the law and the lady-第78节

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My　object　was　to　gain　time　enough；　in　this　way；　to　read　the
letter　carefully　through　by　myself；　and　to　ascertain　whether　I
ought　or　ought　not　to　keep　the　receipt　of　it　a　secret　before　I
confronted　my　husband　and　his　mother　at　home。

This　precaution　taken；　I　read　the　narrative　which　my　good
Benjamin　had　so　wisely　and　so　thoughtfully　written　for　me。
Treating　the　various　incidents　methodically；　he　began　with　the
Report　which　had　arrived；　in　due　course　of　mail；　from　our　agent
in　America。

Our　man　had　successfully　traced　the　lodgekeeper's　daughter　and
her　husband　to　a　small　town　in　one　of　the　Western　States。　Mr。
Playmore's　letter　of　introduction　at　once　secured　him　a　cordial
reception　from　the　married　pair；　and　a　patient　hearing　when　he
stated　the　object　of　his　voyage　across　the　Atlantic。

His　first　questions　led　to　no　very　encouraging　results。　The　woman
was　confused　and　surprised；　and　was　apparently　quite　unable　to
exert　her　memory　to　any　useful　purpose。　Fortunately；　her　husband
proved　to　be　a　very　intelligent　man。　He　took　the　agent　privately
aside；　and　said　to　him；　〃I　understand　my　wife；　and　you　don't。
Tell　me　exactly　what　it　is　you　want　to　know；　and　leave　it　to　me
to　discover　how　much　she　remembers　and　how　much　she　forgets。〃

This　sensible　suggestion　was　readily　accepted。　The　agent　waited
for　events　a　day　and　a　night。

Early　the　next　morning　the　husband　said　to　him；　〃Talk　to　my　wife
now；　and　you'll　find　she　has　something　to　tell　you。　Only　mind
this。　Don't　laugh　at　her　when　she　speaks　of　trifles。　She　is　half
ashamed　to　speak　of　trifles；　even　to　me。　Thinks　men　are　above
such　matters；　you　know。　Listen　quietly；　and　let　her　talkand　you
will　get　at　it　all　in　that　way。〃

The　agent　followed　his　instructions；　and　〃got　at　it〃　as　follows：

The　woman　remembered；　perfectly　well；　being　sent　to　clean　the
bedrooms　and　put　them　tidy；　after　the　gentlefolks　had　all　left
Gleninch。　Her　mother　had　a　bad　hip　at　the　time；　and　could　not　go
with　her　and　help　her。　She　did　not　much　fancy　being　alone　in　the
great　house；　after　what　had　happened　in　it。　On　her　way　to　her
work　she　passed　two　of　the　cottagers'　children　in　the
neighborhood　at　play　in　the　park。　Mr。　Macallan　was　always　kind　to
his　poor　tenants；　and　never　objected　to　the　young　ones　round
about　having　a　run　on　the　grass。　The　two　children　idly　followed
her　to　the　house。　She　took　them　inside；　along　with　hernot
liking　the　place；　as　already　mentioned；　and　feeling　that　they
would　be　company　in　the　solitary　rooms。

She　began　her　work　in　the　Guests'　Corridorleaving　the　room　in
the　other　corridor；　in　which　the　death　had　happened；　to　the　last。

There　was　very　little　to　do　in　the　two　first　rooms。　There　was　not
litter　enough；　when　she　had　swept　the　floors　and　cleaned　the
grates；　to　even　half　fill　the　housemaid's　bucket　which　she
carried　with　her。　The　children　followed　her　about；　and；　all
things　considered；　were　〃very　good　company〃　in　the　lonely　place。

The　third　room　（that　is　to　say；　the　bedchamber　which　had　been
occupied　by　Miserrimus　Dexter　was　in　a　much　worse　state　than　the
other　two；　and　wanted　a　great　deal　of　tidying。　She　did　not　much
notice　the　children　here；　being　occupied　with　her　work。　The
litter　was　swept　up　from　the　carpet；　and　the　cinders　and　ashes
were　taken　out　of　the　grate；　and　the　whole　of　it　was　in　the
bucket；　when　her　attention　was　recalled　to　the　children　by
hearing　one　of　them　cry。

She　looked　about　the　room　without　at　first　discovering　them。

A　fresh　outburst　of　crying　led　her　in　the　right　direction；　and
showed　her　the　children　under　a　table　in　a　corner　of　the　room。
The　youngest　of　the　two　had　got　into　a　waste…paper　basket。　The
eldest　had　found　an　old　bottle　of　gum；　with　a　brush　fixed　in　the
cork；　and　was　gravely　painting　the　face　of　the　smaller　child　with
what　little　remained　of　the　contents　of　the　bottle。　Some　natural
struggles；　on　the　part　of　the　little　creature；　had　ended　in　the
overthrow　of　the　basket；　and　the　usual　outburst　of　crying　had
followed　as　a　matter　of　course。

In　this　state　of　things　the　remedy　was　soon　applied。　The　woman
took　the　bottle　away　from　the　eldest　child；　and　gave　it　a　〃box　on
the　ear。〃　The　younger　one　she　set　on　its　legs　again；　and　she　put
the　two　〃in　the　corner〃　to　keep　them　quiet。　This　done；　she　swept
up　such　fragments　of　the　torn　paper　in　the　basket　as　had　fallen
on　the　floor；　threw　them　back　again　into　the　basket；　along　with
the　gum…bottle；　fetched　the　bucket；　and　emptied　the　basket　into
it；　and　then　proceeded　to　the　fourth　and　last　room　in　the
corridor；　where　she　finished　her　work　for　that　day。

