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〃Yes； Valeria； I fully； freely release you。 If it be possible to
annul our marriage； let it be done。 Recover your liberty by any
means that you may be advised to employ； and be assured
beforehand of my entire and implicit submission。 My lawyers have
the necessary instructions on this subject。 Your uncle has only
to communicate with them； and I think he will be satisfied of my
resolution to do you justice。 The one interest that I have now
left in life is my interest in your welfare and your happiness in
the time to come。 Your welfare and your happiness are no longer
to be found in your union with Me。
〃I can write no more。 This letter will wait for you at the hotel。
It will be useless to attempt to trace me。 I know my own
weakness。 My heart is all yours： I might yield to you if I let
you see me again。
〃Show these lines to your uncle； and to any friends whose
opinions you may value。 I have only to sign my dishonored name；
and every one will understand and applaud my motive for writing
as I do。 The name justifiesamply justifiesthe letter。 Forgive
and forget me。 Farewell。
〃EUSTACE MACALLAN。〃
In those words he took his leave of me。 We had then been
marriedsix days。
CHAPTER XIV。
THE WOMAN'S ANSWER。
THUS far I have written of myself with perfect frankness； and； I
think I may fairly add； with some courage as well。 My frankness
fails me and my courage fails me when I look back to my husband's
farewell letter； and try to recall the storm of contending
passions that it roused in my mind。 No！ I cannot tell the truth
about myselfI dare not tell the truth about myselfat that
terrible time。 Men！ consult your observation of women； and
imagine what I felt； women！ look into your own hearts； and see
what I felt； for yourselves。
What I _did；_ when my mind was quiet again； is an easier matter
to deal with。 I answered my husband's letter。 My reply to him
shall appear in these pages。 It will show； in some degree； what
effect （of the lasting sort） his desertion of me produced on my
mind。 It will also reveal the motives that sustained me； the
hopes that animated me； in the new and strange life which my next
chapters must describe。
I was removed from the hotel in the care of my fatherly old
friend； Benjamin。 A bedroom was prepared for me in his little
villa。 There I passed the first night of my separation from my
husband。 Toward the morning my weary brain got some restI
slept。
At breakfast…time Major Fitz…David called to inquire about me。 He
had kindly volunteered to go and speak for me to my husband's
lawyers on the preceding day。 They had admitted that they knew
where Eustace had gone； but they declared at the same time that
they were positively forbidden to communicate his address to any
one。 In other respects their 〃instructions〃 in relation to the
wife of their client were （as they were pleased to express it）
〃generous to a fault。〃 I had only to write to them； and they
would furnish me with a copy by return of post。
This was the Major's news。 He refrained； with the tact that
distinguished him； from putting any questions to me beyond
questions relating to the state of my health。 These answered； he
took his leave of me for that day。 He and Benjamin had a long
talk together afterward in the garden of the villa。
I retired to my room and wrote to my uncle Starkweather； telling
him exactly what had happened； and inclosing him a copy of my
husband's letter。 This done； I went out for a little while to
breathe the fresh air and to think。 I was soon weary； and went
back again to my room to rest。 My kind old Benjamin left me at
perfect liberty to be alone as long as I pleased。 Toward the
afternoon I began to feel a little more like my old self again。 I
mean by this that I could think of Eustace without bursting out
crying； and could speak to Benjamin without distressing and
frightening the dear old man。
That night I had a little more sleep。 The next morning I was
strong enough to confront the first and foremost duty that I now
owed to myselfthe duty of answering my husband's letter。
I wrote to him in these words：
〃I am still too weak and weary； Eustace； to write to you at any
length。 But my mind is clear。 I have formed my own opinion of you
and your letter； and I know what I mean to do now you have left
me。 Some women； in my situation； might think that you had
forfeited all right to their confidence。 I don't think that。 So I
write and tell you what is in my mind in the plainest and fewest
words that I can use。
〃You say you love meand you leave me。 I don't understand loving
a woman and leaving her。 For my part； in spite of the hard things
you have said and written to me； and in spite of the cruel manner
in which you have left me； I love youand I won't give you up。
No！ As long as I live I mean to live your wife。
〃Does this surprise you？ It surprises _me。_ If another woman
wrote in this manner to a man who had behaved to her as you have
behaved； I should be quite at a loss to account for her conduct。
I am quite at a loss to account for my own conduct。 I ought to
hate you； and yet I can't help loving you。 I am ashamed of
myself； but so it is。
〃You need feel no fear of my attempting to find out where you
are； and of my trying to persuade you to return to me。 I am not
quite foolish enough to do that。 You are not in a fit state of
mind to return to me。 You are all wrong； all over； from head to
foot。 When you get right again； I am vain enough to think that
you will return to me of your own accord。 And shall I be weak
enough to forgive you？ Yes！ I shall certainly be weak enough to
forgive you。
〃But how are you to get right again？
〃I have puzzled my brains over this question by night and by day；
and my opinion is that you will never get right again unless I
help you。
〃How am I to help you？
〃That question is easily answered。 What the Law has failed to do
for you； your Wife must do for you。 Do you remember what I said
when we were together in the back room at Major Fitz…David's
house？ I told you that the first thought that came to me； when I
heard what the Scotch jury had done； was the thought of setting
their vile Verdict right。 Well！ Your letter has fixed this idea
more firmly in my mind than ever。 The only chance that I can see
of winning you back to me； in the character of a penitent and
loving husband； is to change that underhand Scotch Verdict of Not
Proven into an honest English Verdict of Not Guilty。
〃Are you surprised at the knowledge of the law which this way of
writing betrays in an ignorant woman？ I have been learning； my
dear： the Law and the Lady have begun by understanding one
another。 In plain English； I have looked into Ogilvie's 'Imperial
Dictionary；' and Ogilvie tells me； 'A verdict of Not Proven only
indicates that； in the opinion of the jury； there is a deficiency
in the evidence to convict the prisoner。 A verdict of Not Guilty
imports the jury's opinion that the prisoner is innocent。'
Eustace； that shall be the opinion of the world in general； and
of the Scotch jury in particular； in your case。 To that one
object I dedicate my life to come； if G