the law and the lady-第41节

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〃What　is　the　subject；　mother？〃

〃Your　notion　of　turning　yourself　into　a　Court　of　Appeal　for　a　new
Trial　of　Eustace；　and　forcing　the　world　to　pronounce　a　just
verdict　on　him。　Do　you　really　mean　to　try　it？〃

〃I　do！〃

Mrs。　Macallan　considered　for　a　moment　grimly　with　herself。

〃You　know　how　heartily　I　admire　your　courage；　and　your　devotion
to　my　unfortunate　son；〃　she　said。　〃You　know　by　this　time　that　_I_
don't　cant。　But　I　cannot　see　you　attempt　to　perform
impossibilities；　I　cannot　let　you　uselessly　risk　your　reputation
and　your　happiness　without　warning　you　before　it　is　too　late。　My
child；　the　thing　you　have　got　it　in　your　head　to　do　is　not　to　be
done　by　you　or　by　anybody。　Give　it　up。〃

〃I　am　deeply　obliged　to　you；　Mrs。　Macallan〃

〃'Mother！'〃

〃I　am　deeply　obliged　to　you；　mother；　for　the　interest　that　you
take　in　me；　but　I　cannot　give　it　up。　Right　or　wrong；　risk　or　no
risk；　I　must　and　I　will　try　it！〃

Mrs。　Macallan　looked　at　me　very　attentively；　and　sighed　to
herself。

〃Oh；　youth；　youth！〃　she　said　to　herself；　sadly。　〃What　a　grand
thing　it　is　to　be　young！〃　She　controlled　the　rising　regret；　and
turned　on　me　suddenly；　almost　fiercely；　with　these　words：　〃What；
in　God's　name；　do　you　mean　to　do？〃

At　the　instant　when　she　put　the　question；　the　idea　crossed　my
mind　that　Mrs。　Macallan　could　introduce　me；　if　she　pleased；　to
Miserrimus　Dexter。　She　must　know　him；　and　know　him　well；　as　a
guest　at　Gleninch　and　an　old　friend　of　her　son。

〃I　mean　to　consult　Miserrimus　Dexter；〃　I　answered；　boldly。

Mrs。　Macallan　started　back　from　me　with　a　loud　exclamation　of
surprise。

〃Are　you　out　of　your　senses？〃　she　asked。

I　told　her；　as　I　had　told　Major　Fitz…David；　that　I　had　reason　to
think　Mr。　Dexter's　advice　might　be　of　real　assistance　to　me　at
starting。

〃And　I；〃　rejoined　Mrs。　Macallan；　〃have　reason　to　think　that　your
whole　project　is　a　mad　one；　and　that　in　asking　Dexter's　advice　on
it　you　appropriately　consult　a　madman。　You　needn't　start；　child！
There　is　no　harm　in　the　creature。　I　don't　mean　that　he　will
attack　you；　or　be　rude　to　you。　I　only　say　that　the　last　person
whom　a　young　woman；　placed　in　your　painful　and　delicate　position；
ought　to　associate　herself　with　is　Miserrimus　Dexter。〃

Strange！　Here　was　the　Major's　warning　repeated　by　Mrs。　Macallan；
almost　in　the　Major's　own　words。　Well！　It　shared　the　fate　of　most
warnings。　It　only　made　me　more　and　more　eager　to　have　my　own　way。

〃You　surprise　me　very　much；〃　I　said。　〃Mr。　Dexter's　evidence；
given　at　the　Trial；　seems　as　clear　and　reasonable　as　evidence　can
be。〃

