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satisfied； he told me to leave him alone with Mr。 Gale。 'We will
ring；' he said； 'when we want you here again。'
〃It was a long time before they rang for me。 The coachman was
sent for before I was summoned back to the bedroom。 He was
dispatched to Edinburgh for the second time； with a written
message from Dr。 Jerome to his head servant； saying that there
was no chance of his returning to the city and to his patients
for some hours to come。 Some of us thought this looked badly for
Mrs。 Macallan。 Others said it might mean that the doctor had
hopes of saving her； but expected to be a long time in doing it。
〃At last I was sent for。 On my presenting myself in the bedroom；
Doctor Jerome went out to speak to Mr。 Macallan； leaving Mr。 Gale
along with me。 From that time as long as the poor lady lived I
was never left alone with her。 One of the two doctors was always
in her room。 Refreshments were prepared for them； but still they
took it in turns to eat their meal； one relieving the other at
the bedside。 If they had administered remedies to their patient；
I should not have been surprised by this proceeding。 But they
were at the end of their remedies； their only business the seemed
to be to keep watch。 I was puzzled to account for this。 Keeping
watch was the nurse's business。 I thought the conduct of the
doctors very strange。
〃 By the time that the lamp was lighted in the sick…room I could
see that the end was near。 Excepting an occasional feeling of
cramp in her legs； she seemed to suffer less。 But her eyes looked
sunk in her head； her skin was cold and clammy； her lips had
turned to a bluish paleness。 Nothing roused her nowexcepting
the last attempt made by her husband to see her。 He came in with
Doctor Jerome； looking like a man terror…struck。 She was past
speaking； but the moment she saw him she feebly made signs and
sounds which showed that she was just as resolved as ever not to
let him come near her。 He was so overwhelmed that Mr。 Gale was
obliged to help him out of the room。 No other person was allowed
to see the patient。 Mr。 Dexter and Mrs。 Beauly made their
inquiries outside the door； and were not invited in。 As the
evening drew on the doctors sat on either side of the bed；
silently watching her； silently waiting for her death。
〃Toward eight o'clock she seemed to have lost the use of her
hands and arms： they lay helpless outside the bed…clothes。 A
little later she sank into a sort of dull sleep。 Little by little
the sound of her heavy breathing grew fainter。 At twenty minutes
past nine Doctor Jerome told me to bring the lamp to the bedside。
He looked at her； and put his hand on her heart。 Then he said to
me； 'You can go downstairs； nurse： it is all over。' He turned to
Mr。 Gale。 'Will you inquire if Mr。 Macallan can see us？' he said。
I opened the door for Mr。 Gale； and followed him out。 Doctor
Jerome called me back for a moment； and told me to give him the
key of the door。 I did so； of course； but I thought this also
very strange。 When I got down to the servants' hall I found there
was a general feeling that something was wrong。 We were all
uneasywithout knowing why。
〃A little later the two doctors left the house。 Mr。 Macallan had
been quite incapable of receiving them and hearing what they had
to say。 In this difficulty they had spoken privately with Mr。
Dexter； as Mr。 Macallan's old friend； and the only gentleman then
staying at Gleninch。
〃Before bed…time I went upstairs to prepare the remains of the
deceased lady for the coffin。 The room in which she lay was
locked； the door leading into Mr。 Macallan's room being secured；
as well as the door leading into the corridor。 The keys had been
taken away by Mr。 Gale。 Two of the men…servants were posted
outside the bedroom to keep watch。 They were to be relieved at
four in the morningthat was all they could tell me。
〃In the absence of any explanations or directions； I took the
liberty of knocking at the door of Mr。 Dexter's room。 From his
lips I first heard the startling news。 Both the doctors had
refused to give the usual certificate of death！ There was to be a
medical examination of the body the next morning。〃
There the examination of the nurse； Christina Ormsay； came to an
end。
Ignorant as I was of the law； I could see what impression the
evidence （so far） was intended to produce on the minds of the
jury。 After first showing that my husband had had two
opportunities of administering the poisononce in the medicine
and once in the teathe counsel for the Crown led the jury to
