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me wasMiserrimus Dexter。 He might disappoint the expectations
that I had fixed on him； or he might refuse to help me； or （like
my uncle Starkweather） he might think I had taken leave of my
senses。 All these events were possible。 Nevertheless； I held to
my resolution to try the experiment。 If he were in the land of
the living； I decided that my first step at starting should take
me to the deformed man with the strange name。
Supposing he received me； sympathized with me； understood me？
What would he say？ The nurse； in her evidence； had reported him
as speaking in an off…hand manner。 He would say； in all
probability； 〃What do you mean to do？ And how can I help you to
do it？〃
Had I answers ready if those two plain questions were put to me？
Yes！ if I dared own to any human creatu re what was at that very
moment secretly fermenting in my mind。 Yes！ if I could confide to
a stranger a suspicion roused in me by the Trial which I have
been thus far afraid to mention even in these pages！
It must； nevertheless； be mentioned now。 My suspicion led to
results which are part of my story and part of my life。
Let me own； then； to begin with； that I closed the record of the
Trial actually agreeing in one important particular with the
opinion of my enemy and my husband's enemythe Lord Advocate！ He
had characterized the explanation of Mrs。 Eustace Macallan's
death offered by the defense as a 〃clumsy subterfuge； in which no
reasonable being could discern the smallest fragment of
probability。〃 Without going quite so far as this； I； too； could
see no reason whatever in the evidence for assuming that the poor
woman had taken an overdose of the poison by mistake。 I believed
that she had the arsenic secretly in her possession； and that she
had tried； or intended to try； the use of it internally； for the
purpose of improving her complexion。 But further than this I
could not advance。 The more I thought of it； the more plainly
justified the lawyers for the prosecution seemed to me to be in
declaring that Mrs。 Eustace Macallan had died by the hand of a
poisoneralthough they were entirely and certainly mistaken in
charging my husband with the crime。
My husband being innocent； somebody else； on my own showing； must
be guilty。 Who among the persons inhabiting the house at the time
had poisoned Mrs。 Eustace Macallan？ My suspicion in answering
that question pointed straight to a woman。 And the name of that
woman wasMrs。 Beauly！
Yes！ To that startling conclusion I had arrived。 It was； to my
mind； the inevitable result of reading the evidence。
Look back for a moment to the letter produced in court； signed
〃Helena；〃 and addressed to Mr。 Macallan。 No reasonable person can
doubt （though the Judges excused her from answering the question）
that Mrs。 Beauly was the writer。 Very well。 The letter offers； as
I think； trustworthy evidence to show the state of the woman's
mind when she paid her visit to Gleninch。
Writing to Mr。 Macallan； at a time when she was married to
another mana man to whom she had engaged herself before she met
with Mr。 Macallan what does she say？ She says； 〃When I think of
your life sacrificed to that wretched woman； my heart bleeds for
you。〃 And； again； she says； 〃If it had been my unutterable
happiness to love and cherish the best； the dearest of men； what
a paradise of our own we might have lived in； what delicious
hours we might have known！〃
If this is not the language of a woman shamelessly and furiously
in love with a mannot her husbandwhat is？ She is so full of
him that even her idea of another world （see the letter） is the
idea of 〃embracing〃 Mr。 Macallan's 〃soul。〃 In this condition of
mind and morals； the lady one day finds herself and her embraces
free； through the death of her husband。 As soon as she can
decently visit she goes visiting； and in due course of time she
becomes the guest of the man whom she adores。 His wife is ill in
her bed。 The one other visitor at Gleninch is a cripple； who can
only move in his chair on wheels。 The lady has the house and the
one beloved object in it all to herself。 No obstacle stands
between her and 〃the unutterable happiness of loving and
cherishing the best； the dearest of men〃 but a poor； sick； ugly
wife； for whom Mr。 Macallan never has felt； and never can feel；
the smallest particle of love。
Is it perfectly absurd to believe that such a woman as this；
impelled by these motives； and surrounded by these circumstances；
would be capable of committing a crimeif the safe opportunity
offered itself？
What does her own evidence say？
