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think　over　what　had　passed　between　us；　and　to　remember　how　kindly
he　had　given　way　to　me；　my　heart　turned　pityingly　to　those　other
wives　（better　women；　some　of　them；　than　I　am）；　whose　husbands；
under　similar　circumstances；　would　have　spoken　hard　words　to
themwould　perhaps　even　have　acted　more　cruelly　still。　The
contrast　thus　suggested　between　their　fate　and　mine　quite
overcame　me。　What　had　I　done　to　deserve　my　happiness？　What　had
_they_　done；　poor　souls；　to　deserve　their　misery？　My　nerves　were
overwrought；　I　dare　says　after　reading　the　dreadful　confession　of
Eustace's　first　wife。　I　burst　out　cryingand　I　was　all　the
better　for　it　afterward！




CHAPTER　XLIX。

PAST　AND　FUTURE。

　I　write　from　memory；　unassisted　by　notes　or　diaries；　and　I　have
no　distinct　recollection　of　the　length　of　our　residence　abroad。
It　certainly　extended　over　a　period　of　some　months。　Long　after
Eustace　was　strong　enough　to　take　the　journey　to　London　the
doctors　persisted　in　keeping　him　in　Paris。　He　had　shown　symptoms
of　weakness　in　one　of　his　lungs；　and　his　medical　advisers；　seeing
that　he　prospered　in　the　dry　atmosphere　of　France；　warned　him　to
be　careful　of　breathing　too　soon　the　moist　air　of　his　own
country。

Thus　it　happened　that　we　were　still　in　Paris　when　I　received　my
next　news　from　Gleninch。

This　time　no　letters　passed　on　either　side。　To　my　surprise　and
delight；　Benjamin　quietly　made　his　appearance　one　morning　in　our
pretty　French　drawing…room。　He　was　so　preternaturally　smart　in
his　dress；　and　so　incomprehensibly　anxious　（while　my　husband　was
in　the　way）　to　make　us　understand　that　his　reasons　for　visiting
Paris　were　holiday　reasons　only；　that　I　at　once　suspected　him　of
having　crossed　the　Channel　in　a　double　charactersay；　as　tourist
in　search　of　pleasure；　when　third　persons　were　present；　as
ambassador　from　Mr。　Playmore；　when　he　and　I　had　the　room　to
ourselves。

Later　in　the　day　I　contrived　that　we　should　be　left　together；　and
I　soon　found　that　my　anticipations　had　not　misled　me。　Benjamin
had　set　out　for　Paris；　at　Mr。　Playmore's　express　request；　to
consult　with　me　as　to　the　future；　and　to　enlighten　me　as　to　the
past。　He　presented　me　with　his　credentials　in　the　shape　of　a
little　note　from　the　lawyer。

〃There　are　some　few　points〃　（Mr。　Playmore　wrote）　〃which　the
recovery　of　the　letter　does　not　seem　to　clear　up。　I　have　done　my
best；　with　Mr。　Benjamin's　assistance；　to　find　the　right
explanation　of　these　debatable　matters；　and　I　have　treated　the
subject；　for　the　sake　of　brevity；　in　the　form　of　Questions　and
Answers。　Will　you　accept　me　as　interpreter；　after　the　mistakes　I
made　when　you　consulted　me　in　Edinburgh？　Events；　I　admit；　have
proved　that　I　was　entirely　wrong　in　trying　to　prevent　you　from
returning　to　Dexterand　partially　wrong　in　suspecting　Dexter　of
being　directly；　instead　of　indirectly；　answerable　for　the　first
Mrs。　Eustace's　death。　I　frankly　make　my　confession；　and　leave　you
to　tell　Mr。　Benjamin　whether　you　think　my　new　Catechism　worthy　of
examination　or　not。〃

I　thought　his　〃new　Catechism〃　（as　he　called　it）　decidedly　worthy
of　examination。　If　you　don't　ag　ree　with　this　view；　and　if　you
are　dying　to　be　done　with　me　and　my　narrative；　pass　on　to　the
next　chapter　by　all　means！

Benjamin　produced　the　Questions　and　Answers；　and　read　them　to　me；
at　my　request；　in　these　terms：

〃Questions　suggested　by　the　letter　discovered　at　Gleninch。　First
Group：　Questions　relating　to　the　Diary。　First　Question：　obtaining
access　to　Mr。　Macallan's　private　journal；　was　Miserrimus　Dexter
guided　by　any　previous　knowledge　of　its　contents？

〃Answer：　It　is　doubtful　if　he　had　any　such　knowledge。　The
probabilities　are　that　he　noticed　how　carefully　Mr。　Macallan
secured　his　Diary　from　observation；　that　he　inferred　therefrom
the　existence　of　dangerous　domestic　secrets　in　the　locked…up
pages；　and　that　he　speculated　on　using　those　secrets　for　his　own
purpose　when　he　caused　the　false　keys　to　be　made。

〃Second　Question：　To　what　motive　are　we　to　attribute　Miserrimus
Dexter's　interference　with　the　sheriff's　officers；　on　the　day
when　they　seized　Mr。　Macallan's　Diary　along　with　his　other
papers？

