the law and the lady-第52章

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Gleninch　the　missing　key？

I　went　back　for　the　third　time　to　my　desk。　The　one　person　who
might　be　trusted　to　find　the　answer　to　those　questions　was　Mr。
Playmore。　I　wrote　him　a　full　and　careful　account　of　all　that　had
happened；　I　begged　him　to　forgive　and　forget　my　ungracious
reception　of　the　advice　which　he　had　so　kindly　offered　to　me；　and
I　promised　beforehand　to　do　nothing　without　first　consulting　his
opinion　in　the　new　emergency　which　now　confronted　me。

The　day　was　fine　for　the　time　of　year；　and　by　way　of　getting　a
little　wholesome　exercise　after　the　surprises　and　occupations　of
the　morning；　I　took　my　letter　to　Mr。　Playmore　to　the　post。

Returning　to　the　villa；　I　was　informed　that　another　visitor　was
waiting　to　see　me：　a　civilized　visitor　this　time；　who　had　given
her　name。　My　mother…in…lawMrs。　Macallan。



CHAPTER　XXXVII。

AT　THE　BEDSIDE。

　BEFORE　she　had　uttered　a　word；　I　saw　in　my　mother…in…law's　face
that　she　brought　bad　news。

〃Eustace？〃　I　said。

She　answered　me　by　a　look。

〃Let　me　he　ar　it　at　once！〃　I　cried。　〃I　can　bear　anything　but
suspense。〃

Mrs。　Macallan　lifted　her　hand；　and　showed　me　a　telegraphic
dispatch　which　she　had　hitherto　kept　concealed　in　the　folds　of
her　dress。

〃I　can　trust　your　courage；〃　she　said。　〃There　is　no　need；　my
child；　to　prevaricate　with　you。　Read　that。〃

I　read　the　telegram。　It　was　sent　by　the　chief　surgeon　of　a
field…hospital；　and　it　was　dated　from　a　village　in　the　north　of
Spain。

〃Mr。　Eustace　severely　wounded　in　a　skirmish　by　a　stray　shot。　Not
in　danger；　so　far。　Every　care　taken　of　him。　Wait　for　another
telegram。〃

I　turned　away　my　face；　and　bore　as　best　I　might　the　pang　that
wrung　me　when　I　read　those　words。　I　thought　I　knew　how　dearly　I
loved　him：　I　had　never　known　it　till　that　moment。

My　mother…in…law　put　her　arm　round　me；　and　held　me　to　her
tenderly。　She　knew　me　well　enough　not　to　speak　to　me　at　that
moment。

I　rallied　my　courage；　and　pointed　to　the　last　sentence　in　the
telegram。

〃Do　you　mean　to　wait？〃　I　asked。

〃Not　a　day！〃　she　answered。　〃I　am　going　to　the　Foreign　Office
about　my　passportI　have　some　interest　there：　they　can　give　me
letters；　they　can　advise　and　assist　me。　I　leave　to…night　by　the
mail　train　to　Calais。〃

〃_You_　leave？〃　I　said。　〃Do　you　suppose　I　will　let　you　go　without
me？　Get　my　passport　when　you　get　yours。　At　seven　this　evening　I
will　be　at　your　house。〃

She　attempted　to　remonstrate；　she　spoke　of　the　perils　of　the
journey。　At　the　first　words　I　stopped　her。　〃Don't　you　know　yet；
mother；　how　obstinate　I　am？　They　may　keep　you　waiting　at　the
Foreign　Office。　Why　do　you　waste　the　precious　hours　here？〃

She　yielded　with　a　gentleness　that　was　not　in　her　everyday
character。　〃Will　my　poor　Eustace　ever　know　what　a　wife　he　has
got？〃　That　was　all　she　said。　She　kissed　me；　and　went　away　in　her
carriage。

　My　remembrances　of　our　journey　are　strangely　vague　and
imperfect。

As　I　try　to　recall　them；　the　memory　of　those　more　recent　and　more
interesting　events　which　occurred　after　my　return　to　England　gets
between　me　and　my　adventures　in　Spain；　and　seems　to　force　these
last　into　a　shadowy　background；　until　they　look　like　adventures
that　happened　many　years　since。　I　confusedly　recollect　delays　and
alarms　that　tried　our　patience　and　our　courage。　I　remember　our
finding　friends　（thanks　to　our　letters　of　recommendation）　in　a
Secretary　to　the　Embassy　and　in　a　Queen's　Messenger；　who　assisted
and　protected　us　at　a　critical　point　in　the　journey。　I　recall　to
mind　a　long　succession　of　men　in　our　employment　as　travelers；　all
equally　remarkable　for　their　dirty　cloaks　and　their　clean　linen；
for　their　highly　civilized　courtesy　to　women　and　their　utterly
barbarous　cruelty　to　horses。　Last；　and　most　important　of　all；　I
see　again；　more　clearly　than　I　can　see　anything　else；　the　one
wretched　bedroom　of　a　squalid　village　inn　in　which　we　found　our
poor　darling；　prostrate　between　life　and　death；　insensible　to
everything　that　passed　in　the　narrow　little　world　that　lay　around
his　bedside。

