the law and the lady-第26章

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was　still　possible　to　interfere　with　advantage。　Unhappily；　my
niece　refused　to　place　any　confidence　in　me。　She　persistently
denied　that　she　was　actuated　by　any　warmer　feeling　toward　Mr。
Macallan　than　a　feeling　of　friendly　interest。　This　made　it
impossible　for　me　to　separate　them　without　openly　acknowledging
my　reason　for　doing　so；　and　thus　producing　a　scandal　which　might
have　affected　my　niece's　reputation。　My　husband　was　alive　at　that
time；　and　the　one　thing　I　could　do　under　the　circumstances　was
the　thing　I　did。　I　requested　him　to　speak　privately　to　Mr。
Macallan；　and　to　appeal　to　his　honor　to　help　us　out　of　the
difficulty　without　prejudice　to　my　niece。

〃Mr。　Macallan　behaved　admirably。　He　was　still　helpless。　But　he
made　an　excuse　for　leaving　us　which　it　was　impossible　to　dispute。
In　two　days　after　my　husband　had　spoken　to　him　he　was　removed
from　the　house。

〃The　remedy　was　well　intended；　but　it　came　too　late；　and　it
utterly　failed。　The　mischief　was　done。　My　niece　pined　away
visibly；　neither　medical　help　nor　change　of　air　and　scene　did
anything　for　her。　In　course　of　timeafter　Mr。　Macallan　had
recovered　from　the　effects　of　his　accidentI　found　that　she　was
carrying　on　a　clandestine　correspondence　with　him　by　means　of　her
maid。　His　letters；　I　am　bound　to　say；　were　most　considerately　and
carefully　written。　Nevertheless；　I　felt　it　my　duty　to　stop　the
correspondence。

〃My　interferencewhat　else　could　I　do　but　interfere？brought
matters　to　a　crisis。　One　day　my　niece　was　missing　at
breakfast…time。　The　next　day　we　discovered　that　the　poor
infatuated　creature　had　gone　to　Mr。　Macallan's　chambers　in
London；　and　had　been　found　hidden　in　his　bedroom　by　some　bachelor
friends　who　came　to　visit　him。

〃For　this　disaster　Mr。　Macallan　was　in　no　respect　to　blame。
Hearing　footsteps　outside；　he　had　only　time　to　take　measures　for
saving　her　character　by　concealing　her　i　n　the　nearest　roomand
the　nearest　room　happened　to　be　his　bedchamber。　The　matter　was
talked　about；　of　course；　and　motives　were　misinterpreted　in　the
vilest　manner。　My　husband　had　another　private　conversation　with
Mr。　Macallan。　He　again　behaved　admirably。　He　publicly　declared
that　my　niece　had　visited　him　as　his　betrothed　wife。　In　a
fortnight　from　that　time　he　silenced　scandal　in　the　one　way　that
was　possiblehe　married　her。

〃I　was　alone　in　opposing　the　marriage。　I　thought　it　at　the　time
what　it　has　proved　to　be　sincea　fatal　mistake。

〃It　would　have　been　sad　enough　if　Mr。　Macallan　had　only　married
her　without　a　particle　of　love　on　his　side。　But　to　make　the
prospect　more　hopeless　still；　he　was　at　that　very　time　the　victim
of　a　misplaced　attachment　to　a　lady　who　was　engaged　to　another
man。　I　am　well　aware　that　he　compassionately　denied　this；　just　as
he　compassionately　affected　to　be　in　love　with　my　niece　when　he
married　her。　But　his　hopeless　admiration　of　the　lady　whom　I　have
mentioned　was　a　matter　of　fact　notorious　among　his　friends。　It
may　not　be　amiss　to　add　that　_her_　marriage　preceded　_his_
marriage。　He　had　irretrievably　lost　the　woman　he　really　lovedhe
was　without　a　hope　or　an　aspiration　in　lifewhen　he　took　pity　on
my　niece。

〃In　conclusion；　I　can　only　repeat　that　no　evil　which　could　have
happened　（if　she　had　remained　a　single　woman）　would　have　been
comparable；　in　my　opinion；　to　the　evil　of　such　a　marriage　as
this。　Never；　I　sincerely　believe；　were　two　more　ill…assorted
persons　united　in　the　bonds　of　matrimony　than　the　prisoner　at　the
bar　and　his　deceased　wife。〃