〃Answer：　In　replying　to　this　question；　we　must　first　do　justice
to　Dexter　himself。　Infamously　as　we　now　know　him　to　have　acted；
the　man　was　not　a　downright　fiend。　That　he　secretly　hated　Mr。
Macallan；　as　his　successful　rival　in　the　affections　of　the　woman
he　lovedand　that　he　did　all　he　could　to　induce　the　unhappy　lady
to　desert　her　husbandare；　in　this　case；　facts　not　to　be　denied。
On　the　other　hand；　it　is　fairly　to　be　doubted　whether　he　were
additionally　capable　of　permitting　the　friend　who　trusted　him　to
be　tried　for　murder；　through　his　fault；　without　making　an　effort
to　save　the　innocent　man。　It　had　naturally　never　occurred　to　Mr。
Macallan　（being　guiltless　of　his　wife's　death）　to　destroy　his
Diary　and　his　letters；　in　the　fear　that　they　might　be　used
against　him。　Until　the　prompt　and　secret　action　of　the　Fiscal
took　him　by　surprise；　the　idea　of　his　being　charged　with　the
murder　of　his　wife　was　an　idea　which　we　know；　from　his　own
statement；　had　never　even　entered　his　mind。　But　Dexter　must　have
looked　at　the　matter　from　another　point　of　view。　In　his　last
wandering　words　（spoken　when　his　mind　broke　down）　he　refers　to
the　Diary　in　these　terms；　'The　Diary　will　hang　him；　I　won't　have
him　hanged。'　If　he　could　have　found　his　opportunity　of　getting　at
it　in　timeor　if　the　sheriff's　officers　had　not　been　too　quick
for　himthere　can　be　no　reasonable　doubt　that　Dexter　would　have
himself　destroyed　the　Diary；　foreseeing　the　consequences　of　its
production　in　court。　So　strongly　does　he　appear　to　have　felt
these　considerations；　that　he　even　resisted　the　officers　in　the
execution　of　their　duty。　His　agitation　when　he　sent　for　Mr。
Playmore　to　interfere　was　witnessed　by　that　gentleman；　and　（it
may　not　be　amiss　to　add）　was　genuine　agitation　beyond　dispute。

〃Questions　of　the　Second　Group：　relating　to　the　Wife's
Confession。　First　Question：　What　prevented　Dexter　from　destroying
the　letter；　when　he　first　discovered　it　under　the　dead　woman's
pillow？

〃Answer：　The　same　motives　which　led　him　to　resist　the　seizure　of
the　Diary；　and　to　give　his　evidence　in　the　prisoner's　favor　at
the　Trial；　induced　him　to　preserve　the　letter　until　the　verdict
was　known。　Looking　back　once　more　at　his　last　words　（as　taken
down　by　Mr。　Benjamin）；　we　may　infer　that　if　the　verdict　had　been
Guilty；　he　would　not　have　hesitated　to　save　the　innocent　husband
by　producing　the　wife's　confession。　There　are　degrees　in　all
wickedness。　Dexter　was　wicked　enough　to　suppress　the　letter；
which　wounded　his　vanity　by　revealing　him　as　an　object　for
loathing　and　contemptbut　he　was　not　wicked　enough　deliberately
to　let　an　innocent　man　perish　on　the　scaffold。　He　was　capable　of
exposing　the　rival　whom　he　hated　to　the　infamy　and　torture　of　a
public　accusation　of　murder；　but；　in　the　event　of　an　adverse
verdict；　he　shrank　before　the　direr　cruelty　of　letting　him　be
hanged。　Reflect；　in　this　connection；　on　what　he　must　have
suffered；　villain　as　he　was；　when　he　first　read　the　wife's
confession。　He　had　calculated　on　undermining　her　affection　for
her　husbandand　whither　had　his　calculations　led　him？　He　had
driven　the　woman　whom　he　loved　to　the　last　dreadful　refuge　of
death　by　suicide！　Give　these　considerations　their　due　weight；　and
you　will　understand　that　some　little　redeeming　virtue　might　show
itself；　as　the　result　even　of　_this_　man's　remorse。

〃Second　Question：　What　motive　influenced　Miserrimus　Dexter's
conduct；　when　Mrs。　（Valeria）　Macallan　informed　him　that　she
proposed　reopening　the　inquiry　into　the　poisoning　at　Gleninch？

〃Answer：　In　all　probability；　Dexter's　guilty　fears　suggested　to
him　that　he　might　have　been　watched　on　the　morning　when　he
secretly　entered　the　chamber　in　which　the　first　Mrs。　Eustace　lay
dead。　Feeling　no　scruples　himself　to　restrain　him　from　listening
at　doors　and　looking　through　keyholes；　he　would　be　all　the　more
ready　to　suspect　other　people　of　the　same　practices。　With　this
dread　in　him；　it　would　naturally　occur　to　his　mind　that　Mrs。
Valeria　might　meet　with　the　person　who　had　watched　him；　and　might
hear　all　that　the　person　had　discoveredunless　he　led　her　astray
at　the　outset　of　her　investigations。　Her　own　jealous　suspicions
of　Mrs。　Beauly　offered　him　the　chance　of　easily　doing　this。　And
he　was　all　the　readier　to　profit　by　the　chance；　being　himself
animated　by　the　most　hostile　feeling　toward　that　lady。　He　knew
her　as　the　enemy　who　destroyed　the　domestic　peace　of　the　mistress
of　the　house；　he　loved　the　mistress　of　the　houseand　he　hated
her　enemy　accordingly。　The　preservation　of　his　guilty　secret；　and
the　persecution　of　Mrs。　Beauly：　there　you　have　the　greater　and
the　lesser　motive　of　his　conduct　in　his　relations　with　Mrs。
Eustace　the　second！〃*


…　*　Note　by　the　writer　of　the
Narrative：

Look　back　for　a　further　illustration　of　this　point　of　view　to　the
scene　at　Benjamin's　house　（Chapter　XXXV。）；　where　Dexter；　in　a
moment　of　ungovernable　agitation；　betrays　his　own　secret　to
Valeria。　…

Benjamin　laid　down　his　notes；　and　took　off　his　spectacles。

〃We　have　not　thought　it　necessary　to　go　further　tha