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what has happenedand sooner or later they must know itwhat
will they say？ They will say； 'He began badly； he concealed from
our niece that he had been wedded to a first wife； he married our
niece under a false name。 He may say he is innocent； but we have
only his word for it。 When he was put on his Trial； the Verdict
was Not Proven。 Not Proven won't do for us。 If the jury have done
him an injusticeif he _is_ innocentlet him prove it。' That is
what the world thinks and says of me。 That is what your friends
will think and say of me。 The time is coming； Valeria； when
youeven Youwill feel that your friends have reason to appeal
to on their side； and that you have no reason on yours。〃
〃That time will never come！〃 I answered； warmly。 〃You wrong me；
you insult me； in thinking it possible！〃
He put down my hand from him； and drew back a step； with a bitter
smile。
〃We have only been married a few days； Valeria。 Your love for me
is new and young。 Time； which wears away all things； will wear
away the first fervor of that love。〃
〃Never！ never！〃
He drew back from me a little further still。
〃Look at the world around you；〃 he said。 〃The happiest husbands
and wives have their occasional misunderstandings and
disagreements； the brightest married life has its passing clouds。
When those days come for _us；_ the doubts and fears that you
don't feel now will find their way to you then。 When the clouds
rise in _our_ married lifewhen I say my first harsh word； when
you make your first hasty replythen； in the solitude of your
own room； in the stillness of the wakeful night； you will think
of my first wife's miserable death。 You will remember that I was
held responsible for it； and that my innocence was never proved。
You will say to yourself； 'Did it begin； in _her_ time； with a
harsh word from him and with a hasty reply from her？ Will it one
day end with me as the jury half feared that it ended with her？'
Hideous questions for a wife to ask herself！ You will stifle
them； you will recoil from them； like a good woman； with horror。
But when we meet the next morning you will be on your guard； and
I shall see it； and know in my heart of hearts what it means。
Imbittered by that knowledge； my next harsh word may be harsher
still。 Your next thoughts of me may remind you more vividly and
more boldly that your husband was once tried as a poisoner； and
that the question of his first wife's death was never properly
cleared up。 Do you see what materials for a domestic hell are
mingling for us here？ Was it for nothing that I warned you；
solemnly warned you； to draw back； when I found you bent on
discovering the truth？ Can I ever be at your bedside now； when
you are ill； and not remind you； in the most innocent things I
do； of what happened at that other bedside； in the time of that
other woman whom I married first？ If I pour out your medicine； I
commit a suspicious actionthey say I poisoned _her_ in her
medicine。 If I bring you a cup of tea； I revive the remembrance
of a horrid doubtthey said I put the arsenic in _her_ cup of
tea。 If I kiss you when I leave the room； I remind you that the
prosecution accused me of kissing _her；_ to save appearances and
produce an effect on the nurse。 Can we live together on such
terms as these？ No mortal creatures could support the misery of
it。 This very day I said to you； 'If you stir a step further in
this matter； there is an end of your happiness for the rest of
your life。' You have taken that step and the end has come to your
happiness and to mine。 The blight that cankers and kills is on
you and on me for the rest of our lives！〃
So far I had forced myself to listen to him。 At those last words
the picture of the future that he was placing before me became
too hideous to be endured。 I refused to hear more。
〃You are talking horribly；〃 I said。 〃At your age and at mine；
have we done with love and done with hope？ It is blasphemy to
Love and Hope to say it！〃
〃Wait till you have read the Trial；〃 he answered。 〃You mean to
read it； I suppose？〃
〃Every word of it！ With a motive； Eustace； which you have yet to
know。〃
〃No motive of yours； Valeria； no love and hope of yours； can
alter the inexorable facts。 My first wife died poisoned； and the
verdict of the jury has not absolutely acquitted me of the guilt
of causing her death。 As long as you were ignorant of that the
possibilities of happiness were always within our reach。 Now you
know it； I say againour married life is at an end。〃
〃No；〃 I said。 〃Now I know it； our married life has begunbegun
