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I stopped and looked up at her。 She started back from me with a
scream of terror。 I looked down again at the title…page； and read
the next lines
FOR THE ALLEGED POISONING OF HIS WIFE。
There； God's mercy remembered me。 There the black blank of a
swoon swallowed me up。
CHAPTER XI。
THE RETURN TO LIFE。
My first remembrance when I began to recover my senses was the
remembrance of Painagonizing pain； as if every nerve in my body
were being twisted and torn out of me。 My whole being writhed and
quivered under the dumb and dreadful protest of Nature against
the effort to recall me to life。 I would have given worlds to be
able to cry outto entreat the unseen creatures about me to give
me back to death。 How long that speechless agony held me I never
knew。 In a longer or shorter time there stole over me slowly a
sleepy sense of relief。 I heard my own labored breathing。 I felt
my hands moving fee bly and mechanically； like the hands of a
baby。 I faintly opened my eyes and looked round meas if I had
passed through the ordeal of death； and had awakened to new
senses in a new world。
The first person I saw was a mana stranger。 He moved quietly
out of my sight； beckoning； as he disappeared； to some other
person in the room。
Slowly and unwillingly the other person advanced to the sofa on
which I lay。 A faint cry of joy escaped me； I tried to hold out
my feeble hands。 The other person who was approaching me was my
husband！
I looked at him eagerly。 He never looked at me in return。 With
his eyes on the ground； with a strange appearance of confusion
and distress in his face； he too moved away out of my sight。 The
unknown man whom I had first noticed followed him out of the
room。 I called after him faintly； 〃Eustace！〃 He never answered；
he never returned。 With an effort I moved my head on the pillow；
so as to look round on the other side of the sofa。 Another
familiar face appeared before me as if in a dream。 My good old
Benjamin was sitting watching me； with the tears in his eyes。
He rose and took my hand silently； in his simple； kindly way。
〃Where is Eustace？〃 I asked。 〃Why has he gone away and left me？〃
I was still miserably weak。 My eyes wandered mechanically round
the room as I put the question。 I saw Major Fitz…David； I saw the
table on which the singing girl had opened the book to show it to
me。 I saw the girl herself； sitting alone in a corner； with her
handkerchief to her eyes as if she were crying。 In one mysterious
moment my memory recovered its powers。 The recollection of that
fatal title…page came back to me in all its horror。 The one
feeling that it roused in me now was a longing to see my
husbandto throw myself into his arms； and tell him how firmly I
believed in his innocence； how truly and dearly I loved him。 I
seized on Benjamin with feeble； trembling hands。 〃Bring him back
to me！〃 I cried； wildly。 〃Where is he？ Help me to get up！〃
A strange voice answered； firmly and kindly： 〃Compose yourself；
madam。 Mr。 Woodville is waiting until you have recovered； in a
room close by。〃
I looked at him； and recognized the stranger who had followed my
husband out of the room。 Why had he returned alone？ Why was
Eustace not with me； like the rest of them？ I tried to raise
myself； and get on my feet。 The stranger gently pressed me back
again on the pillow。 I attempted to resist himquite uselessly；
of course。 His firm hand held me as gently as ever in my place。
〃You must rest a little；〃 he said。 〃You must take some wine。 If
you exert yourself now you will faint again。〃
Old Benjamin stooped over me； and whispered a word of
explanation。
〃It's the doctor； my dear。 You must do as he tells you。〃
The doctor！ They had called the doctor in to help them！ I began
dimly to understand that my fainting fit must have presented
symptoms far more serious than the fainting fits of women in
general。 I appealed to the doctor； in a helpless； querulous way；
to account to me for my husband's extraordinary absence。
〃Why did you let him leave the room？〃 I asked。 〃If I can't go to
him； why don't you bring him here to me？〃
The doctor appeared to be at a loss how to reply to me。 He looked
at Benjamin； and said； 〃Will you speak to Mrs。 Woodville？〃
Benjamin； in his turn； looked at Major Fitz…David； and said；
〃Will _you？_〃 The Major signed to them both to leave us。 They
rose together； and went into the front room； pulling the door to
after them in its grooves。 As they left us； the girl who had so
strangely revealed my husband's secret to me rose in her corner