There　was　nothing　romantic　or　interesting　in　the　accident　which
had　put　my　husband's　life　in　peril。

He　had　ventured　too　near　the　scene　of　the　conflict　（a　miserable
affair）　to　rescue　a　poor　lad　who　lay　wounded　on　the
fieldmortally　wounded；　as　the　event　proved。　A　rifle…bullet　had
struck　him　in　the　body。　His　brethren　of　the　field…hospital　had
carried　him　back　to　their　quarters　at　the　risk　of　their　lives。　He
was　a　great　favorite　with　all　of　them；　patient　and　gentle　and
brave；　only　wanting　a　little　more　judgment　to　be　the　most
valuable　recruit　who　had　joined　the　brotherhood。

In　telling　me　this；　the　surgeon　kindly　and　delicately　added　a
word　of　warning　as　well。

The　fever　caused　by　the　wound　had　brought　with　it　delirium；　as
usual。　My　poor　husband's　mind；　in　so　far　as　his　wandering　words
might　interpret　it；　was　filled　by　the　one　image　of　his　wife。　The
medical　attendant　had　heard　enough　in　the　course　of　his
ministrations　at　the　bedside；　to　satisfy　him　that　any　sudden
recognition　of　me　by　Eustace　（if　he　recovered）　might　be　attended
by　the　most　lamentable　results。　As　things　were　at　that　sad　time；
I　might　take　my　turn　at　nursing　him；　without　the　slightest　chance
of　his　discovering　me；　perhaps　for　weeks　and　weeks　to　come。　But
on　the　day　when　he　was　declared　out　of　dangerif　that　happy　day
ever　arrivedI　must　resign　my　place　at　his　bedside；　and　must
wait　to　show　myself　until　the　surgeon　gave　me　leave。

My　mother…in…law　and　I　relieved　each　other　regularly；　day　and
night；　in　the　sick…room。

In　the　hours　of　his　deliriumhours　that　recurred　with　a　pitiless
regularitymy　name　was　always　on　my　poor　darling's　fevered　lips。
The　ruling　idea　in　him　was　the　fine　dreadful　idea　which　I　had
vainly　combated　at　our　last　interview。　In　the　face　of　the　verdict
pronounced　at　the　Trial；　it　was　impossible　even　for　his　wife　to
be　really　and　truly　persuaded　that　he　was　an　innocent　man。　All
the　wild　pictures　which　his　distempered　imagination　drew　were
equally　inspired　by　that　one　obstinate　conviction。　He　fancied
himself　to　be　still　living　with　me　under　those　dreaded
conditions。　Do　what　he　might；　I　was　always　recalling　to　him　the
terrible　ordeal　through　which　he　had　passed。　He　acted　his　part；
and　he　acted　mine。　He　gave　me　a　cup　of　tea；　and　I　said　to　him；
〃We　quarreled　yesterday；　Eustace。　Is　it　poisoned？〃　He　kissed　me；
in　token　of　our　reconciliation；　and　I　laughed；　and　said；　〃It's
morning　now；　my　dear。　Shall　I　die　by　nine　o'clock　to…night？〃　I
was　ill　in　bed；　and　he　gave　me　my　medicine。　I　looked　at　him　with
a　doubting　eye。　I　said　to　him；　〃You　are　in　love　with　another
woman。　Is　there　anything　in　the　medicine　that　the　doctor　doesn't
know　of？〃　Such　was　the　horrible　drama　which　now　perpetually　acted
itself　in　his　mind。　Hundreds　and　hundreds　of　times　I　heard　him
repeat　it；　almost　always　in　the　same　words。　On　other　occasions
his　thoughts　wandered　away　to　my　desperate　project　of　proving　him
to　be　an　innocent　man。　Sometimes　he　laughed　at　it。　Sometimes　he
mourned　over　it。　Sometimes　he　devised　cunning　schemes　for　placing
unsuspected　obstacles　in　my　way。　He　was　especially　hard　on　me
when　he　was　inventing　his　preventive　stratagemshe　cheerfully
instructed　the　visionary　people　who　assisted　him　not　to　hesitate
at　offending　or　distressing　me。　〃Never　mind　if　you　make　her
angry；　never　mind　if　you　make　her　cry。　It's　all　for　her　good；
it's　all　to　save　the　poor　fool　from　dangers　she　doesn't　dream　of。
You　mustn't　pity　her　when　she　says　she　does　it　for　my　sake。　See！
she　is　going　to　be　insulted；　she　is　going　to　be　deceived；　she　is
going　to　disgrace　herself　without　knowing　it。　Stop　her！　stop
her！〃　It　was　weak　of　me；　I　know；　I　ought　to　have　kept　the　plain
fact　that　he　was　out　of　his　senses　always　present　to　my　mind：
still　it　is　true　that　my　hours　passed　at　my　husband's　pillow　were
many　of　them　hours　of　mortification　and　misery　of　which　he；　poor
dear；　was　the　innocent　and　only　cause。