〃Of　course　it　is！〃　answered　Mrs。　Macallan。　〃The　shorthand　writers
and　reporters　put　his　evidence　into　presentable　language　before
they　printed　it。　If　you　had　heard　what　he　really　said；　as　I　did；
you　would　have　been　either　very　much　disgusted　with　him　or　very
much　amused　by　him；　according　to　your　way　of　looking　at　things。
He　began；　fairly　enough；　with　a　modest　explanation　of　his　absurd
Christian　name；　which　at　once　checked　the　merriment　of　the
audience。　But　as　he　went　on　the　mad　side　of　him　showed　itself。　He
mixed　up　sense　and　nonsense　in　the　strangest　confusion；　he　was
called　to　order　over　and　over　again；　he　was　even　threatened　with
fine　and　imprisonment　for　contempt　of　Court。　In　short；　he　was
just　like　himselfa　mixture　of　the　strangest　and　the　most
opposite　qualities；　at　one　time　perfectly　clear　and　reasonable；
as　you　said　just　now；　at　another　breaking　out　into　rhapsodies　of
the　most　outrageous　kind；　like　a　man　in　a　state　of　delirium。　A
more　entirely　unfit　person　to　advise　anybody；　I　tell　you　again；
never　lived。　You　don't　expect　Me　to　introduce　you　to　him；　I
hope？〃

〃I　did　think　of　such　a　thing；〃　I　answered。　〃But　after　what　you
have　said；　dear　Mrs。　Macallan；　I　give　up　the　idea；　of　course。　It
is　not　a　great　sacrificeit　only　obliges　me　to　wait　a　week　for
Major　Fitz…David's　dinner…party。　He　has　promised　to　ask
Miserrimus　Dexter　to　meet　me。〃

〃There　is　the　Major　all　over！〃　cried　the　old　lady。　〃If　you　pin
your　faith　on　that　man；　I　pity　you。　He　is　as　slippery　as　an　eel。
I　suppose　you　asked　him　to　introduce　you　to　Dexter？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Exactly！　Dexter　despises　him；　my　dear。　He　knows　as　well　as　I　do
that　Dexter　won't　go　to　his　dinner。　And　he　takes　that　roundabout
way　of　keeping　you　apart；　instead　of　saying　No　to　you　plainly；
like　an　honest　man。

This　was　bad　news。　But　I　was；　as　usual；　too　obstinate　to　own
myself　defeated。

〃If　the　worst　comes　to　the　worst；〃　I　said；　〃I　can　but　write　to
Mr。　Dexter；　and　beg　him　to　grant　me　an　interview。〃

〃And　go　to　him　by　yourself；　if　he　does　grant　it？〃　inquired　Mrs。
Macallan。

〃Certainly。　By　myself。〃

〃You　really　mean　it？〃

〃I　do；　indeed。〃

〃I　won't　allow　you　to　go　by　yourself。〃

〃May　I　venture　to　ask；　ma'am　how　you　propose　to　prevent　me？〃

〃By　going　with　you；　to　be　sure；　you　obstinate　hussy！　Yes；　yesI
can　be　as　headstrong　as　you　are　when　I　like。　Mind！　I　don't　want
to　know　what　your　plans　are。　I　don't　want　to　be　mixed　up　with
your　plans。　My　son　is　resigned　to　the　Scotch　Verdict。　I　am
resigned　to　the　Scotch　Verdict。　It　is　you　who　won't　let　matters
rest　as　they　are。　You　are　a　vain　and　foolhardy　young　person。　But；
somehow；　I　have　taken　a　liking　to　you；　and　I　won't　let　you　go　to
Miserrimus　Dexter　by　yourself。　Put　on　your　bonnet！〃

〃Now？〃　I　asked。

〃Certainly！　My　carriage　is　at　the　door。　And　the　sooner　it's　over
the　better　I　shall　be　pleased。　Get　readyand　be　quick　about　it！〃

I　required　no　second　bidding。　In　ten　minutes　more　we　were　on　our
way　to　Miserrimus　Dexter。

Such　was　the　result　of　my　mother…in…law's　visit！



CHAPTER　XXIV。

MISERRIMUS　DEXTERFIRST　VIEW。

　WE　had　dawdled　over　our　luncheon　before　Mrs。　Macallan　arrived　at
Benjamin's　cottage。　The　ensuing　conversation　between　the　old　lady
and　myself　（of　which　I　have　only　presented　a　brief　abstract）
lasted　until　quite　late　in　the　afternoon。　The　sun　was　setting　in
heavy　clouds　when　we　got　into　the　carriage；　and　the　autumn
twilight　began　to　fall　around　us　while　we　were　still　on　the　road。