infer that the prisoner had taken those opportunities to rid
himself of an ugly and jealous wife； whose detestable temper he
could no longer endure。
Having directed his examination to the attainment of this object；
the Lord Advocate had done with the witness。 The Dean of
Facultyacting in the prisoner's intereststhen rose to bring
out the favorable side of the wife's character by cross…examining
the nurse。 If he succeeded in this attempt； the jury might
reconsider their conclusion that the wife was a person who had
exasperated her husband beyond endurance。 In that case； where （so
far） was the husband's motive for poisoning her？ and where was
the presumption of the prisoner's guilt？
Pressed by this skillful lawyer； the nurse was obliged to exhibit
my husband's first wife under an entirely new aspect。 Here is the
substance of what the Dean of Faculty extracted from Christina
Ormsay：
〃I persist in declaring that Mrs。 Macallan had a most violent
temper。 But she was certainly in the habit of making amends for
the offense that she gave by her violence。 When she was quiet
again she always made her excuses to me； and she made them with a
good grace。 Her manners were engaging at such times as these。 She
spoke and acted like a well…bred lady。 Then； again； as to her
personal appearance。 Plain as she was in face； she had a good
figure； her hands and feet； I was told； had been modeled by a
sculptor。 She had a very pleasant voice； and she was reported
when in health to sing beautifully。 She was also （if her maid's
account was to be trusted） a pattern in the matter of dressing
for the other ladies in the neighborhood。 Then； as to Mrs。
Beauly； though she was certainly jealous of the beautiful young
widow； she had shown at the same time that she was capable of
controlling that feeling。 It was through Mrs。 Macallan that Mrs。
Beauly was in the house。 Mrs。 Beauly had wished to postpone her
visit on account of the state of Mrs。 Macallan's health。 It was
Mrs。 Macallan herselfnot her husbandwho decided that Mrs。
Beauly should not be disappointed； and should pay her visit to
Gleninch then and there。 Further； Mrs。 Macallan （in spite of her
temper） was popular with her friends and popular with her
servants。 There was hardly a dry eye in the house when it was
known she was dying。 And； further still； in those little domestic
disagreements at which the nurse had been present； Mr。 Macallan
had never lost his temper； and had never used harsh language： he
seemed to be more sorry than angry when the quarrels took
place。〃Moral for the jury： Was this the sort of woman who would
exasperate a man into poisoning her？ And was this the sort of man
who would be capable of poisoning his wife？
Having produced this salutary counter…impression； the Dean of
Faculty sat down； and the medical witnesses were called next。
Here the evidence was simply irresistible。
Dr。 Jerome and Mr。 Gale positively swore that the symptoms of the
illness were the symptoms of poisoning by arsenic。 The surgeon
who had performed the post…mortem examination followed。 He
positively swore that the appearance of the internal organs
proved Doctor Jerome and Mr。 Gale to be right in declaring that
their patient had died poisoned。 Lastly； to complete this
overwhelming testimony； two analytical chemists actually produced
in Court the arsenic which they had found in the body； in a
quantity admittedly sufficient to have killed two persons instead
of one。 In the face of such evidence as this； cross…examination
was a mere form。 The first Question raised by the TrialDid the
Woman Die Poisoned？was answered in the affirmative； and
answered beyond the possibility of doubt。
The next witnesses called were witnesses concerned with the
question that now followedthe obscure and terrible question；
Who Poisoned Her？
CHAPTER XVII。
SECOND QUESTIONWHO POISONED HER？。
THE evidence of the doctors and the chemists closed the
proceedings on the first day of the Trial。
On the second day the evidence to be produced by the prosecution
was anticipated with a general feeling of curiosity and interest。
The Court was now to hear what had been seen and done by the
persons officially appointed to verify such cases of suspected
crime as the case which had occurred at Gleninch。 The
Procurator…Fiscalbeing the person officially appointed to
direct the preliminary investigations of the lawwas the first
witness called on the second day of the Trial。
Examined by the Lord Advocate； the Fiscal gave his evidence； as
follows：
〃On the twenty…sixth of October I received a communication from
Doctor Jerome； of Edinburgh； and from Mr。 Alexander Gale； me