The　weeks　passed；　and　he　still　hovered　between　life　and　death。

I　kept　no　record　of　the　time；　and　I　cannot　now　recall　the　exact
date　on　which　the　first　favorable　change　took　place。　I　only
remember　that　it　was　toward　sunrise　on　a　fine　winter　morning　when
we　were　relieved　at　last　of　our　heavy　burden　of　suspense。　The
surgeon　happened　to　be　by　the　bedside　when　his　patient　awoke。　The
first　thing　he　did；　after　looking　at　Eustace；　was　to　caution　me
by　a　sign　to　be　silent　and　to　keep　out　of　sight。　My　mother…in…law
and　I　both　knew　what　this　meant。　With　full　hearts　we　thanked　God
together　for　giving　us　back　the　husband　and　the　son。

The　same　evening；　being　alone；　we　ventured　to　speak　of　the
futurefor　the　first　time　since　we　had　left　home。

〃The　surgeon　tells　me；〃　said　Mrs。　Macallan；　〃that　Eustace　is　too
weak　to　be　capable　of　bearing　anything　in　the　nature　of　a
surprise　for　some　days　to　come。　We　have　time　to　consider　whether
he　is　or　is　not　to　be　told　that　he　owes　his　life　as　much　to　your
care　as　to　mine。　Can　you　find　it　in　your　heart　to　leave　him；
Valeria；　now　that　God's　mercy　has　restored　him　to　you　and　to　me？〃

〃If　I　only　consulted　my　own　heart；〃　I　answered；　〃I　should　never
leave　him　again。〃

Mrs。　Macallan　looked　at　me　in　grave　surprise。

〃What　else　have　you　to　consult？〃　she　asked。

〃If　we　both　live；〃　I　repli　ed；　〃I　have　to　think　of　the　happiness
of　his　life　and　the　happiness　of　mine　in　the　years　that　are　to
come。　I　can　bear　a　great　deal；　mother；　but　I　cannot　endure　the
misery　of　his　leaving　me　for　the　second　time。〃

〃You　wrong　him；　ValeriaI　firmly　believe　you　wrong　himin
thinking　it　possible　that　he　can　leave　you　again。〃

〃Dear　Mrs。　Macallan；　have　you　forgotten　already　what　we　have　both
heard　him　say　of　me　while　we　have　been　sitting　by　his　bedside？〃

〃We　have　heard　the　ravings　of　a　man　in　delirium。　It　is　surely
hard　to　hold　Eustace　responsible　for　what　he　said　when　he　was　out
of　his　senses。〃

〃It　is　harder　still；〃　I　said；　〃to　resist　his　mother　when　she　is
pleading　for　him。　Dearest　and　best　of　friends！　I　don't　hold
Eustace　responsible　for　what　he　said　in　the　feverbut　I　_do_
take　warning　by　it。　The　wildest　words　that　fell　from　him　were；
one　and　all；　the　faithful　echo　of　what　he　said　to　me　in　the　best
days　of　his　health　and　his　strength。　What　hope　have　I　that　he
will　recover　with　an　altered　mind　toward　me？　Absence　has　not
changed　it；　suffering　has　not　changed　it。　In　the　delirium　of
fever；　and　in　the　full　possession　of　his　reason；　he　has　the　same
dreadful　doubt　of　me。　I　see　but　one　way　of　winning　him　back：　I
must　destroy　at　its　root　his　motive　for　leaving　me。　It　is
hopeless　to　persuade　him　that　I　believe　in　his　innocence：　I　must
show　him　that　belief　is　no　longer　necessary；　I　must　prove　to　him
that　his　position　toward　me　has　become　the　position　of　an
innocent　man！〃

〃Valeria！　Valeria！　you　are　wasting　time　and　words。　You　have　tried
the　experiment；　and　you　know　as　well　as　I　do　that　the　thing　is
not　to　be　done。〃

I　had　no　answer　to　that。　I　could　say　no　more　than　I　had　said
already。

〃Suppose　you　go　back　to　Dexter；　out　of　sheer　compassion　for　a　mad
and　miserable　wretch　who　has　already　insulted　you；〃　proceeded　my
mother…in…law。　〃You　can　only　go　back　accompanied　by　me；　or　by
some　other　trustworthy　person。　You　can　only