the law and the lady-第63章

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change　in　my　plans。　My　arrival　took　him　by　surprise。　I　found　him
alone　in　his　library；　with　a　wonderful　illumination　of　lamps　and
candles；　absorbed　over　some　morsels　of　torn　paper　scattered　on
the　table　before　him。

〃What　in　the　world　are　you　about？〃　I　asked。

Benjamin　blushedI　was　going　to　say；　like　a　young　girl；　but
young　girls　have　given　up　blushing　in　these　latter　days　of　the
age　we　live　in。

〃Oh；　nothing；　nothing！〃　he　said；　confusedly。　〃Don't　notice　it。〃

He　stretched　out　his　hand　to　brush　the　morsels　of　paper　off　the
table。　Those　morsels　raised　a　sudden　suspicion　in　my　mind。　I
stopped　him。

〃You　have　heard　from　Mr。　Playmore！〃　I　said。　〃Tell　me　the　truth；
Benjamin。　Yes　or　no？〃

Benjamin　blushed　a　shade　deeper；　and　answered；　〃Yes。〃

〃Where　is　the　letter？〃

〃I　mustn't　show　it　to　you；　Valeria。〃

This　（need　I　say　it？）　made　me　determined　to　see　the　letter。　My
best　way　of　persuading　Benjamin　to　show　it　to　me　was　to　tell　him
of　the　sacrifice　that　I　had　made　to　my　husband's　wishes。　〃I　have
no　further　voice　in　the　matter；〃　I　added；　when　I　had　done。　〃It
now　rests　entirely　with　Mr。　Playmore　to　go　on　or　to　give　up；　and
this　is　my　last　opportunity　of　discovering　what　he　really　thinks
about　it。　Don't　I　deserve　some　little　indulgence？　Have　I　no　claim
to　look　at　the　letter？〃

Benjamin　was　too　much　surprised；　and　too　much　pleased　with　me；
when　he　heard　what　had　happened；　to　be　able　to　resist　my
entreaties。　He　gave　me　the　letter。

Mr。　Playmore　wrote　to　appeal　confidentially　to　Benjamin　as　a
commercial　man。　In　the　long　course　of　his　occupation　in　business；
it　was　just　possible　that　he　might　have　heard　of　cases　in　which
documents　have　been　put　together　again　after　having　been　torn　up
by　design　or　by　accident。　Even　if　his　experience　failed　in　this
particular；　he　might　be　able　to　refer　to　some　authority　in　London
who　would　be　capable　of　giving　an　opinion　on　the　subject。　By　way
of　explaining　his　strange　request；　Mr。　Playmore　reverted　to　the
notes　which　Benjamin　had　taken　at　Miserrimus　Dexter's　house；　and
informed　him　of　the　serious　importance　of　〃the　gibberish〃　which
he　had　reported　under　protest。　The　letter　closed　by　recommending
that　any　correspondence　which　ensued　should　be　kept
　a　secret　from　meon　the　ground　that　it　might　excite　false　hopes
in　my　mind　if　I　were　informed　of　it。

I　now　understood　the　tone　which　my　worthy　adviser　had　adopted　in
writing　to　me。　His　interest　in　the　recovery　of　the　letter　was
evidently　so　overpowering　that　common　prudence　compelled　him　to
conceal　it　from　me；　in　case　of　ultimate　failure。　This　did　not
look　as　if　Mr。　Playmore　was　likely　to　give　up　the　investigation
on　my　withdrawal　from　it。　I　glanced　again　at　the　fragments　of
paper　on　Benjamin's　table；　with　an　interest　in　them　which　I　had
not　felt　yet。

〃Has　anything　been　found　at　Gleninch？〃　I　asked。

〃No；〃　said　Benjamin。　〃I　have　only　been　trying　experiments　with　a
letter　of　my　own；　before　I　wrote　to　Mr。　Playmore。〃

〃Oh；　you　have　torn　up　the　letter　yourself；　then？〃

〃Yes。　And；　to　make　it　all　the　more　difficult　to　put　them　together
again；　I　shook　up　the　pieces　in　a　basket。　It's　a　childish　thing
to　do；　my　dear；　at　my　age〃

He　stopped；　looking　very　much　ashamed　of　himself。

〃Well；〃　I　went　on；　〃and　have　you　succeeded　in　putting　your　letter
together　again？〃

〃It's　not　very　easy；　Valeria。　But　I　have　made　a　beginning。　It's
the　same　principle　as　the　principle　in　the　'Puzzles'　which　we
used　to　put　together　when　I　was　a　boy。　Only　get　one　central　bit
of　it　right；　and　the　rest　of　the　Puzzle　falls　into　its　place　in　a
longer　or　a　shorter　time。　Please　don't　tell　anybody；　my　dear。
People　might　say　I　was　in　my　dotage。　To　think　of　that　gibberish
in　my　note…book　having　a　meaning　in　it；　after　all！　I　only　got　Mr。
Playmore's　letter　this　morning；　andI　am　really　almost　ashamed
to　mention　itI　have　been　trying　experiments　on　torn　letters；
off　and　on；　ever　since。　You　won't　tell　upon　me；　will　you？〃