The　evidence　of　this　witness　produced　a　strong　sensation　among
the　audience；　and　had　a　marked　effect　on　the　minds　of　the　jury。
Cross…examination　forced　Lady　Brydehaven　to　modify　some　of　her
opinions；　and　to　acknowledge　that　the　hopeless　attachment　of　the
prisoner　to　another　woman　was　a　matter　of　rumor　only。　But　the
facts　in　her　narrative　remained　unshaken；　and；　for　that　one
reason；　they　invested　the　crime　charged　against　the　prisoner　with
an　appearance　of　possibility；　which　it　had　entirely　failed　to
assume　during　the　earlier　part　of　the　Trial。

Two　other　ladies　（intimate　friends　of　Mrs。　Eustace　Macallan）　were
called　next。　They　differed　from　Lady　Brydehaven　in　their　opinions
on　the　propriety　of　the　marriage　but　on　all　the　material　points
they　supported　her　testimony；　and　confirmed　the　serious
impression　which　the　first　witness　had　produced　on　every　person
in　Court。

The　next　evidence　which　the　prosecution　proposed　to　put　in　was
the　silent　evidence　of　the　letters　and　the　Diary　found　at
Gleninch。

In　answer　to　a　question　from　the　Bench；　the　Lord　Advocate　stated
that　the　letters　were　written　by　friends　of　the　prisoner　and　his
deceased　wife；　and　that　passages　in　them　bore　directly　on　the
terms　on　which　the　two　associated　in　their　married　life。　The
Diary　was　still　more　valuable　as　evidence。　It　contained　the
prisoner's　daily　record　of　domestic　events；　and　of　the　thoughts
and　feelings　which　they　aroused　in　him　at　the　time。

A　most　painful　scene　followed　this　explanation。

Writing；　as　I　do；　long　after　the　events　took　place；　I　still
cannot　prevail　upon　myself　to　describe　in　detail　what　my　unhappy
husband　said　and　did　at　this　distressing　period　of　the　Trial。
Deeply　affected　while　Lady　Brydehaven　was　giving　her　evidence；　he
had　with　difficulty　restrained　himself　from　interrupting　her。　He
now　lost　all　control　over　his　feelings。　In　piercing　tones；　which
rang　through　the　Court；　he　protested　against　the　contemplated
violation　of　his　own　most　sacred　secrets　and　his　wife's　most
sacred　secrets。　〃Hang　me；　innocent　as　I　am！〃　he　cried；　〃but　spare
me　_that！_〃　The　effect　of　this　terrible　outbreak　on　the　audience
is　reported　to　have　been　indescribable。　Some　of　the　women　present
were　in　hysterics。　The　Judges　interfered　from　the　Bench；　but　with
no　good　result。　Quiet　was　at　length　restored　by　the　Dean　of
Faculty；　who　succeeded　in　soothing　the　prisoner；　and　who　then
addressed　the　Judges；　pleading　for　indulgence　to　his　unhappy
client　in　most　touching　and　eloquent　language。　The　speech；　a
masterpiece　of　impromptu　oratory；　concluded　with　a　temperate　yet
strongly　urged　protest　against　the　reading　of　the　papers
discovered　at　Gleninch。

The　three　Judges　retired　to　consider　the　legal　question　submitted
to　them。　The　sitting　was　suspended　for　more　than　half　an　hour。

As　usual　in　such　cases；　the　excitement　in　the　Court　communicated
itself　to　the　crowd　outside　in　the　street。　The　general　opinion
hereled；　as　it　was　supposed；　by　one　of　the　clerks　or　other
inferior　persons　connected　with　the　legal　proceedingswas
decidedly　adverse　to　the　prisoner's　chance　of　escaping　a　sentence
of　death。　〃If　the　letters　and　the　Diary　are　read；〃　said　the
brutal　spokesman　of　the　mob；　〃the　letters　and　the　Diary　will　hang
him。〃

On　the　return　of　the　Judges　into　Court；　it　was　announced　that
they　had　decided；　by　a　majority　of　two　to　one；　on　permitting　the
documents　in　dispute　to　be　produced　in　evidence。　Each　of　the
Judges；　in　turn；　gave　his　reasons　for　the　decision　at　which　he
had　arrived。　This　done；　the　Trial　proceeded。　The　reading　of　the
extracts　from　the　letters　and　the　extracts　from　the　Diary　began。

The　first　letters　produced　were　the　letters　found　in　the　Indian
cabinet　in　Mrs。　Eustace　Macallan's　room。　They　were　addressed　to
the　deceased　lady　by　intimate　（female）　friends　of　hers；　with　whom
she　was　accustomed　to　correspond。　Three　separate　extracts　from
letters　written　by　three　different　correspondents　were　selected
to　be　read　in　Court。

