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〃What is the subject； mother？〃
〃Your notion of turning yourself into a Court of Appeal for a new
Trial of Eustace； and forcing the world to pronounce a just
verdict on him。 Do you really mean to try it？〃
〃I do！〃
Mrs。 Macallan considered for a moment grimly with herself。
〃You know how heartily I admire your courage； and your devotion
to my unfortunate son；〃 she said。 〃You know by this time that _I_
don't cant。 But I cannot see you attempt to perform
impossibilities； I cannot let you uselessly risk your reputation
and your happiness without warning you before it is too late。 My
child； the thing you have got it in your head to do is not to be
done by you or by anybody。 Give it up。〃
〃I am deeply obliged to you； Mrs。 Macallan〃
〃'Mother！'〃
〃I am deeply obliged to you； mother； for the interest that you
take in me； but I cannot give it up。 Right or wrong； risk or no
risk； I must and I will try it！〃
Mrs。 Macallan looked at me very attentively； and sighed to
herself。
〃Oh； youth； youth！〃 she said to herself； sadly。 〃What a grand
thing it is to be young！〃 She controlled the rising regret； and
turned on me suddenly； almost fiercely； with these words： 〃What；
in God's name； do you mean to do？〃
At the instant when she put the question； the idea crossed my
mind that Mrs。 Macallan could introduce me； if she pleased； to
Miserrimus Dexter。 She must know him； and know him well； as a
guest at Gleninch and an old friend of her son。
〃I mean to consult Miserrimus Dexter；〃 I answered； boldly。
Mrs。 Macallan started back from me with a loud exclamation of
surprise。
〃Are you out of your senses？〃 she asked。
I told her； as I had told Major Fitz…David； that I had reason to
think Mr。 Dexter's advice might be of real assistance to me at
starting。
〃And I；〃 rejoined Mrs。 Macallan； 〃have reason to think that your
whole project is a mad one； and that in asking Dexter's advice on
it you appropriately consult a madman。 You needn't start； child！
There is no harm in the creature。 I don't mean that he will
attack you； or be rude to you。 I only say that the last person
whom a young woman； placed in your painful and delicate position；
ought to associate herself with is Miserrimus Dexter。〃
Strange！ Here was the Major's warning repeated by Mrs。 Macallan；
almost in the Major's own words。 Well！ It shared the fate of most
warnings。 It only made me more and more eager to have my own way。
〃You surprise me very much；〃 I said。 〃Mr。 Dexter's evidence；
given at the Trial； seems as clear and reasonable as evidence can
be。〃
〃Of course it is！〃 answered Mrs。 Macallan。 〃The shorthand writers
and reporters put his evidence into presentable language before
they printed it。 If you had heard what he really said； as I did；
you would have been either very much disgusted with him or very
much amused by him； according to your way of looking at things。
He began； fairly enough； with a modest explanation of his absurd
Christian name； which at once checked the merriment of the
audience。 But as he went on the mad side of him showed itself。 He
mixed up sense and nonsense in the strangest confusion； he was
called to order over and over again； he was even threatened with
fine and imprisonment for contempt of Court。 In short； he was
just like himselfa mixture of the strangest and the most
opposite qualities； at one time perfectly clear and reasonable；
as you said just now； at another breaking out into rhapsodies of
the most outrageous kind； like a man in a state of delirium。 A
more entirely unfit person to advise anybody； I tell you again；
never lived。 You don't expect Me to introduce you to him； I
hope？〃
〃I did think of such a thing；〃 I answered。 〃But after what you
have said； dear Mrs。 Macallan； I give up the idea； of course。 It
is not a great sacrificeit only obliges me to wait a week for
Major Fitz…David's dinner…party。 He has promised to ask
Miserrimus Dexter to meet me。〃
〃There is the Major all over！〃 cried the old lady。 〃If you pin
your faith on that man； I pity you。 He is as slippery as an eel。
I suppose you asked him to introduce you to Dexter？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Exactly！ Dexter despises him； my dear。 He knows as well as I do
that Dexter won't go to his dinner。 And he takes that roundabout
way of keeping you apart； instead of saying No to you plainly；
like an honest man。
This was bad news。 But I was； as usual； too obstinate to own
myself defeated。
〃If the worst comes to the worst；〃 I said； 〃I can but write to
Mr。 Dexter； and beg him to grant me an interview。〃
