the law and the lady-第73节

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followed　the　appearance　of　his　telegram。　His　first　words　cheered
me。　To　my　infinite　surprise　and　relief；　he　was　far　from　sharing
the　despondent　view　which　I　took　of　my　position。

〃I　don't　deny；〃　he　said；　〃that　there　are　some　serious　obstacles
in　your　way。　But　I　should　never　have　called　here　before　attending
to　my　professional　business　in　London　if　Mr。　Benjamin's　notes　had
not　produced　a　very　strong　impression　on　my　mind。　For　the　first
time；　as　_I_　think；　you　really　have　a　prospect　of　success。　For
the　first　time；　I　feel　justified　in　offering　（under　certain
restrictions）　to　help　you。　That　miserable　wretch；　in　the　collapse
of　his　intelligence；　has　done　what　he　would　never　have　done　in
the　possession　of　his　sense　and　his　cunninghe　has　let　us　see
the　first　precious　glimmerings　of　the　light　of　truth。〃

〃Are　you　sure　it　_is_　the　truth？〃　I　asked。

〃In　two　important　particulars；〃　he　answered；　〃I　know　it　to　be　the
truth。　Your　idea　about　him　is　the　right　one。　His　memory　（as　you
suppose）　was　the　least　injured　of　his　faculties；　and　was　the　last
to　give　way　under　the　strain　of　trying　to　tell　that　story。　I
believe　his　memory　to　have　been　speaking　to　you　（unconsciously　to
himself）　in　all　that　he　said　from　the　moment　when　the　first
reference　to　'the　letter'　escaped　him　to　the　end。〃

〃But　what　does　the　reference　to　the　letter　mean？〃　I　asked。　〃For
my　part；　I　am　entirely　in　the　dark　about　it。〃

〃So　am　I；〃　he　answered；　frankly。　〃The　chief　one　among　the
obstacles　which　I　mentioned　just　now　is　the　obstacle　presented　by
that　same　'letter。'　The　late　Mrs。　Eustace　must　have　been
connected　with　it　in　some　way；　or　Dexter　would　never　have　spoken
of　it　as　'a　dagger　in　his　heart'；　Dexter　would　never　have　coupled
her　name　with　the　words　which　describe　the　tearing　up　of　the
letter　and　the　throwing　of　it　away。　I　can　arrive　with　some
certainty　at　this　result；　and　I　can　get　no　further。　I　have　no
more　idea　than　you　have　of　who　wrote　the　letter；　or　of　what　was
written　in　it。　If　we　are　ever　to　make　that　discoveryprobably
the　most　important　discovery　of　allwe　must　dispatch　our　first
inquiries　a　distance　of　three　thousand　miles。　In　plain　English；
my　dear　lady；　we　must　send　to　America。〃

This；　naturally　enough；　took　me　completely　by　surprise。　I　waited
eagerly　to　hear　why　we　were　to　send　to　America。

〃It　rests　with　you；〃　he　proceeded；　〃when　you　hear　what　I　have　to
tell　you；　to　say　whether　you　will　go　to　the　expense　of　sending　a
man　to　New　York；　or　not。　I　can　find　the　right　man　for　the
purpose；　and　I　estimate　the　expense　（including　a　telegram）〃

〃Never　mind　the　expense！〃　I　interposed；　losing　all　patience　with
the　eminently　Scotch　view　of　the　case　which　put　my　purse　in　the
first　place　of　importance。　〃I　don't　care　for　the　expense；　I　want
to　know　what　you　have　discovered。〃

He　smiled。　〃She　doesn't　care　for　the　expense；〃　he　said　to
himself；　pleasantly。　〃How　like　a　woman！〃

I　might　have　retorted；　〃He　thinks　of　the　expense　before　he　thinks
of　anything　else。　How　like　a　Scotchman！〃　As　it　was；　I　was　too
anxious　to　be　witty。　I　only　drummed　impatiently　with　my　fingers
on　the　table；　and　said；　〃Tell　me！　tell　me！〃