and approached the sofa。
〃I suppose I had better go too？〃 she said； addressing Major
Fitz…David。
〃If you please；〃 the Major answered。
He spoke （as I thought） rather coldly。 She tossed her head； and
turned her back on him in high indignation。 〃I must say a word
for myself！〃 cried this strange creature； with a hysterical
outbreak of energy。 〃I must say a word； or I shall burst！〃
With that extraordinary preface； she suddenly turned my way and
poured out a perfect torrent of words on me。
〃You hear how the Major speaks to me？〃 she began。 〃He blames
mepoor Mefor everything that has happened。 I am as innocent
as the new…born babe。 I acted for the best。 I thought you wanted
the book。 I don't know now what made you faint dead away when I
opened it。 And the Major blames Me！ As if it was my fault！ I am
not one of the fainting sort myself； but I feel it； I can tell
you。 Yes！ I feel it； though I don't faint about it。 I come of
respectable parentsI do。 My name is HoightyMiss Hoighty。 I
have my own self…respect； and it's wounded。 I say my self…respect
is wounded； when I find myself blamed without deserving it。 You
deserve it； if anybody does。 Didn't you tell me you were looking
for a book？ And didn't I present it to you promiscuously； with
the best intentions？ I think you might say so yourself； now the
doctor has brought you to again。 I think you might speak up for a
poor girl who is worked to death with singing and languages and
what nota poor girl who has nobody else to speak for her。 I am
as respectable as you are； if you come to that。 My name is
Hoighty。 My parents are in business； and my mamma has seen better
days； and mixed in the best of company。〃
There Miss Hoighty lifted her handkerchief again to her face； and
burst modestly into tears behind it。
It was certainly hard to hold her responsible for what had
happened。 I answered as kindly as I could； and I attempted to
speak to Major Fitz…David in her defense。 He knew what terrible
anxieties were oppressing me at that moment； and； considerately
refusing to hear a word； he took the task of consoling his young
prima donna entirely on himself。 What he said to her I neither
heard nor cared to hear： he spoke in a whisper。 It ended in his
pacifying Miss Hoighty； by kissing her hand； and leading her （as
he might have led a duchess） out of the room。
〃I hope that foolish girl has not annoyed youat such a time as
this；〃 he said； very earnestly； when he returned to the sofa。 〃I
can't tell you how grieved I am at what has happened。 I was
careful to warn you； as you may remember。 Still； if I could only
have foreseen〃
I let him proceed no further。 No human forethought could have
provided against what had happened。 Besides； dreadful as the
discovery had been； I would rather have made it； and suffered
under it； as I was suffering now； than have been kept in the
dark。 I told him this。 And then I turned to the one subject that
was now of any interest to methe subject of my unhappy husband。
〃How did he come to this house？〃 I asked。
He came here with Mr。 Benjamin shortly after I returned；〃 the
Major replied。
〃Long after I was taken ill？〃
〃No。 I had just sent for the doctorfeeling seriously alarmed
about you。〃
〃What brought him here？ Did he return to the hotel and miss me？〃
〃Yes。 He returned earlier than he had anticipated； and he felt
uneasy at not finding you at the hotel。〃
〃Did he suspect me of being with you？ Did he come here from the
hotel？〃
〃No。 He appears to have gone first to Mr。 Benjamin to inquire
about you。 What he heard from your old friend I cannot say。 I
only know that Mr。 Benjamin accompanied him when he came here。〃
This brief explanation was quite enough for meI understood what
had happened。 Eustace would easily frighten simple old Benjamin
about my absence from the hotel； and； once alarmed； Benjamin
would be persuaded without difficulty to repeat the few words
which had passed between us on the subject of Major Fitz…David。
My husband's presence in the Major's house was perfectly
explained。 But his extraordinary conduct in leaving the room at
the very time when I was just recovering my senses still remained
to be accounted for。 Major Fitz…David looked seriously
embarrassed when I put the question to him。
〃I hardly know how to explain it to you；〃 he said。 〃Eustace has
surprised and disappointed me。〃
He spoke very gravely。 His looks told me more than his words： his
looks alarmed me。
〃Eustace has not quarreled with you？〃 I said。
〃Oh no！〃
〃He understands that you have not broken your promise to him？〃
〃Certainly。 My youn g vocalist （Miss Hoighty） told