the law and the lady-第80节

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words；　that　the　arsenic　which　Eustace　procured　was　purchased　at
the　request　of　his　wife；　and　was　in　her　possession　at　Gleninch。
This；　remember；　is　in　the　handwriting　of　the　wife；　and　is　signed
by　the　wifeas　we　have　also　found　out。　Unfortunately；　I　am
obliged　to　add　that　the　objection　to　taking　your　husband　into　our
confidence；　mentioned　when　I　last　wrote；　still　remains　in
forcein　greater　force；　I　may　say；　than　ever。　The　more　we　make
out　of　the　letter；　the　more　inclined　we　are　（if　we　only　studied
our　own　feelings）　to　throw　it　back　into　the　dust…heap；　in　mercy
to　the　memory　of　the　unhappy　writer。　I　shall　keep　this　open　for　a
day　or　two。　If　there　is　more　news　to　tell　you　by　that　time　you
will　hear　of　it　from　Mr。　Playmore。〃

Mr。　Playmore's　postscript　followed；　dated　three　days　later。

〃The　concluding　part　of　the　late　Mrs。　Macallan's　letter　to　her
husband；〃　the　lawyer　wrote；　〃has　proved　accidentally　to　be　the
first　part　which　we　have　succeeded　in　piecing　together。　With　the
exception　of　a　few　gaps　still　left；　here　and　there；　the　writing
of　the　closing　paragraphs　has　been　perfectly　reconstructed。　I
have　neither　the　time　nor　the　inclination　to　write　to　you　on　this
sad　subject　in　any　detail。　In　a　fortnight　more；　at　the　longest；
we　shall；　I　hope；　send　you　a　copy　of　the　letter；　complete　from
the　first　line　to　the　last。　Meanwhile；　it　is　my　duty　to　tell　you
that　there　is　one　bright　side　to　this　otherwise　deplorable　and
shocking　document。　Legally　speaking；　as　well　as　morally　speaking；
it　absolutely　vindicates　your　husband's　innocence。　And　it　may　be
lawfully　used　for　this　purposeif　he　can　reconcile　it　to　his
conscience；　and　to　the　mercy　due　to　the　memory　of　the　dead；　to
permit　the　public　exposure　of　the　letter　in　Court。　Understand　me；
he　cannot　be　tried　again　on　what　we　call　the　criminal　chargefor
certain　technical　reasons　with　which　I　need　not　trouble　you。　But；
if　the　facts　which　were　involved　at　the　criminal　trial　can　also
be　shown　to　be　involved　in　a　civil　action　（and　in　this　case　they
can）；　the　entire　matter　may　be　made　the　subject　of　a　new　legal
inquiry；　and　the　verdict　of　a　second　jury；　completely　vindicating
your　husband；　may　thus　be　obtained。　Keep　this　information　to
yourself　for　the　present。　Preserve　the　position　which　you　have　so
sensibly　adopted　toward　Eustace　until　you　have　read　the　restored
letter。　When　you　have　done　this；　my　own　idea　is　that　you　will
shrink；　in　pity　to　_him；_　from　letting　him　see　it。　How　he　is　to
be　kept　in　ignorance　of　what　we　have　discovered　is　another
question；　the　discussion　of　which　must　be　deferred　until　we　can
consult　together。　Until　that　time　comes；　I　can　only　repeat　my
advicewait　till　the　next　news　reaches　you　from　Gleninch。〃

I　waited。　What　I　suffered；　what　Eustace　thought　of　me；　does　not
matter。　Nothing　matters　now　but　the　facts。

In　less　than　a　fortnight　more　the　task　of　restoring　the　letter
was　completed。　Excepting　certain　instances；　in　which　the　morsels
of　the　torn　paper　had　been　irretrievably　lostand　in　which　it
had　been　necessary　to　complete　the　sense　in　harmony　with　the
writer's　intentionthe　whole　letter　had　been　put　together；　and
the　promised　copy　of　it　was　forwarded　to　me　in　Paris。

Before　you；　too；　read　that　dreadful　letter；　do　me　one　favor。　Let
me　briefly　remind　you　of　the　circumstances　under　which　Eustace
Macallan　married　his　first　wife。

Remember　that　the　poor　creature　fell　in　love　with　him　without
awakening　any　corresponding　affection　on　his　side。　Remember　that
he　separated　himself　from　her；　and　did　all　he　could　to　avoid　her；
when　he　found　this　out。　Remember　that　she　presented　herself　at
his　residence　in　London　without　a　word　of　warning；　that　he　did
his　best　to　save　her　reputation；　that　he　failed；　through　no　fault
of　his　own；　and　that　he　ended；　rashly　ended　in　a　moment　of
despair；　by　marrying　her；　to　silence　the　scandal　that　must
otherwise　have　blighted　her　life　as　a　woman　for　the　rest　of　her
days。　Bear　all　this　in　mind　（it　is　the　sworn　testimony　of
respectable　witnesses）；　and　pray　do　not　forgethowever　foolishly
and　blamably　he　may　have　written　about　her　in　the　secret　pages　of
his　Diarythat　he　was　proved　to　have　done　his　best　to　conceal
from　his　wife　the　aversion　which　the　poor　soul　inspired　in　him；
and　that　he　was　（in　the　opinion　of　those　who　could　best　judge
him）　at　least　a　courteous　and　a　considerate　husband；　if　he　could
be　no　more。

And　now　take　the　letter。　It　asks　but　one　favor　of　you：　it　asks　to
be　read　by　the　light　of　Christ's　teaching〃Judge　not；　that　ye　be
not　judged。〃





CHAPTER　XLVII。

THE　WIFE'S　CONFESSION。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃GLENINCH；　October　19；　18。

