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〃How old was he？〃 asked Bashwood the elder； eagerly。
Bashwood the younger burst out laughing。 〃He was about old
enough； daddy； to be your son； and rich enough to have burst that
precious pocket…book of yours with thousand…pound notes！ Don't
hang your head。 It wasn't a happy marriage； though he _was_ so
young and so rich。 They lived abroad； and got on well enough at
first。 He made a new will； of course； as soon as he was married；
and provided handsomely for his wife； under the tender pressure
of the honey…moon。 But women wear out； like other things； with
time； and one fine morning Mr。 Waldron woke up with a doubt in
his mind whether he had not acted like a fool。 He was an
ill…tempered man； he was discontented with himself； and of course
he made his wife feel it。 Having begun by quarreling with her； he
got on to suspecting her； and became savagely jealous of every
male creature who entered the house。 They had no incumbrances in
the shape of children； and they moved from one place to another；
just as his jealousy inclined him； till they moved back to
England at last； after having been married close on four years。
He had a lonely old house of his own among the Yorkshire moors；
and there he shut his wife and himself up from every living
creature； except his servants and his dogs。 Only one result could
come； of course； of treating a high…spirited young woman in that
way。 It may be her fate； or it may be chance； but； whenever a
woman is desperate； there is sure to be a man handy to take
advantage of it。 The man in this case was rather a 'dark horse；'
as they say on the turf。 He was a certain Captain Manuel； a
native of Cuba； and （according to his own account） an ex…officer
in the Spanish navy。 He had met Mr。 Waldron's beautiful wife on
the journey back to England； had contrived to speak to her in
spite of her husband's jealousy； and had followed her to her
place of imprisonment in Mr。 Waldron's house on the moors。 The
captain is described as a clever； determined fellowof the
daring piratical sortwith the dash of mystery about him that
women like〃
〃She's not the same as other women！〃 interposed Mr。 Bashwood；
suddenly interrupting his son。 〃Did she？〃 His voice failed him；
and he stopped without bringing the question to an end。
〃Did she like the captain？〃 suggested Bashwood the younger； with
another laugh。 〃According to her own account of it； she adored
him。 At the same time her conduct （as represented by herself） was
perfectly innocent。 Considering how carefully her husband watched
her； the statement （incredible as it appears） is probably true。
For six weeks or so they confined themselves to corresponding
privately； the Cuban captain （who spoke and wrote English
perfectly） having contrived to make a go…between of one of the
female servants in the Yorkshire house。 How it might have ended
we needn't trouble ourselves to inquireMr。 Waldron himself
brought matters to a crisis。 Whether he got wind of the
clandestine correspondence or not； doesn't appear。 But this is
certain； that he came home from a ride one day in a fiercer
temper than usual； that his wife showed him a sample of that high
spirit of hers which he had never yet been able to break； and
that it ended in his striking her across the face with his
riding…whip。 Ungentlemanly conduct； I am afraid we must admit；
but； to all outward appearance； the riding…whip produced the most
astonishing results。 From that moment the lady submitted as she
had never submitted before。 For a fortnight afterward he did what
he liked； and she never thwarted him； he said what he liked； and
she never uttered a word of protest。 Some men might have
suspected this sudden reformation of hiding something dangerous
under the surface。 Whether Mr。 Waldron looked at it in that
light； I can't tell you。 All that is known is that； before the
mark of the whip was off his wife's face； he fell ill； and that
in two days afterward he was a dead man。 What do you say to
that？〃
〃I say he deserved it！〃 answered Mr。 Bashwood； striking his hand
excitedly on the table； as his son paused and looked at him。
〃The
doctor who attended the dying man was not of your way of
thinking；〃 remarked Bashwood the younger； dryly。 〃He called in
two other medical men； and they all three refused to certify the
death。 The usual legal investigation followed。 The evidence of
the doctors and the evidence of the servants pointed irresistibly
in one and the same direction； and Mrs。 Waldron was committed for
trial； on the charge of murdering her husband by poison。 A
solicitor in first…rate criminal practice was sent for from
London to get up the prisoner's defense； and these 'Instructions'
took their form and shape accordingly。What's the matter？ What
do you want now？〃
Suddenly rising from his chair； Mr。 Bashwood stretched across the
table； and tried to take the papers from his son。 〃I want to look
at them；〃 he burst out； eagerly。 〃I want to see what they say
about the captain from Cuba。 He was at the bottom of it；
JemmyI'll swear he was at the bottom of it！〃
〃Nobody doubted that who was in the secret of the case at the
time；〃 rejoined his son。 〃But nobody could prove it。 Sit down
again； dad； and compose yourself。 There's nothing here about
Captain Manuel but the lawyer's private suspicions of him； for
the counsel to act on or not； at the counsel's discretion。 From
first to last she persisted in screening the captain。 At the
outset of the business she volunteered two statements to the
lawyerboth of which he suspected to be false。 In the first
place she declared that she was innocent of the crime。 He wasn't
surprised； of course； so far； his clients were； as a general
rule； in the habit of deceiving him in that way。 In the second
place； while admitting her private correspondence with the Cuban
captain； she declared that the letters on both sides related
solely to a proposed elopement； to which her husband's barbarous
treatment had induced her to consent。 The lawyer naturally asked
to see the letters。 'He has burned all my letters； and I have
burned all his；' was the only answer he got。 It was quite
possible that Captain Manuel might have burned _her_ letters when
he heard there was a coroner's inquest in the house。 But it was
in her solicitor's experience （as it is in my experience too）
that； when a woman is fond of a man； in ninety…nine cases out of
a hundred； risk or no risk； she keeps his letters。 Having his
suspicions roused in this way； the lawyer privately made some
inquiries about the foreign captain； and found that he was as
short of money as a foreign captain could be。 At the same time；
he put some questions to his client about her expectations from
her deceased husband。 She answered； in high indignation； that a
will had been found among her husband's papers； privately
executed only a few days before his death； and leaving her no
more； out of all his immense fortune； than five thousand pounds。
'Was there an older will； then；' says the lawyer； 'which the new
will revoked？' Yes； there was； a will that he had given into her
own possessiona will made when they were first married。
'Leaving his widow well provided for？' Leavin