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the law and the lady-第34章

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husband's Diary。 There were expressions here and there which not
only pained me; but which almost shook Eustace's position in my
estimation。 I think I would have given everything I possessed to
have had the power of annihilating certain lines in the Diary。 As
for his passionate expressions of love for Mrs。 Beauly; every one
of them went through me like a sting。 He had whispered words
quite as warm into my ears in the days of his courtship。 I had no
reason to doubt that he truly and dearly loved me。 But the
question was; Had he just as truly and dearly loved Mrs。 Beauly
before me? Had she or Iwon the first love of his heart? He had
declared to me over and over again that he had only fancied
himself to be in love before the day when we met。 I had believed
him then。 I determined to believe him still。 I did believe him。
But I hated Mrs。 Beauly!

As for the painful impression produced in Court by the readings
from the letters and the Diary; it seemed to be impossible to
increase it。 Nevertheless it _was_ perceptibly increased。 In
other words; it was rendered more unfavorable still toward the
prisoner by the evidence of the next and last witness called on
the part of the prosecution。

William Enzie; under…gardener at Gleninch; was sworn; and deposed
as follows:

On the twentieth of October; at eleven o'clock in the forenoon; I
was sent to work in the shrubbery; on the side next to the garden
called the Dutch Garden。 There was a summer…house in the Dutch
Garden; having its back set toward the shrubbery。 The day was
wonderfully fine andwarm for the time of year。

〃Passing to my work; I passed the back of the summer…house。 I
heard voices insidea man's voice and a lady's voice。 The lady's
voice was strange to me。 The man's voice I recognized as the
voice of my master。 The ground in the shrubbery was soft; and my
curiosity was excited。 I stepped up to the back of the
summer…house without being heard; and I listened to what was
going on inside。

〃The first words I could distinguish were spoken in my master's
voice。 He said; 'If I could only have foreseen that you might one
day be free; what a happy man I might have been!' The lady's
voice answered; 'Hush! you must not talk so。' My master said upon
that; 'I must talk of what is in my mind; it is always in my mind
that I have lost you。' He stopped a bit there; and then he said
on a sudden; 'Do me one favor; my angel! Promise me not to marry
again。' The lady's voice spoke out thereupon sharply enough;
'What do you mean?' My master said; 'I wish no harm to the
unhappy creature who is a burden on my life; but suppose'
'Suppose nothing;' the lady said; 'come back to the house。'

〃She led the way into the garden; and turned round; beckoning my
master to join her。 In that position I saw her face plainly; and
I knew it for the face of the young widow lady who was visiting
at the house。 She was pointed out to me by the head…gardener when
she first arrived; for the purpose of warning me that I was not
to interfere if I found her picking the flowers。 The gardens at
Gleninch were shown to tourists on certain days; and we made a
difference; of course; in the matter of the flowers between
strangers and guests staying in the house。 I am quite certain of
the identity of the lady who was talking with my master。 Mrs。
Beauly was a comely personand there was no mistaking her for
any other than herself。 She and my master withdrew together on
the way to the house。 I heard nothing more of what passed between
them。〃

This witness was severely cross…examined as to the correctness of
his recollection of the talk in the summer…house; and as to his
capacity for identifying both the speakers。 On certain minor
points he was shaken。 But he firmly asserted his accurate
remembrance of the last words exchanged between his master and
Mrs。 Beauly; and he personally described the lady in terms which
proved that he had corruptly identified her。

With this the answer to the third question raised by the
Trialthe question of the prisoner's motive for poisoning his
wifecame to an end。

The story for the prosecution was now a story told。 The
staunchest friends of the prisoner in Court were compelled to
acknowledge that the evidence thus far pointed clearly and
conclusively against him。 He seemed to feel this himself。 When he
 withdrew at the close of the third day of the Trial he was so
depressed and exhausted that he was obliged to lean on the arm of
the governor of the jail。


