the law and the lady-第74节

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〃Listen　to　this；〃　I　went　on；　reading　from　Benjamin's　notes。　〃What
did　Dexter　mean　when　he　said；　'Number　Nine；　Caldershaws。　Ask　for
Dandie。　You　shan't　have　the　Diary。　A　secret　in　your　ear。　The
Diary　will　hang　him？'　How　came　Dexter　to　know　what　was　in　my
husband's　Diary？　And　what　does　he　mean　by　'Number　Nine；
Caldershaws；'　and　the　rest　of　it？　Facts　again？〃

〃Facts　again！〃　Mr。　Playmore　answered；　〃muddled　up　together；　as
you　may　saybut　positive　facts　for　all　that。　Caldershaws；　you
must　know；　is　one　of　the　most　disreputable　districts　in
Edinburgh。　One　of　my　clerks　（whom　I　am　in　the　habit　of　employing
confidentially）　volunteered　to　inquire　for　'Dandie'　at　'Number
Nine。'　It　was　a　ticklish　business　in　every　way；　and　my　man　wisely
took　a　person　with　him　who　was　known　in　the　neighborhood。　'Number
Nine'　turned　out　to　be　（ostensibly）　a　shop　for　the　sale　of　rags
and　old　iron；　and　'Dandie'　was　suspected　of　trading　now　and　then；
additionally；　as　a　receiver　of　stolen　goods。　Thanks　to　the
influence　of　his　companion；　backed　by　a　bank…note　（which　can　be
repaid；　by　the　way；　out　of　the　fund　for　the　American　expenses）；
my　clerk　succeeded　is　making　the　fellow　speak。　Not　to　trouble　you
with　needless　details；　the　result　in　substance　was　this：　A
fortnight　or　more　before　the　date　of　Mrs。　Eustace's　death；
'Dandie'　made　two　keys　from　wax　models　supplied　to　him　by　a　new
customer。　The　mystery　observed　in　the　matter　by　the　agent　who
managed　it　excited　Dandie's　distrust。　He　had　the　man　privately
watched　before　he　delivered　the　keys；　and　he　ended　in　discovering
that　his　customer　wasMiserrimus　Dexter。　Wait　a　little！　I　have
not　done　yet。　Add　to　this　information　Dexter's　incomprehensible
knowledge　of　the　contents　of　your　husband's　diary；　and　the
product　isthat　the　wax　models　sent　to　the　old…iron　shop　in
Caldershaws　were　models　taken　by　theft　from　the　key　of　the　Diary
and　the　key　of　the　table…drawer　in　which　it　was　kept。　I　have　my
own　idea　of　the　revelations　that　are　still　to　come　if　this　matter
is　properly　followed　up。　Never　mind　going　into　that　at　present。
Dexter　（I　tell　you　again）　is　answerable　for　the　late　Mrs。
Eustace's　death。　_How_　he　is　answerable　I　believe　you　are　in　a
fair　way　of　finding　out。　And；　more　than　that；　I　say　now；　what　I
could　not　venture　to　say　beforeit　is　a　duty　toward　Justice；　as
well　as　a　duty　toward　your　husband；　to　bring　the　truth　to　light。
As　for　the　difficulties　to　be　encountered；　I　don't　think　they
need　daunt　you。　The　greatest　difficulties　give　way　in　the　end；
when　they　are　attacked　by　the　united　alliance　of　patience
resolution_and_　economy。〃

With　a　strong　emphasis　on　the　last　words；　my　worthy　adviser；
mindful　of　the　flight　of　time　and　the　claims　of　business；　rose　to
take　his　leave。

〃One　word　more；〃　I　said；　as　he　held　out　his　hand。　〃Can　you　manage
to　s　ee　Miserrimus　Dexter　before　you　go　back　to　Edinburgh？　From
what　the　gardener　told　me；　his　brother　must　be　with　him　by　this
time。　It　would　be　a　relief　to　me　to　hear　the　latest　news　of　him；
and　to　hear　it　from　you。〃

〃It　is　part　of　my　business　in　London　to　see　him；〃　said　Mr。
Playmore。　〃But　mind！　I　have　no　hope　of　his　recovery；　I　only　wish
to　satisfy　myself　that　his　brother　is　able　and　willing　to　take
care　of　him。　So　far　as　_we_　are　concerned；　Mrs。　Eustace；　that
unhappy　man　has　said　his　last　words。〃

He　opened　the　doorstoppedconsideredand　come　back　to　me。

〃With　regard　to　that　matter　of　sending　the　agent　to　America；〃　he
resumed〃I　propose　to　have　the　honor　of　submitting　to　you　a
brief　abstract〃

〃Oh；　Mr。　Playmore！〃

〃A　brief　abstract　in　writing；　Mrs。　Eustace；　of　the　estimated
expenses　of　the　whole　proceeding。　You　will　be　good　enough
maturely　to　consider　the　same；　making　any　remarks　on　it；　tending
to　economy；　which　may　suggest　themselves　to　your　mind　at　the
time。　And　you　will　further　oblige　me；　if　you　approve　of　the
abstract；　by　yourself　filling　in　the　blank　space　on　your　check
with　the　needful　amount　in　words　and　figures。　No；　madam！　I　really
cannot　justify　it　to　my　conscience　to　carry　about　my　person　any
such　loose　and　reckless　document　as　a　blank　check。　There's　a
total　disregard　of　the　first　claims　of　prudence　and　economy
implied　in　this　small　slip　of　paper　which　is　nothing　less　than　a
flat　contradiction　of　the　principles　that　have　governed　my　whole
life。　I　can't　submit　to　flat　contradiction。　Good…morning；　Mrs。
Eustacegood…morning。〃