I　answered　the　dear　old　man　by　a　hearty　embrace。　Now　that　he　had
lost　his　steady　moral　balance；　and　had　caught　the　infection　of　my
enthusiasm；　I　loved　him　better　than　ever。

But　I　was　not　quite　happy；　though　I　tried　to　appear　so。　Struggle
against　it　as　I　might；　I　felt　a　little　mortified　when　I
remembered　that　I　had　resigned　all　further　connection　with　the
search　for　the　letter　at　such　a　time　as　this。　My　one　comfort　was
to　think　of　Eustace。　My　one　encouragement　was　to　keep　my　mind
fixed　as　constantly　as　possible　on　the　bright　change　for　the
better　that　now　appeared　in　the　domestic　prospect。　Here；　at
least；　there　was　no　disaster　to　fear；　here　I　could　honestly　feel
that　I　had　triumphed。　My　husband　had　come　back　to　me　of　his　own
free　will；　he　had　not　given　way；　under　the　hard　weight　of
evidencehe　had　yielded　to　the　nobler　influences　of　his
gratitude　and　his　love。　And　I　had　taken　him　to　my　heart
againnot　because　I　had　made　discoveries　which　left　him　no　other
alternative　than　to　live　with　me；　but　because　I　believed　in　the
better　mind　that　had　come　to　him；　and　loved　and　trusted　him
without　reserve。　Was　it　not　worth　some　sacrifice　to　have　arrived
at　this　result！　Truemost　true！　And　yet　I　was　a　little　out　of
spirits。　Ah；　well！　well！　the　remedy　was　within　a　day's　journey。
The　sooner　I　was　with　Eustace　the　better。

Early　the　next　morning　I　left　London　for　Paris　by　the
tidal…train。　Benjamin　accompanied　me　to　the　Terminus。

〃I　shall　write　to　Edinburgh　by　to…day's　post；〃　he　said；　in　the
interval　before　the　train　moved　out　of　the　station。　〃I　think　I
can　find　the　man　Mr。　Playmore　wants　to　help　him；　if　he　decides　to
go　on。　Have　you　any　message　to　send；　Valeria？〃

〃No。　I　have　done　with　it；　Benjamin；　I　have　nothing　more　to　say。〃

〃Shall　I　write　and　tell　you　how　it　ends；　if　Mr。　Playmore　does
really　try　the　experiment　at　Gleninch？〃

I　answered；　as　I　felt；　a　little　bitterly。

〃Yes；〃　I　said　〃Write　and　tell　me　if　the　experiment　fail。〃

My　old　friend　smiled。　He　knew　me　better　than　I　knew　myself。

〃All　right！〃　he　said；　resignedly。　〃I　have　got　the　address　of　your
banker's　correspondent　in　Paris。　You　will　have　to　go　there　for
money；　my　dear；　and　you　_may_　find　a　letter　waiting　for　you　in
the　office　when　you　least　expect　it。　Let　me　hear　how　your　husband
goes　on。　Good…byand　God　bless　you！〃

That　evening　I　was　restored　to　Eustace。

He　was　too　weak；　poor　fellow；　even　to　raise　his　head　from　the
pillow。　I　knelt　down　at　the　bedside　and　kissed　him。　His　languid；
weary　eyes　kindled　with　a　new　life　as　my　lips　touched　his。　〃I
must　try　to　live　now；〃　he　whispered；　〃for　your　sake。〃

My　mother…in…law　had　delicately　left　us　together。　When　he　said
those　words　the　temptation　to　tell　him　of　the　new　hope　that　had
come　to　brighten　our　lives　was　more　than　I　could　resist。

〃You　must　try　to　live　now；　Eustace；〃　I　said；　〃for　some　one　else
besides　me。〃

His　eyes　looked　wonderingly　into　mine。

〃Do　you　mean　my　mother？〃　he　asked。

I　laid　my　head　on　his　bosom；　and　whispered　back〃I　mean　your
child。〃

I　had　all　my　reward　for　all　that　I　had　given　up。　I　forgot　Mr。
Playmore；　I　forgot　Gleninch。　Our　new　honeymoon　dates；　in　my
remembrance；　from　that　day。

