　the　deceased　lady's　bedroom　had
been　vainly　searched　for　the　chemist's　missing　labelon　the
chance　that　it　might　have　become　accidentally　detached　from　the
mysterious　empty　bottle。　In　both　instances　the　search　had　been
without　result。　Morally；　it　was　a　fair　conclusion　that　this　might
be　really　the　bottle　which　had　contained　the　poison。　Legally；
there　was　not　the　slightest　proof　of　it。

Thus　ended　the　last　effort　of　the　defense　to　trace　the　arsenic
purchased　by　the　prisoner　to　the　possession　of　his　wife。　The　book
relating　the　practices　of　the　Styrian　peasantry　（found　in　the
deceased　lady's　room）　had　been　produced　But　could　the　book　prove
that　she　had　asked　her　husband　to　buy　arsenic　for　her？　The
crumpled　paper；　with　the　grains　of　powder　left　in　it；　had　been
identified　by　the　chemist；　and　had　been　declared　to　contain
grains　of　arsenic。　But　where　was　the　proof　that　Mrs。　Eustace
Macallan's　hand　had　placed　the　packet　in　the　cabinet；　and　had
emptied　it　of　its　contents？　No　direct　evidence　anywhere！　Nothing
but　conjecture！

The　renewed　examination　of　Miserrimus　Dexter　touched　on　matters
of　no　general　interest。　The　cross…examination　resolved　itself；　in
substance；　into　a　mental　trial　of　strength　between　the　witness
and　the　Lord　Advocate；　the　struggle　terminating　（according　to　the
general　opinion）　in　favor　of　the　witness。　One　question　and　one
answer　only　I　will　repeat　here。　They　appeared　to　me　to　be　of
serious　importance　to　the　object　that　I　had　in　view　in　reading
the　Trial。

〃I　believe；　Mr。　Dexter；〃　the　Lord　Advocate　remarked；　in　his　most
ironical　manner；　〃that　you　have　a　theory　of　your　own；　which　makes
the　death　of　Mrs。　Eustace　Macallan　no　mystery　to　_you？_〃

〃I　may　have　my　own　ideas　on　that　subject；　as　on　other　subjects；〃
the　witness　replied。　〃But　let　me　ask　their　lordships；　the　Judges：
Am　I　here　to　declare　theories　or　to　state　facts？〃

I　made　a　note　of　that　answer。　Mr。　Dexter's　〃ideas〃　were　the　ideas
of　a　true　friend　to　my　husband；　and　of　a　man　of　far　more　than
average　ability。　They　might　be　of　inestimable　value　to　me　in　the
coming　timeif　I　could　prevail　on　him　to　communicate　them。

I　may　mention；　while　I　am　writing　on　the　subject；　that　I　added　to
this　first　note　a　second；　containing　an　observation　of　my　own。　In
alluding　to　Mrs。　Beauly；　while　he　was　giving　his　evidence；　Mr。
Dexter　had　spoken　of　her　so　slightinglyso　rudely；　I　might
almost　sayas　to　suggest　he　had　some　strong　private　reasons　for
disliking　（perhaps　for　distrusting）　this　lady。　Here；　again；　it
might　be　of　vital　importance　to　me　to　see　Mr。　Dexter；　and　to
clear　up；　if　I　could；　what　the　dignity　of　the　Court　had　passed
over　without　notice。

　The　last　witness　had　been　now　examined。　The　chair　on　wheels
glided　away　with　the　half…man　in　it；　and　was　lost　in　a　d