He　laid　my　check　on　the　table　with　a　low　bow；　and　left　me。　Among
the　curious　developments　of　human　stupidity　which　occasionally
present　themselves　to　view；　surely　the　least　excusable　is　the
stupidity　which；　to　this　day；　persists　in　wondering　why　the
Scotch　succeed　so　well　in　life！



CHAPTER　XLII。

MORE　SURPRISES。

　The　same　evening　I　received　my　〃abstract〃　by　the　hands　of　a
clerk。

It　was　an　intensely　characteristic　document。　My　expenses　were
remorselessly　calculated　downward　to　shillings　and　even　to　pence；
and　our　unfortunate　messenger's　instructions　in　respect　to　his
expenditure　were　reduced　to　a　nicety　which　must　have　made　his
life　in　America　nothing　less　than　a　burden　to　him。　In　mercy　to
the　man；　I　took　the　liberty；　when　I　wrote　back　to　Mr。　Playmore；
of　slightly　increasing　the　indicated　amount　of　the　figures　which
were　to　appear　on　the　check。　I　ought　to　have　better　known　the
correspondent　whom　I　had　to　deal　with。　Mr。　Playmore's　reply
（informing　me　that　our　emissary　had　started　on　his　voyage）
returned　a　receipt　in　due　form；　and　the　whole　of　the　surplus
money；　to　the　last　farthing！

A　few　hurried　lines　accompanied　the　〃abstract；〃　and　stated　the
result　of　the　lawyer's　visit　to　Miserrimus　Dexter。

There　was　no　change　for　the　betterthere　was　no　change　at　all。
Mr。　Dexter；　the　brother；　had　arrived　at　the　house　accompanied　by
a　medical　man　accustomed　to　the　charge　of　the　insane。　The　new
doctor　declined　to　give　any　definite　opinion　on　the　case　until　he
had　studied　it　carefully　with　plenty　of　time　at　his　disposal。　It
had　been　accordingly　arranged　that　he　should　remove　Miserrimus
Dexter　to　the　asylum　of　which　he　was　the　proprietor　as　soon　as
the　preparations　for　receiving　the　patient　could　be　completed。
The　one　difficulty　that　still　remained　to　be　met　related　to　the
disposal　of　the　faithful　creature　who　had　never　left　her　master；
night　or　day；　since　the　catastrophe　had　happened。　Ariel　had　no
friends　and　no　money。　The　proprietor　of　the　asylum　could　not　be
expected　to　receive　her　without　the　customary　payment；　and　Mr。
Dexter's　brother　〃regretted　to　say　that　he　was　not　rich　enough　to
find　the　money。〃　A　forcible　separation　from　the　one　human　being
whom　she　loved；　and　a　removal　in　the　character　of　a　pauper　to　a
public　asylumsuch　was　the　prospect　which　awaited　the
unfortunate　creature　unless　some　one　interfered　in　her　favor
before　the　end　of　the　week。

Under　these　sad　circumstances；　good　Mr。　Playmorepassing　over
the　claims　of　economy　in　favor　of　the　claims　of
humanitysuggested　that　we　should　privately　start　a
subscription；　and　offered　to　head　the　list　liberally　himself。

I　must　have　written　all　these　pages　to　very　little　purpose　if　it
is　necessary　for　me　to　add　that　I　instantly　sent　a　letter　to　Mr。
Dexter；　the　brother；　undertaking　to　be　answerable　for　whatever
money　was　to　be　required　while　the　subscriptions　were　being
collected；　and　only　stipulating　that　when　Miserrimus　Dexter　was
removed　to　the　asylum；　Ariel　should　accompany　him。　This　was
readily　conceded。　But　serious　objections　were　raised　when　I
further　requested　that　she　might　be　permitted　to　attend　on　her
master　in　the　asylum　as　she　had　attended　on　him　in　the　house。　The
rules　of　the　establishment　forbade　it；　and　the　universal　practice
in　such　cases　forbade　it；　and　so　on；　and　so　on。　However；　by　dint
of　perseverance　and　persuasion；　I　so　far　carried　my　point　as　to
gain　a　reasonable　concession。　During　certain　hours　in　the　day；
and　under　certain　wise　restrictions；　Ariel　was　to　be　allowed　the
privilege　of　waiting　on　the　Master　in　his　room；　as　well　as　of
accompanying　him　when　he　was　brought　out　in　his　chair　to　take　the
air　in　the　garden。　For　the　honor　of　humanity；　let　me　add　that　the
liability　which　I　had　undertaken　made　no　very　serious　demands　on
my　resources。　Placed　in　Benjamin's　charge；　our　subscription…list
prospered。　Friends；　and　even　strangers　sometimes；　opened　their
hearts　and　their　purses　when　they　heard　Ariel's　melancholy　story。

　The　day　which　followed　the　day　of　Mr。　Playmore's　visit　brought
me　news　from　Spain；　in　a　letter　from　my　mother…in…law。　To
describe　what　I　felt　when　I　broke　the　seal　and　read　the　first
lines　is　simply　impossible。　Let　Mrs。　Macallan　be　heard　on　this
occasion　in　my　place。

Thus　she　wrote：

　〃Prepare　yourself；　my　dearest　Valeria；　for　a　delightful
surprise。　Eustace　has　justified　my　confidence　in　him。　When　he
returns　to　England；　he　returnsif　you　will　let　himto　his　wife。

〃This　resolution；　let　me　hasten　to　assure　you；　has　not　been
brought　about　by　any　persuasions　of　mine。　It　is　the　natural
outgrowth　of　your　husband's　gratitude　and　your　husband's　love。
The　first　words　he　said　to　me；　when　he　was　able　to　speak；　were
these：　'If　I　live　to　return　to　England；　and　if　I　go　to　Valeria；
do　you　think　she　will　forgive　me？'　We　can　only　leave　it