按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
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 than this；〃 he
said。 〃Is there any point you can think of that is still left
unexplained？〃
I reflected。 There was no point of any importance left
unexplained that I could remember。 But there was one little
matter （suggested by the recent allusions to Mrs。 Beauly） which I
wished （if possible） to have thoroughly cleared up。
〃Have you and Mr。 Playmore ever spoken together on the subject of
my husband's former attachment to Mrs。 Beauly？〃 I asked。 〃Has Mr。
Playmore ever told you why Eustace did not marry her； after the
Trial？〃
〃I put that question to Mr。 Playmore myself；〃 said Benjamin。 〃He
answered it easily enough。 Being your husband's confidential
friend and adviser； he was consulted when Mr。 Eustace wrote to
Mrs。 Beauly； after the Trial； and he repeated the substance of
the letter； at my request。 Would you like to hear what I remember
of it； in my turn？〃
I owned that I should like to hear it。 What Benjamin thereupon
told me； exactly coincided with what Miserrimus Dexter had told
meas related in the thirtieth chapter of my narrative。 Mrs。
Beauly had been a witness of the public degradation of my
husband。 That was enough in itself to prevent him from marrying
her： He broke off with _her_ for the same reason which had led
him to separate himself from _me。_ Existence with a woman who
knew that he had been tried for his life as a murderer was an
existence which he had not resolution enough to face。 The two
accounts agreed in every particular。 At last my jealous curiosity
was pacified； and Benjamin was free to dismiss the past from
further consideration； and to approach the more critical and more
interesting topic of the future。
His first inquiries related to Eustace。 He asked if my husband
had any suspicion of the proceedings which had taken place at
Gleninch。
I told him what had happened； and how I had contrived to put off
the inevitable disclosure for a time。
My old friend's face cleared up as he listened to me。
〃This will be good news fo