He　took　out　the　fair　copy　from　Benjamin's　note…book　which　I　had
sent　to　him；　and　showed　me　these　among　Dexter's　closing　words：
〃What　about　the　letter？　Burn　it　now。　No　fire　in　the　grate。　No
matches　in　the　box。　House　topsy…turvy。　Servants　all　gone。〃

〃Do　you　really　understand　what　those　words　mean？〃　I　asked。

〃I　look　back　into　my　own　experience；〃　he　answered；　〃and　I
understand　perfectly　what　the　words　mean。〃

〃And　can　you　make　me　understand　them　too？〃

〃Easily。　In　those　incomprehensible　sentences　Dexter's　memory　has
correctly　recalled　certain　facts。　I　have　only　to　tell　you　the
facts；　and　you　will　be　as　wise　as　I　am。　At　the　time　of　the　Trial；
your　husband　surprised　and　distressed　me　by　insisting　on　the
instant　dismissal　of　all　the　household　servants　at　Gleninch。　I
was　instructed　to　pay　them　a　quarter's　wages　in　advance；　to　give
them　the　excellent　written　characters　which　their　good　conduct
thoroughly　deserved；　and　to　see　the　house　clear　of　them　at　an
hour's　notice。　Eustace's　motive　for　this　summary　proceeding　was
much　the　same　motive　which　animated　his　conduct　toward　you。　'If　I
am　ever　to　return　to　Gleninch；'　he　said；　'I　cannot　face　my　honest
servants　after　the　infamy　of　having　stood　my　trial　for　murder。'
There　was　his　reason。　Nothing　that　I　could　say　to　him；　poor
fellow；　shook　his　resolution。　I　dismissed　the　servants
accordingly。　At　an　hour's　notice；　they　quitted　the　house；　leaving
their　work　for　the　day　all　undone。　The　only　persons　placed　in
charge　of　Gleninch　were　persons　who　lived　on　the　outskirts　of　the
parkthat　is　to　say；　the　lodge…keeper　and　his　wife　and　daughter。
On　the　last　day　of　the　Trial　I　instructed　the　daughter　to　do　her
best　to　make　the　rooms　tidy。　She　was　a　good　girl　enough；　but　she
had　no　experience　as　a　housemaid：　it　would　never　enter　her　head
to　lay　the　bedroom　fires　ready　for　lighting；　or　to　replenish　the
empty　match…boxes。　Those　chance　words　that　dropped　from　Dexter
would；　no　doubt；　exactly　describe　the　state　of　his　room　when　he
returned　to　Gleninch；　with　the　prisoner　and　his　mother；　from
Edinburgh。　That　he　tore　up　the　mysterious　letter　in　his　bedroom；
and　（finding　no　means　immediately　at　hand　for　burning　it）　that　he
threw　the　fragments　into　the　empty　grate；　or　into　the　waste…paper
basket；　seems　to　be　the　most　reasonable　conclusion　that　we　can
draw　from　what　we　know。　In　any　case；　he　would　not　have　much　time
to　think　about　it。　Everything　was　done　in　a　hurry　on　that　day。
Eustace　and　his　mother；　accompanied　by　Dexter；　left　for　England
the　same　evening　by　the　night　train。　I　myself　locked　up　the
house；　and　gave　the　keys　to　the　lodge…keeper。　It　was　understood
that　he　was　to　look　after　the　preservation　of　the　reception…rooms
on　the　ground…floor；　and　that　his　wife　and　daughter　were　to
perform　the　same　service　between　them　in　the　rooms　upstairs。　On
receiving　your　letter；　I　drove　at　once　to　Gleninch　to　question
the　old　woman　on　the　subject　of　the　bedrooms；　and　of　Dexter's
room　especially。　She　remembered　the　time　when　the　house　was　shut
up　by　associating　it　with　the　time　when　she　was　confined　to　her
bed　by　an　attack　of　sciatica。　She　had　not　crossed　the　lodge　door；
she　was　sure；　for　at　least　a　week　（if　not　longer　after　Gleninch
had　been　left　in　charge　of　her　husband　and　herself。　Whatever　was
done　in　the　way　of　keeping　the　bedrooms　aired　and　tidy　during　her
illness　was　done　by　her　daughter。　She；　and　she　only；　must　have
disposed　of　any　letter　which　might　have　been　lying　about　in
Dexter's　room。　Not　a　vestige　of　torn　paper；　as　I　can　myself
certify；　is　to　be　discovered　in　any　part　of　the　room　now。　Where
did　the　girl　find　the　fragments　of　the　letter？　and　what　did　she
do　with　them？　Those　are　the　questions　（if　you　approve　of　it）
which　we　must　send　three　thousand　miles　away　to　askfor　this
sufficient　reason；　that　the　lodge…keeper's　daughter　was　married
more　than　a　year　since；　and　that　she　is　settled　with　her　husband
in　business　at　New　York。　It　rests　with　you　to　decide　what　is　to
be　done。　Don't　let　me　mislead　you　with　false　hopes！　Don't　let　me
tempt　you　to　throw　away　your　money！　Even　if　this　woman　does
remember　what　she　did　with　the　torn　paper；　the　chances；　at　this
distance　of　time；　are　enormously　against　our　ever　recovering　a
single　morsel　of　it。　Be　in　no　haste　to　decide。　I　have　my　work　to
do　in　the　cityI　can　give　you　the　whole　day　to　think　it　over。〃