The　quiet　time　passed；　in　the　by…street　in　which　we　lived。　The
outer　stir　and　tumult　of　Parisian　life　ran　its　daily　course
around　us；　unnoticed　and　unheard。　Steadily；　though　slowly；
Eustace　gained　strength。　The　doctors；　with　a　word　or　two　of
caution；　left　him　almost　entirely　to　me。　〃You　are　his　physician；〃
they　said；　〃the　happier　you　make　him；　the　sooner　he　will
recover。〃　The　quiet；　monotonous　round　of　my　new　life　was　far　from
wearying　me。　I；　too；　wanted　reposeI　had　no　interests；　no
pleasures；　out　of　my　husband's　room。

Once；　and　once　only；　the　placid　surface　of　our　lives　was　just
gently　ruffled　by　an　allusion　to　the　past。　Something　that　I
accidentally　said　reminded　Eustace　of　our　last　interview　at　Major
Fitz…David's　house。　He　referred；　very　delicately；　to　what　I　had
then　said　of　the　Verdict　pronounced　on　him　at　the　Trial；　and　he
left　me　to　infer　that　a　word　from　my　lips；　confirming　what　his
mother　had　already　told　him；　would　quiet　his　mind　at　once　and
forever。

My　answer　involved　no　embarrassments　or　difficulties；　I　could　and
did　honestly　tell　him　that　I　had　made　his　wishes　my　law。　But　it
was　hardly　in　womanhood；　I　am　afraid；　to　be　satisfied　with　merely
replying；　and　to　leave　it　there。　I　thought　it　due　to　me　that
Eustace　too　should　concede　something；　in　the　way　of　an　assurance
which　might　quiet　_my_　mind。　As　usual　with　me；　the　words　followed
the　impulse　to　speak　them。　〃Eustace；〃　I　asked；　〃are　you　quite
cured　of　those　cruel　doubts　which　once　made　you　leave　me？〃

His　answer　（as　he　afterward　said）　made　me　blush　with　pleasure。
〃Ah；　Valeria；　I　should　never　have　gone　away　if　I　had　known　you
then　as　well　as　I　know　you　now！〃

So　the　last　shadows　of　distrust　melted　away　out　of　our　lives。

The　very　remembrance　of　the　turmoil　and　the　trouble　of　my　past
days　in　London　seemed　now　to　fade　from　my　memory。　We　were　lovers
again；　we　were　absorbed　again　in　each　other；　we　could　almost
fancy　that　our　marriage　dated　back　once　more　to　a　day　or　two
since。　But　one　last　victory　over　myself　was　wanting　to　make　my
happiness　complete。　I　still　felt　secret　longings；　in　those
dangerous　moments　when　I　was　left　by　myself；　to　know　whether　the
search　for　the　torn　letter　had　or　had　not　taken　place。　What
wayward　creatures　we　are！　With　everything　that　a　woman　could　want
to　make　her　happy；　I　was　ready　to　put　that　happiness　in　peril
rather　than　remain　ignorant　of　what　was　going　on　at　Gleninch！　I
actually　hailed　the　day　when　my　empty　purse　gave　me　an　excuse　for
going　to　my　banker's　correspondent　on　business；　and　so　receiving
any　letters　waiting　for　me　which　might　be　placed　in　my　hands。

I　applied　for　my　money　without　knowing　what　I　was　about；
wondering　all　the　time　whether　Benjamin　had　written　to　me　or　not。
My　eyes　wandered　over　the　desks　and　tables　in　the　office；　looking
for　letters　furtively。　Nothing　of　the　sort　was　visible。　But　a　man
appeared　from　an　inner　office：　an　ugly　man；　who　was　yet　beautiful
to　my　eyes；　for　this　sufficient　reasonhe　had　a　letter　in　his
hand；　and　he　said；　〃Is　this　for　you；　ma'am？〃

A　glance　at　the　address　showed　me　Benjamin's　handwriting。

Had　they　tried　the　experiment　of　recovering　the　letter？　and　had
they　failed？

Somebody　put　my　money　in　my　bag；　and　politely　led　me　out　to　the
little　hired　carriage　which　was　waiting　for　me　at　the　door。　I
remember　nothing　distinctly　until　I　open　ed　the　letter　on　my　way
home。　The　first　words　told　me　that　the　dust…heap　had　been
examined；　and　that　the　fragments　of　the　torn　letter　had　been
found。




CHAPTER　XLV。

THE　DUST…HEAP　DISTURBED。

　My　head　turned　giddy。　I　was　obliged　to　wait　and　let　my
overpowering　agitation　subside；　before　I　could　read　any　more。

Looking　at　the　letter　again；　after　an　interval；　my　eyes　fell
accidentally　on　a　sentence　near　the　end；　which　surprised　and
startled　me。

I　stopped　the　driver　of　the　carriage；　at　the　entrance　to　the
street　in　which　our　lodgings　were　situated；　and　told　him　to　take
me　to　the　beautiful　park　of　Paristhe　famous　Bois　de　Boulogne。
My　object　was　to　gain　time　enough；　in　this　way；　to　read　the
letter　carefully　through　by　myself；　and　to