FIRST　CORRESPONDENT：　〃I　despair；　my　dearest　Sara；　of　being　able
to　tell　you　how　your　last　letter　has　distressed　me。　Pray　forgive
me　if　I　own　to　thinking　that　your　very　sensitive　nature
exaggerates　or　misinterprets；　quite　unconsciously；　of　course；　the
neglect　that　you　experience　at　the　hands　of　your　husband。　I
cannot　say　anything　about　_his_　peculiarities　of　character；
because　I　am　not　well　enough　acquainted　with　him　to　know　what
they　are。　But；　my　dear；　I　am　much　older　than　you；　and　I　have　had
a　much　longer　experience　than　yours　of　what　somebody　calls　'the
lights　and　shadows　of　married　life。'　Speaking　from　that
experience；　I　must　tell　you　what　I　have　observed。　Young　married
women；　like　you；　who　are　devotedly　attached　to　their　husbands；
are　apt　to　make　one　very　serious　mistake。　As　a　rule；　they　all
expect　too　much　from　their　husbands。　Men；　my　poor　Sara；　are　not
like　_us。_　Their　love；　even　when　it　is　quite　sincere；　is　not　like
our　love。　It　does　not　last　as　it　does　with　us。　It　is　not　the　one
hope　and　one　thought　of　their　lives；　as　it　is　with　us。　We　have　no
alternative；　even　when　we　most　truly　respect　and　love　them；　but
to　make　allowance　for　this　difference　between　the　man's　nature
and　the　woman's。　I　do　not　for　one　moment　excuse　your　husband's
coldness。　He　is　wrong；　for　example；　in　never　looking　at　you　when
he　speaks　to　you；　and　in　never　noticing　the　efforts　that　you　make
to　please　him。　He　is　worse　than　wronghe　is　really　cruel；　if　you
likein　never　returning　your　kiss　when　you　kiss　him。　But；　my
dear；　are　you　quite　sure　that　he　is　always　_designedly_　cold　and
cruel？　May　not　his　conduct　be　sometimes　the　result　of　troubles
and　anxieties　which　weigh　on　his　mind；　and　which　are　troubles　and
anxieties　that　you　cannot　share？　If　you　try　to　look　at　his
behavior　in　this　light；　you　will　understand　many　things　which
puzzle　and　pain　you　now。　Be　patient　with　him；　my　child。　Make　no
complaints；　and　never　approach　him　with　your　caresses　at　times
when　his　mind　is　preoccupied　or　his　temper　ruffled。　This　may　be
hard　advice　to　follow；　loving　him　as　ardently　as　you　do。　But；
rely　on　it；　the　secret　of　happiness　for　us　women　is　to　be　found
（alas！　only　too　often）　in　such　exercise　of　restraint　and
resignation　as　your　old　friend　now　recommends。　Think；　my　dear；
over　what　I　have　written；　and　let　me　hear　from　you　again。〃

SECOND　CORRESPONDENT：　〃How　can　you　be　so　foolish；　Sara；　as　to
waste　your　love　on　such　a　cold…blooded　brute　as　your　husband
seems　to　be？　To　be　sure；　I　am　not　married　yet；　or　perhaps　I
should　not　be　so　surprised　at　you。　But　I　shall　be　married　one　of
these　days；　and　if　my　husband　ever　treat　me　as　Mr。　Macallan　tre
ats　you；　I　shall　insist　on　a　separation。　I　declare；　I　think　I
would　rather　be　actually　beaten；　like　the　women　among　the　lower
orders；　than　be　treated　with　the　polite　neglect　and　contempt
which　you　describe。　I　burn　with　indignation　when　I　think　of　it。
It　must　be　quite　insufferable。　Don't　bear　it　any　longer；　my　poor
dear。　Leave　him；　and　come　and　stay　with　me。　My　brother　is　a
lawyer；　as　you　know。　I　read　to　him　portions　of　your　letter；　and
he　is　of　opinion　that　you　might　get　what　he　calls　a　judicial
separation。　Come　and　consult　him。〃

THIRD　CORRESPONDENT：　〃YOU　know；　my　dear　Mrs。　Macallan；　what　_my_
experience　of　men　has　been。　Your　letter　does　not　surprise　me　in
the　least。　Your　husband's　conduct　to　you　points　to　one
conclusion。　He　is　in　love　with　some　other　woman。　There　is
Somebody　in　the　dark；　who　gets　from　him　everything　that　he　denies
to　you。　I　have　been　through　it　alland　I　know！　Don't　give　way。
Make　it　the　business　of　your　life　to　find　out　who　the　creature
is。　Perhaps　there　may　be　more　than　one　of　them。　It　doesn't
matter。　One　or　many；　if　you　can　only　discover　them；　you　may　make
his　existe