〃MY　HUSBAND

〃I　have　something　very　painful　to　tell　you　about　one　of　your
oldest　friends。

〃You　have　never　encouraged　me　to　come　to　you　with　any　confidences
of　mine。　If　you　had　allowed　me　to　be　as　familiar　with　you　as　some
wives　are　with　their　husbands；　I　should　have　spoken　to　you
personally　instead　of　writing。　As　it　is；　I　don't　know　how　you
might　receive　what　I　have　to　say　to　you　if　I　said　it　by　word　of
mouth。　So　I　write。

〃The　man　against　whom　I　warn　you　is　still　a　guest　in　this
houseMiserrimus　Dexter。　No　falser　or　wickeder　creature　walks
the　earth。　Don't　throw　my　letter　aside！　I　have　waited　to　say　this
until　I　could　find　proof　that　might　satisfy　you。　I　have　got　the
proof。

〃You　may　remember　that　I　ventured　to　express　some　disapproval
when　you　first　told　me　you　had　asked　this　man　to　visit　us。　If　you
had　allowed　me　time　to　explain　myself；　I　might　have　been　bold
enough　to　give　you　a　good　reason　for　the　aversion　I　felt　toward
your　friend。　But　you　would　not　wait。　You　hastily　（and　most
unjustly）　accused　me　of　feeling　prejudiced　against　the　miserable
creature　on　account　of　his　deformity。　No　other　feeling　than
compassion　for　deformed　persons　has　ever　entered　my　mind。　I　have；
indeed；　alm　ost　a　fellow…feeling　for　them；　being　that　next　worst
thing　myself　to　a　deformitya　plain　woman。　I　objected　to　Mr。
Dexter　as　your　guest　because　he　had　asked　me　to　be　his　wife　in
past　days；　and　because　I　had　reason　to　fear　that　he　still
regarded　me　（after　my　marriage）　with　a　guilty　and　a　horrible
love。　Was　it　not　my　duty；　as　a　good　wife；　to　object　to　his　being
your　guest　at　Gleninch？　And　was　it　not　your　duty；　as　a　good
husband；　to　encourage　me　to　say　more？

〃Well；　Mr。　Dexter　has　been　your　guest　for　many　weeks；　and　Mr。
Dexter　has　dared　to　speak　to　me　again　of　his　love。　He　has
insulted　me；　and　insulted　you；　by　declaring　that　_he_　adores　me
and　that　_you_　hate　me。　He　has　promised　me　a　life　of　unalloyed
happiness；　in　a　foreign　country　with　my　lover；　and　he　has
prophesied　for　me　a　life　of　unendurable　misery　at　home　with　my
husband。

〃Why　did　I　not　make　my　complaint　to　you；　and　have　this　monster
dismissed　from　the　house　at　once　and　forever？

〃Are　you　sure　you　would　have　believed　me　if　I　had　complained；　and
if　your　bosom　friend　had　denied　all　intention　of　insulting　me？　I
heard　you　once　say　（when　you　were　not　aware　that　I　was　within
hearing）　that　the　vainest　women　were　always　the　ugly　women。　You
might　have　accused　_me_　of　vanity。　Who　knows？

〃But　I　have　no　desire　to　shelter　myself　under　this　excuse。　I　am　a
jealous；　unhappy　creature；　always　doubtful　of　your　affection　for
me；　always　fearing　that　another　woman　has　got　my　place　in　your
heart。　Miserrimus　Dexter　has　practiced　on　this　weakness　of　mine。
He　has　declared　he　can　prove　to　me　（if　I　will　permit　him）　that　I
am；　in　your　secret　heart；　an　object　of　loathing　to　you；　that　you
shrink　from　touching　me；　that　you　curse　the　hour　when　you　were
foolish　enough　to　make　me　your　wife。　I　have　struggled　as　long　as
I　could　against　the　temptation　to　let　him　produce　his　proofs。　It
was　a　terrible　temptation　to　a　woman　who　was　far　from　feeling
sure　of　the　sincerity　of　your　affection　for　her；　and　it　has　ended
in　getting　the　better　of　my　resistance。　I　wickedly　concealed　the
disgust　which　the　wretch　inspired　in　me；　I　wickedly　gave　him
leave　to　explain　himself；　I　wickedly　permitted　this　enemy　of
yours　and　of　mine　to　take　me　into　his　confidence。　And　why？
Because　I　loved　you；　and　you　only；　and　because　Miserrimus
Dexter's　proposal　did；　after　all；　echo　a　doubt　of　you　that　had
long　been　gnawing　secretly　at　my　heart。

〃Forgive　me；　Eustace！　This　is　my　first　sin　against　you。　It　shall
be　my　last。

〃I　will　not　spare　myself；　I　will　write　a　full　confession　of　what
I　said　to　him　and　of　what　he　said　to　me。　You　may　make　me　suffer
for　it　when　you　know　what　I　have　done；　but　you　will　at　least　be
warned　in　time；　you　will　see　your　false　friend　in　his　true　light。

〃I　said　to　him；　'How　can　you　prove　to　me　that　my　husband　hates　me
in　secret？'

〃He　answered；　'I　can　prove　it　under　his　own　handwriting；　you
shall　see　it　in　his　Diary。'

〃I　said；　'His　Diary　has　a　lock；　and　the　drawer　in　which　he　keeps
it　has　a　lock。　How　can　you　get　at　the　Diary　and　the　drawer？'

〃He　answered；　'I　have　my　own　way　of　getting　at　both　of　them；
without　the　slightest　risk　of　being　discovered　by　your　husband。
All　you　have　to　do　is　to　give　me　the　opportunity　of　seeing　you
privately。　I　will　engage；　in　return；　to　bring　the　open　Diary　with
me　to　your　room。'

〃I　said；　'How　can　I　give　you　the　opportunity？　Wha