CHAPTER XIX。

THE EVIDENCE FOR THE DEFENSE。

 THE feeling of interest excited by the Trial was prodigiously
increased on the fourth day。 The witnesses for the defense were
now to be heard; and first and foremost among them appeared the
prisoner's mother。 She looked at her son as she lifted her veil
to take the oath。 He burst into tears。 At that moment the
sympathy felt for the mother was generally extended to the
unhappy son。

Examined by the Dean of Faculty; Mrs。 Macallan the elder gave her
answers with remarkable dignity and self…control。

Questioned as to certain private conversations which had passed
between her late daughter…in…law and herself; she declared that
Mrs。 Eustace Macallan was morbidly sensitive on the subject of
her personal appearance。 She was devotedly attached to her
husband; the great anxiety of her life was to make herself as
attractive to him as possible。 The imperfections in her personal
appearanceand especially in her complexionwere subjects to
her of the bitterest regret。 The witness had heard her say; over
and over again (referring to her complexion); that there was no
risk she would not run; and no pain she would not suffer; to
improve it。 〃Men〃 (she had said) 〃are all caught by outward
appearances: my husband might love me better if I had a better
color。〃

Being asked next if the passages from her son's Diary were to be
depended on as evidencethat is to say; if they fairly
represented the peculiarities in his character; and his true
sentiments toward his wifeMrs。 Macallan denied it in the
plainest and strongest terms。

〃The extracts from my son's Diary are a libel on his character;〃
she said。 〃And not the less a libel because they happen to be
written by himself。 Speaking from a mother's experience of him; I
know that he must have written the passages produced in moments
of uncontrollable depression and despair。 No just person judges
hastily of a man by the rash words which may escape him in his
moody and miserable moments。 Is my son to be so judged because he
happens to have written _his_ rash words; instead of speaking
them? His pen has been his most deadly enemy; in this caseit
has presented him at his very worst。 He was not happy in his
marriageI admit that。 But I say at the same time that he was
invariably considerate toward his wife。 I was implicitly trusted
by both of them; I saw them in their most private moments。 I
declarein the face of what she appears to have written to her
friends and correspondentsthat my son never gave his wife any
just cause to assert that he treated her with cruelty or
neglect。〃

The words; firmly and clearly spoken; produced a strong
impression。 The Lord Advocateevidently perceiving that any
attempt to weaken that impression would not be likely to
succeedconfined himself; in cross…examination; to two
significant questions。

〃In speaking to you of the defects in her complexion;〃 he said;
〃did your daughter…in…law refer in any way to the use of arsenic
as a remedy?〃

The answer to this was; 〃No。〃

The Lord Advocate proceeded:

〃Did you yourself ever recommend arsenic; or mention it casually;
in the course of the private conversations which you have
described?〃

The answer to this was; 〃Never。〃

The Lord Advocate resumed his seat。 Mrs。 Macallan the elder
withdrew。

An interest of a new kind was excited by the appearance of the
next witness。 This was no less a person than Mrs。 Beauly herself。
The Report describes her as a remarkably attractive person;
modest and lady…like in her manner; and; to all appearance;
feeling sensitively the public position in which she was placed。

The first portion of her evidence was almost a recapitulation of
the evidence given by the prisoner's motherwith this
difference; that Mrs。 Beauly had been actually questioned by the
deceased lady on the subject of cosmetic applications to the
complexion。 Mrs。 Eustace Macallan had complimented her on the
beauty of her complexion; and had asked what artificial means she
used to keep it in such good order。 Using no artificial means;
and knowing nothing whatever of cosmetics; Mrs。 Beauly had
resented the question; and a temporary coolness between the two
ladies had been the result。

Interrogated as to her relations with the prisoner; Mrs。 Beauly
indignantly denied that she or Mr。 Macallan had ever given the
deceased lady the slightest cause for jealousy。 It was impossible
for Mrs。 Beauly to leave Scotland; after visiting at the houses
of her cousin's neighbors; without also visiting at her cousin's
house。 To take any other course would have been an act of
downright rudeness; and would have excited remark。 She did not
deny that Mr。 Macallan had admired her in t
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