Leaving　the　house；　with　the　children　after　her；　she　took　the
filled　bucket　to　the　dust…heap；　and　emptied　it　in　a　hollow　place
among　the　rubbish；　about　half…way　up　the　mound。　Then　she　took　the
children　home；　and　there　was　an　end　of　it　for　the　day。

Such　was　the　result　of　the　appeal　made　to　the　woman's　memory　of
domestic　events　at　Gleninch。

The　conclusion　at　which　Mr。　Playmore　arrived；　from　the　facts
submitted　to　him；　was　that　the　chances　were　now　decidedly　in
favor　of　the　recovery　of　the　letter。　Thrown　in；　nearly　midway
between　the　contents　of　the　housemaid's　bucket；　the　torn　morsels
would　be　protected　above　as　well　as　below；　when　they　were　emptied
on　the　dust…heap。

Succeeding　weeks　and　months　would　add　to　that　protection；　by
adding　to　the　accumulated　refuse。　In　the　neglected　condition　of
the　grounds；　the　dust…heap　had　not　been　disturbed　in　search　of
manure。　There　it　had　stood；　untouched；　from　the　time　when　the
family　left　Gleninch　to　the　present　day。　And　there；　hidden　deep
somewhere　in　the　mound；　the　fragments　of　the　letter　must　be。

Such　were　the　lawyer's　conclusions。　He　had　written　immediately　to
communicate　them　to　Benjamin。　And；　thereupon；　what　had　Benjamin
done？

After　having　tried　his　powers　of　reconstruction　on　his　own
correspondence；　the　prospect　of　experimenting　on　the　mysterious
letter　itself　had　proved　to　be　a　temptation　too　powerful　for　the
old　man　to　resist。　〃I　almost　fancy；　my　dear；　this　business　of
yours　has　bewitched　me；〃　he　wrote。　〃You　see　I　have　the　misfortune
to　be　an　idle　man。　I　have　time　to　spare　and　money　to　spare。　And
the　end　of　it　is　that　I　am　here　at　Gleninch；　engaged　on　my　own
sole　responsibility　（with　good　Mr。　Playmore's　permission）　in
searching　the　dust…heap！〃

Benjamin's　description　of　his　first　view　of　the　field　of　action
at　Gleninch　followed　these　characteristic　lines　of　apology。

I　passed　over　the　description　without　ceremony。　My　remembrance　of
the　scene　was　too　vivid　to　require　any　prompting　of　that　sort。　I
saw　again；　in　the　dim　evening　light；　the　unsightly　mound　which
had　so　strangely　attracted　my　attention　at　Gleninch。　I　heard
again　the　words　in　which　Mr。　Playmore　had　explained　to　me　the
custom　of　the　dust…heap　in　Scotch　country…houses。　What　had
Benjamin　and　Mr。　Playmore　done？　What　had　Benjamin　and　Mr。
Playmore　found？　For　me；　the　true　interest　of　the　narrative　was
thereand　to　that　portion　of　it　I　eagerly　turned　next。

They　had　proceeded　methodically；　of　course；　with　one　eye　on　the
pounds；　shillings；　and　pence；　and　the　other　on　the　object　in
view。　In　Benjamin；　the　lawyer　had　found　what　he　had　not　met　with
in　mea　sympathetic　mind；　alive　to　the　value　of　〃an　abstract　of
the　expenses；〃　and　conscious　of　that　most　remunerative　of　human
virtues；　the　virtue　of　economy。

At　so　much　a　week；　they　had　engaged　men　to　dig　into　the　mound　and
to　sift　the　ashes。　At　so　much　a　week；　they　had　hired　a　tent　to
shelter　the　open　dust…heap　from　wind　and　weather。　At　so　much　a
week；　they　had　engaged　the　services　of　a　young　man　（pers　onally
known　to　Benjamin）；　who　was　employed　in　a　laboratory　under　a
professor　of　chemistry；　and　who　had　distinguished　himself　by　his
skillful　manipulation　of　paper　in　a　recent　case　of　forgery　on　a
well…known　London　firm。　Armed　with　these　preparations；　they　had
begun　the　work；　Benjamin　and　the　young　chemist　living　at
Gleninch；　and　taking　it　in　turns　to　superintend　the　proceedings。

Three　days　of　labor　with　the　spade　and　the　sieve　produced　no
results　of　the　slightest　importance。　However；　the　matter　was　in
the　hands　of　two　quietly　determined　men。　They　declined　to　be
discouraged。　They　went　on。

On　the　fourth　day　the　first　morsels　of　paper　were　found。

Upon　examination；　they　proved　to　be　the　fragments　of　a
tradesman's　prospectus。　Nothing　dismayed；　Benjamin　and　the　young
chemist　still　persevered。　At　the　end　of　the　day's　work　more
pieces　of　paper　were　turned　up。　These　proved　to　be　covered　with
written　characters。　Mr。　Playmore　（arriving　at　Gleninch；　as　usual；
every　evening　on　the　conclusion　of　his　labors　in　the　law）　was
consulted　as　to　the　handwriting。　After　careful　examination；　he
declared　that　the　mutilated　portions　of　sentences　submitted　to
him　had　been　written；　beyond　all　doubt；　by　Eustace　Macallan's
first　wife！

This　discovery　aroused　the　enthusiasm　of　the　searchers　to　fever
height。

Spades　and　sieves　were　from　that　moment　forbidden　utensils。
However　unpleasant　the　task　might　be；　hands　alone　were　used　in
the　further　examination　of　the　mound。　The　first　and　foremost
necessity　was　to　place　the　morsels　of　paper　（in　flat　cardboard
boxes　prepared　for　the　purpose）　in　their