〃And go to him by yourself； if he does grant it？〃 inquired Mrs。
Macallan。
〃Certainly。 By myself。〃
〃You really mean it？〃
〃I do； indeed。〃
〃I won't allow you to go by yourself。〃
〃May I venture to ask； ma'am how you propose to prevent me？〃
〃By going with you； to be sure； you obstinate hussy！ Yes； yesI
can be as headstrong as you are when I like。 Mind！ I don't want
to know what your plans are。 I don't want to be mixed up with
your plans。 My son is resigned to the Scotch Verdict。 I am
resigned to the Scotch Verdict。 It is you who won't let matters
rest as they are。 You are a vain and foolhardy young person。 But；
somehow； I have taken a liking to you； and I won't let you go to
Miserrimus Dexter by yourself。 Put on your bonnet！〃
〃Now？〃 I asked。
〃Certainly！ My carriage is at the door。 And the sooner it's over
the better I shall be pleased。 Get readyand be quick about it！〃
I required no second bidding。 In ten minutes more we were on our
way to Miserrimus Dexter。
Such was the result of my mother…in…law's visit！
CHAPTER XXIV。
MISERRIMUS DEXTERFIRST VIEW。
WE had dawdled over our luncheon before Mrs。 Macallan arrived at
Benjamin's cottage。 The ensuing conversation between the old lady
and myself （of which I have only presented a brief abstract）
lasted until quite late in the afternoon。 The sun was setting in
heavy clouds when we got into the carriage； and the autumn
twilight began to fall around us while we were still on the road。
The direction in which we drove took us （as well as I could
judge） toward the great northern suburb of London。
For more than an hour the carriage threaded its way through a
dingy brick labyrinth of streets； growing smaller and smaller and
dirtier and dirtier the further we went。 Emerging from the
labyrinth； I noticed in the gathering darkness dreary patches of
waste ground which seemed to be neither town nor country。
Crossing these； we passed some forlorn outlying groups of houses
with dim little scattered shops among them； looking like lost
country villages wandering on the way to London； disfigured and
smoke…dried already by their journey。 Darker and darker and
drearier and drearier the prospect drew； until the carriage
stopped at last； and Mrs。 Macallan announced； in her sharply
satirical way； that we had reached the end of our journey。
〃Prince Dexter's Palace； my dear；〃 she said。 〃What do you think
of it？〃
I looked around me； not knowing what to think of it； if the truth
must be told。
We had got out of the carriage； and we were standing on a rough
half…made gravel…path。 Right and left of me； in the dim light； I
saw the half…completed foundations of new houses in their first
stage of existence。 Boards and bricks were scattered about us。 At
places gaunt scaffolding poles rose like the branchless trees of
the brick desert。 Behind us； on the other side of the high…road；
stretched another plot of waste ground； as yet not built on。 Over
the surface of this second desert the ghostly white figures of
vagrant ducks gleamed at intervals in the mystic light。 In front
of us； at a distance of two hundred yards or so as well as I
could calculate； rose a black mass； which gradually resolved
itself； as my eyes became accustomed to the twilight； into a
long； low； and ancient house； with a hedge of evergreens and a
pitch…black paling in front of it。 The footman led the way toward
the paling through the boards and the bricks； the oyster shells
and the broken crockery； that strewed the ground。 And this was
〃Prince Dexter's Palace！〃
There was a gate in the pitch…black paling； and a
bell…handlediscovered with great difficulty。 Pulling at the
handle； the footman set in motion； to judge by the sound
produced； a bell of prodigious size； fitter for a church than a
house。
While we were waiting for admission； Mrs。 Macallan pointed to the
low； dark line of the old building。
〃There is one of his madnesses；〃 she said。 〃The speculators in
this new neighborhood have offered him I don't know how many
thousand pounds for the ground that house stands on。 It was
originally the manor…house of the district。 Dexter purchased it
many years since in one of his freaks of fancy。 He has no old
family associations with the place； the walls are all but
tumbling about his ears； and the money offered would really be of
use to him。 But no！ He refused the proposal of the enterprising
speculators by letter in these words： 'My house is a standing
monument of the picturesque and beautiful； amid the mean；
dishonest； and groveling constructions of a mean； dishonest； and
groveling age。 I keep my house； gentlemen； as a useful lesson to
you。 Lo