with a new object for your wife's devotion； with a new reason for
your wife's love！〃
〃What do you mean？〃
I went near to him again； and took his hand。
〃What did you tell me the world has said of you？〃 I asked。 〃What
did you tell me my friends would say of you？ 'Not Proven won't do
for us。 If the jury have done him an injusticeif he _is_
innocentlet him prove it。' Those were the words you put into
the mouths of my friends。 I adopt them for mine！ I say Not Proven
won't do for _me。_ Prove your right； Eustace； to a verdict of Not
Guilty。 Why have you let three years pass without doing it？ Shall
I guess why？ You have waited for your wife to help you。 Here she
is； my darling； ready to help you with all her heart and soul。
Here she is； with one object in lifeto show the world and to
show the Scotch Jury that her husband is an innocent man！〃
I had roused myself； my pulses were throbbing； my voice rang
through the room。 Had I roused _him_？ What was his answer？
〃Read the Trial。〃 That was his answer。
I seized him by the arm。 In my indignation and my despair I shook
him with all my strength。 God forgive me； I could almost have
struck him for the tone in which he had spoken and the look that
he had cast on me！
〃I have told you that I mean to read the Trial；〃 I said。 〃I mean
to read it； line by line； with you。 Some inexcusable mistake has
been made。 Evidence in your favor that might have been found has
not been found。 Suspicious circumstances have not been
investigated。 Crafty people have not been watched。 Eustace！ the
conviction of some dreadful oversight； committed by you or by the
persons who helped you； is firmly settled in my mind。 The
resolution to set that vile Verdict right was the first
resolution that came to me when I first heard of it in the next
room。 We _will_ set it right！ We _must_ set it rightfor your
sake； for my sake； for the sake of our children if we are blessed
with children。 Oh； my own love； don't look at me with those cold
eyes！ Don't answer me in those hard tones！ Don't treat me as if I
were talking ignorantly and madly of something that can never
be！〃
Still I never roused him。 His next words were spoken
compassionately rather than coldlythat was all。
〃My defense was undertaken by the greatest lawyers in the land；〃
he said。 〃After such men have done their utmost； and have
failedmy poor Valeria； what can you； what can I； do？ We can
only submit。〃
〃Never！〃 I cried。 〃The greatest lawyers are mortal men； the
greatest lawyers have made mistakes before now。 You can't deny
that。〃
〃Read the Trial。〃 For the third time he said those cruel words；
and said no more。
In utter despair of moving him…feeling keenly； bitterly （if I
must own it）； his merciless superiority to all that I had said to
him in the honest fervor of my devotion and my loveI thought of
Major Fitz…David as a last resort。 In the dis ordered state of my
mind at that moment； it made no difference to me that the Major
had already tried to reason with him； and had failed。 In the face
of the facts I had a blind belief in the influence of his old
friend； if his old friend could only be prevailed upon to support
my view。
〃Wait for me one moment；〃 I said。 〃I want you to hear another
opinion besides mine。〃
I left him； and returned to the study。 Major Fitz…David was not
there。 I knocked at the door of communication with the front
room。 It was opened instantly by the Major himself。 The doctor
had gone away。 Benjamin still remained in the room。
〃Will you come and speak to Eustace？〃 I began。 〃If you will only
say what I want you to say〃
Before I could add a word more I heard the house door opened and
closed。 Major Fitz…David and Benjamin heard it too。 They looked
at each other in silence。
I ran back； before the Major could stop me； to the room in which
I had seen Eustace。 It was empty。 My husband had left the house。
CHAPTER XIII。
THE MAN'S DECISION。
MY first impulse was the reckless impulse to follow
Eustaceopenly through the streets。
The Major and Benjamin both opposed this hasty resolution on my
part。 They appealed to my own sense of self…respect； without （so
far as I remember it） producing the slightest effect on my mind。
They were more successful when they entreated me next to be
patient for my husband's sake。 In mercy to Eustace； they begged
me to wait half an hour。 If he failed to return in that time；
they pledged themselves to accompany me in search of him to the
hotel。
In mercy to Eustace I consented to wait。 What I suffered under
the forced necessity for remaining passive at that crisis in my
life no words of mine can tell。 I