The　direction　in　which　we　drove　took　us　（as　well　as　I　could
judge）　toward　the　great　northern　suburb　of　London。

For　more　than　an　hour　the　carriage　threaded　its　way　through　a
dingy　brick　labyrinth　of　streets；　growing　smaller　and　smaller　and
dirtier　and　dirtier　the　further　we　went。　Emerging　from　the
labyrinth；　I　noticed　in　the　gathering　darkness　dreary　patches　of
waste　ground　which　seemed　to　be　neither　town　nor　country。
Crossing　these；　we　passed　some　forlorn　outlying　groups　of　houses
with　dim　little　scattered　shops　among　them；　looking　like　lost
country　villages　wandering　on　the　way　to　London；　disfigured　and
smoke…dried　already　by　their　journey。　Darker　and　darker　and
drearier　and　drearier　the　prospect　drew；　until　the　carriage
stopped　at　last；　and　Mrs。　Macallan　announced；　in　her　sharply
satirical　way；　that　we　had　reached　the　end　of　our　journey。
〃Prince　Dexter's　Palace；　my　dear；〃　she　said。　〃What　do　you　think
of　it？〃

I　looked　around　me；　not　knowing　what　to　think　of　it；　if　the　truth
must　be　told。

We　had　got　out　of　the　carriage；　and　we　were　standing　on　a　rough
half…made　gravel…path。　Right　and　left　of　me；　in　the　dim　light；　I
saw　the　half…completed　foundations　of　new　houses　in　their　first
stage　of　existence。　Boards　and　bricks　were　scattered　about　us。　At
places　gaunt　scaffolding　poles　rose　like　the　branchless　trees　of
the　brick　desert。　Behind　us；　on　the　other　side　of　the　high…road；
stretched　another　plot　of　waste　ground；　as　yet　not　built　on。　Over
the　surface　of　this　second　desert　the　ghostly　white　figures　of
vagrant　ducks　gleamed　at　intervals　in　the　mystic　light。　In　front
of　us；　at　a　distance　of　two　hundred　yards　or　so　as　well　as　I
could　calculate；　rose　a　black　mass；　which　gradually　resolved
itself；　as　my　eyes　became　accustomed　to　the　twilight；　into　a
long；　low；　and　ancient　house；　with　a　hedge　of　evergreens　and　a
pitch…black　paling　in　front　of　it。　The　footman　led　the　way　toward
the　paling　through　the　boards　and　the　bricks；　the　oyster　shells
and　the　broken　crockery；　that　strewed　the　ground。　And　this　was
〃Prince　Dexter's　Palace！〃

There　was　a　gate　in　the　pitch…black　paling；　and　a
bell…handlediscovered　with　great　difficulty。　Pulling　at　the
handle；　the　footman　set　in　motion；　to　judge　by　the　sound
produced；　a　bell　of　prodigious　size；　fitter　for　a　church　than　a
house。

While　we　were　waiting　for　admission；　Mrs。　Macallan　pointed　to　the
low；　dark　line　of　the　old　building。

〃There　is　one　of　his　madnesses；〃　she　said。　〃The　speculators　in
this　new　neighborhood　have　offered　him　I　don't　know　how　many
thousand　pounds　for　the　ground　that　house　stands　on。　It　was
originally　the　manor…house　of　the　district。　Dexter　purchased　it
many　years　since　in　one　of　his　freaks　of　fancy。　He　has　no　old
family　associations　with　the　place；　the　walls　are　all　but
tumbling　about　his　ears；　and　the　money　offered　would　really　be　of
use　to　him。　But　no！　He　refused　the　proposal　of　the　enterprising
speculators　by　letter　in　these　words：　'My　house　is　a　standing
monument　of　the　picturesque　and　beautiful；　amid　the　mean；
dishonest；　and　groveling　constructions　of　a　mean；　dishonest；　and
groveling　age。　I　keep　my　house；　gentlemen；　as　a　useful　lesson　to
you。　Lo