She admits that she had a conversation with Mrs。 Eustace
Macallan； in which that lady questioned her on the subject of
cosmetic applications to the complexion。〃 Did nothing else take
place at that interview？ Did Mrs。 Beauly make no discoveries
（afterward turned to fatal account） of the dangerous experiment
which her hostess was then trying to improve her ugly complexion？
All we know is that Mrs。 Beauly said nothing about it。
What does the under…gardener say？
He heard a conversation between Mr。 Macallan and Mrs。 Beauly；
which shows that the possibility of Mrs。 Beauly becoming Mrs。
Eustace Macallan had certainly presented itself to that lady's
mind； and was certainly considered by her to be too dangerous a
topic of discourse to be pursued。 Innocent Mr。 Macallan would
have gone on talking。 Mrs。 Beauly is discreet and stops him。
And what does the nurse （Christina Ormsay） tell us？
On the day of Mrs。 Eustace Macallan's death； the nurse is
dismissed from attendance； and is sent downstairs。 She leaves the
sick woman； recovered from her first attack of illness； and able
to amuse herself with writing。 The nurse remains away for half an
hour； and then gets uneasy at not hearing the invalid's bell。 She
goes to the Morning…Room to consult Mr。 Macallan； and there she
hears that Mrs。 Beauly is missing。 Mr。 Macallan doesn't know
where she is； and asks Mr。 Dexter if he has seen her。 Mr。 Dexter
had not set eyes on her。 At what time does the disappearance of
Mrs。 Beauly take place？ At the very time when Christina Ormsay
had left Mrs。 Eustace Macallan alone in her room！
Meanwhile the bell rings at lastrings violently。 The nurse goes
back to the sick…room at five minutes to eleven； or thereabouts；
and finds that the bad symptoms of the morning have returned in a
gravely aggravated form。 A second dose of poisonlarger than the
dose administered in the early morninghas been given during the
absence of the nurse； and （observe） during the disappearance also
of Mrs。 Beauly。 The nurse looking out into the corridor for help；
encounters Mrs。 Beauly herself； innocently on her way from her
own roomjust up； we are to suppose； at eleven in the
morning！to inquire after the sick woman。
A little later Mrs。 Beauly accompanies Mr。 Macallan to visit the
invalid。 The dying woman casts a strange look at both of them；
and tells them to leave her。 Mr。 Macallan understands this as the
fretful outbreak of a person in pain； and waits in the room to
tell the nurse that the doctor is sent for。 What does Mrs。 Beauly
do？
She runs out panic…stricken the instant Mrs。 Eustace Macallan
looks at her。 Even Mrs。 Beauly； it seems； has a conscience！
Is there nothing to justify suspicion in such circumstances as
thesecircumstances sworn to on the oaths of the witnesses？
To me the conclusion is plain。 Mrs。 Beauly's hand gave that
second dose of poison。 Admit this； and the inference follows that
she also gave the first dose in the early morning。 How could she
do it？ Look again at the evidence。 The nurse admits that she was
asleep from past two in the morning to six。 She also speaks of a
locked door of communication with the sickroom； the key of which
had been removed； nobody knew by whom。 Some person must have
stolen that key。 Why not Mrs。 Beauly？
One word more； and all that I had in my mind at that time will be
honestly revealed。
Miserrimus Dexter； under cross…examination； had indirectly
admitted that he had ideas of his own on the subject of Mrs。
Eustace Macallan's death。 At the same time he had spoken of Mrs。
Beauly in a tone which plainly betrayed that he was no friend to
that lady。 Did _he_ suspect her too？ My chief motive in deciding
to ask his advice before I applied to any one else was to find an
opportunity of putting that question to him。 If he really thought
of her as I did； my course was clear before me。 The next step to
take would be carefully to conceal my identityand then to
present myself； in the character of a harmless stranger； to Mrs。
Beauly。
There were difficulties； of course； in my way。 The first and
greatest difficulty was to obtain an introduction to Miserrimus
Dexter。
The composing influence of the fresh air in the garden had by
this time made me readier to lie down and rest than to occupy my
mind in reflecting on my difficulties。 Little by little I grew
too drowsy to thinkthen too lazy to go on walking。 My bed
looked wonderfully inviting as I passed
by the open window of my room。
In five minutes more I had accepted the invitation of the bed；
and had said farewell to my anxieties and my troubles。 In five
minutes more I was fast