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the law and the lady-第43章

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〃I dreamed last night that this unhappy wife of mine was dead。
The dream was so vivid that I actually got out of my bed and
opened the door of her room and listened。

〃Her calm; regular breathing was distinctly audible in the
stillness of the night。 She was in a deep sleep: I closed the
door again and lighted my candle and read。 Helena was in all my
thoughts; it was hard work to fix my attention on the book。 But
anything was better than going to bed again; and dreaming perhaps
for the second time that I too was free。

〃What a life mine is! what a life my wife's is! If the house were
to take fire; I wonder whether I should make an effort to save
myself or to save her?〃

The last two passages read referred to later dates still。

〃A gleam of brightness has shone over this dismal existence of
mine at last。

〃Helena is no longer condemned to the seclusion of widowhood。
Time enough has passed to permit of her mixing again in society。
She is paying visits to friends in our part of Scotland; and; as
she and I are cousins; it is universally understood that she
cannot leave the North without also spending a few days at my
house。 She writes me word that the visit; however embarrassing it
may be to us privately; is nevertheless a visit that must be made
for the sake of appearances。 Blessings on appearances! I shall
see this angel in my purgatoryand all because Society in
Mid…Lothian would think it strange that my cousin should be
visiting in my part of Scotland and not visit Me!

〃But we are to be very careful。 Helena says; in so many words; 'I
come to see you; Eustace; as a sister。 You must receive me as a
brother; or not receive me at all。 I shall write to your wife to
propose the day for my visit。 I shall not forgetdo you not
forgetthat it is by your wife's permission that I enter your
house。'

〃Only let me see her! I will submit to anything to obtain the
unutterable happiness of seeing her!〃

The last extract followed; and consisted of these lines only:

〃A new misfortune! My wife has fallen ill。 She has taken to her
bed with a bad rheumatic cold; just at the time appointed for
Helena's visit to Gleninch。 But on this occasion (I gladly own
it!) she has behaved charmingly。 She has written to Helena to say
that her illness is not serious enough to render a change
necessary in the arrangements; and to make it her particular
request that my cousin's visit shall take place upon the day
originally decided on。

〃This is a great sacrifice made to me on my wife's part。 Jealous
of every woman under forty who comes near me; she is; of course;
jealous of Helenaand she controls herself; and trusts me!

〃I am bound to show my gratitude for this and I will show it。
From this day forth I vow to live more affectionately with my
wife。 I tenderly embraced her this very morning; and I hope; poor
soul; she did not discover the effort that it cost me。〃

There the readings from the Diary came to an end。

The most unpleasant pages in the whole Report of the Trial
wereto methe pages which contained the extracts from my
husband's Diary。 There were expressions here and there which not
only pained me; but which almost shook Eustace's position in my
estimation。 I think I would have given everything I possessed to
have had the power of annihilating certain lines in the Diary。 As
for his passionate expressions of love for Mrs。 Beauly; every one
of them went through me like a sting。 He had whispered words
quite as warm into my ears in the days of his courtship。 I had no
reason to doubt that he truly and dearly loved me。 But the
question was; Had he just as truly and dearly loved Mrs。 Beauly
before me? Had she or Iwon the first love of his heart? He had
declared to me over and over again that he had only fancied
himself to be in love before the day when we met。 I had believed
him then。 I determined to believe him still。 I did believe him。
But I hated Mrs。 Beauly!

As for the painful impression produced in Court by the readings
from the letters and the Diary; it seemed to be impossible to
increase it。 Nevertheless it _was_ perceptibly increased。 In
other words; it was rendered more unfavorable still toward the
prisoner by the evidence of the next and last witness called on
the part of the prosecution。

William Enzie; under…gardener at Gleninch; was sworn; and deposed
as follows:

On the twentieth of October; at eleven o'clock in the forenoon; I
was sent to work in the shrubbery; on the side next to the garden
called the Dutch Garden。 There was a summer…house in the Dutch
Garden; having its back set toward the shrubbery。 The day was
wonderfully fine andwarm for the time of year。

〃Passing to my work; I passed the back of the summer…house。 I
heard voices insidea man's voice and a lady's voice。 The lady's
voice was strange to me。 The man's voice I recognized as the
voice of my master。 The ground in the shrubbery was soft; and my
curiosity was excited。 I stepped up to the back of the
summer…house without being heard; and I listened to what was
going on inside。

〃The first words I could distinguish were spoken in my master's
voice。 He said; 'If I could only have foreseen that you might one
day be free; what a happy man I might have been!' The lady's
voice answered; 'Hush! you must not talk so。' My master said upon
that; 'I must talk of what is in my mind; it is always in my mind
that I have lost you。' He stopped a bit there; and then he said
on a sudden; 'Do me one favor; my angel! Promise me not to marry
again。' The lady's voice spoke out thereupon sharply enough;
'What do you mean?' My master said; 'I wish no harm to the
unhappy creature who is a burden on my life; but suppose'
'Suppose nothing;' the lady said; 'come back to the house。'

〃She led the way into the garden; and turned round; beckoning my
master to join her。 In that position I saw her face plainly; and
I knew it for the face of the young widow lady who was visiting
at the house。 She was pointed out to me by the head…gardener when
she first arrived; for the purpose of warning me that I was not
to interfere if I found her picking the flowers。 The gardens at
Gleninch were shown to tourists on certain days; and we made a
difference; of course; in the matter of the flowers between
strangers and guests staying in the house。 I am quite certain of
the identity of the lady who was talking with my master。 Mrs。
Beauly was a comely personand there was no mistaking her for
any other than herself。 She and my master withdrew together on
the way to the house。 I heard nothing more of what passed between
them。〃

This witness was severely cross…examined as to the correctness of
his recollection of the talk in the summer…house; and as to his
capacity for identifying both the speakers。 On certain minor
points he was shaken。 But he firmly asserted his accurate
remembrance of the last words exchanged between his master and
Mrs。 Beauly; and he personally described the lady in terms which
proved that he had corruptly identified her。

With this the answer to the third question raised by the
Trialthe question of the prisoner's motive for poisoning his
wifecame to an end。

The story for the prosecu
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