〃Send　the　man　to　New　York　by　the　next　steamer；〃　I　said。　〃There　is
my　decision；　Mr。　Playmore；　without　keeping　you　waiting　for　it！〃

He　shook　his　head；　in　grave　disapproval　of　my　impetuosity。　In　my
former　interview　with　him　we　had　never　once　touched　on　the
question　of　money。　I　was　now；　for　the　first　time；　to　make
acquaintance　with　Mr。　Playmore　on　the　purely　Scotch　side　of　his
character。

〃Why；　you　don't　even　know　what　it　will　cost　you！〃　he　exclaimed；
taking　out　his　pocket…book　with　the　air　of　a　man　who　was　equally
startled　and　scandalized。　〃Wait　till　I　tot　it　up；〃　he　said；　〃in
English　and　American　money。〃

〃I　can't　wait！　I　want　to　make　more　discoveries！〃

He　took　no　notice　of　my　interruption；　he　went　on　impenetrably
with　his　calculations。

〃The　man　will　go　second…class；　and　will　take　a　return…ticket。
Very　well。　His　ticket　includes　his　food；　and　（being；　thank　God；　a
teetotaler）　he　won't　waste　your　money　in　buying　liquor　on　board。
Arrived　at　New　York；　he　will　go　to　a　cheap　German　house；　where　he
will；　as　I　am　credibly　informed；　be　boarded　and　lodged　at　the
rate〃

By　this　time　（my　patience　being　completely　worn　out）　I　had　taken
my　check…book　from　the　table…drawer；　had　signed　my　name；　and　had
handed　the　blank　check　across　the　table　to　my　legal　adviser。

〃Fill　it　in　with　whatever　the　man　wants；〃　I　said。　〃And　for
Heaven's　sake　let　us　get　back　to　Dexter！〃

Mr。　Playmore　fell　back　in　his　chair；　and　lifted　his　hands　and
eyes　to　the　ceiling。　I　was　not　in　the　least　impressed　by　that
solemn　appeal　to　the　unseen　powers　of　arithmetic　and　money。　I
insisted　positively　on　being　fed　with　more　information。

〃Listen　to　this；〃　I　went　on；　reading　from　Benjamin's　notes。　〃What
did　Dexter　mean　whe