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lightly as a monkey； on his hands。 The grotesque horror of the
scene culminated in his hopping away on his hands； at a
prodigious speed； until he reached the fire…place in the long
room。 There he crouched over the dying embers； shuddering and
shivering； and muttering； 〃Oh； pity me； pity me！〃 dozens and
dozens of times to himself。
This was the man whose advice I had come to askwho assistance I
had confidently counted on in my hour of need。
CHAPTER XXV。
MISERRIMUS DEXTERSECOND VIEW
THOROUGHLY disheartened and disgusted； and （if I must honestly
confess it） thoroughly frightened too； I whispered to Mrs。
Macallan； 〃I was wrong； and you were right。 Let us go。〃
The ears of Miserrimus Dexter must have been as sensitive as the
ears of a dog。 He heard me say； 〃Let us go。〃
〃No！〃 he called out。 〃Bring Eustace Macallan's second wife in
here。 I am a gentlemanI must apologize to her。 I am a student
of human characterI wish to see her。〃
The whole man appeared to have undergone a complete
transformation。 He spoke in the gentlest of voices； and he sighed
hysterically when he had done； like a woman recovering from a
burst of tears。 Was it reviving courage or reviving curiosity？
When Mrs。 Macallan said to me； 〃The fit is over now； do you still
wish to go away？〃 I answered； 〃No； I am ready to go in。〃
〃Have you recovered your belief in him already？〃 asked my
mother…in…law； in her mercilessly satirical way。
〃I have recovered from my terror of him；〃 I replied。
〃I am sorry I terrified you；〃 said the soft voice at the
fire…place。 〃Some people think I am a little mad at times。 You
came； I suppose； at one of the timesif some people are right。 I
admit that I am a visionary。 My imagination runs away with me；
and I say and do strange things。 On those occasions； anybody who
reminds me of that horrible Trial throws me back again into the
past； and causes me unutterable nervous suffering。 I am a very
tender…hearted man。 As the necessary consequence （in such a world
as this）； I am a miserable wretch。 Accept my excuses。 Come in；
both of you。 Come in and pity me。〃
A child would not have been frightened of him now。 A child would
have gone in and pitied him。
The room was getting darker and darker。 We could just see the
crouching figure of Miserrimus Dexter at the expiring fireand
that was all。
〃Are we to have no light？〃 asked Mrs。 Macallan。 〃And is this lady
to see you； when the light comes； out of your chair？〃
He lifted something bright and metallic； hanging round his neck；
and blew on it a series of shrill； trilling； bird…like notes。
After an interval he was answered by a similar series of notes
sounding faintly in some distant region of the house。
〃Ariel is coming；〃 he said。 〃Compose yourself； Mamma Macallan；
Ariel with make me presentable to a lady's eyes。〃
He hopped away on his hands into the darkness at the end of the
room。 〃Wait a little； said Mrs。 Macallan； 〃and you will have
another surpriseyou will see the 'delicate Ariel。'〃
We heard heavy footsteps in the circular room。
〃Ariel！〃 sighed Miserrimus Dexter out of the darkness； in his
softest notes。
To my astonishment the coarse； masculine voice of the cousin in
the man's hatthe Caliban's； rather than the Ariel's
voiceanswered； 〃Here！〃
〃My chair； Ariel！〃
The person thus strangely misnamed drew aside the tapestry； so as
to let in more light； then entered the room； pushing the wheeled
chair before her。 She stooped and lifted Miserrimus Dexter from
the floor； like a child。 Before she could put him into the chair；
he sprang out of her arms with a little gleeful cry； and alighted
on his seat； like a bird alighting on its perch！
〃The lamp；〃 said Miserrimus Dexter； 〃and the
looking…glass。Pardon me；〃 he added； addressing us； 〃for turning
my back on you。 You mustn't see me until my hair is set to
rights。Ariel！ the brush； the comb； and the perfumes！〃
Carrying the lamp in one hand； the looking…glass in the other；
and the brush （with the comb stuck in it） between her teeth；
Ariel the Second； otherwise Dexter's cousin； presented herself
plainly before me for the first time。 I could now see the girl's
round； fleshy； inexpressive face； her rayless and colorless eyes；
her coarse nose and heavy chin。 A creature half alive； an
imperfectly developed animal in shapeless form clad in a man's
pilot jacket； and treading in a man's heavy laced boots； with
nothing but an old red…flannel petticoat； and a broken comb in
her frowzy flaxen hair； to tell us that she was a womansuch was
the inhospitable person who had received us in the darkness when
we first entered the house。
This wonderful valet； collecting her materials for dressing her
still more wonderful master's hair； gave him the looking…glass （a
hand …mirror）； and addressed herself to her work。
She combed； she brushed； she oiled； she perfumed the flowing
locks and the long silky beard of Miserrimus Dexter with the
strangest mixture of dullness and dexterity that I ever saw。 Done
in brute silence； with a lumpish look and a clumsy gait； the work
was perfectly well done nevertheless。 The imp in the chair
superintended the whole proceeding critically by means of his
hand…mirror。 He was too deeply interested in this occupation to
speak until some of the concluding touches to his beard brought
the misnamed Ariel in front of him； and so turned her full face
toward the part of the room in which Mrs。 Macallan and I were
standing。 Then he addressed us； taking especial care； however；
not to turn his head our way while his toilet was still
incomplete。
〃Mamma Macallan；〃 he said； 〃what is the Christian name of your
son's second wife？〃
〃Why do you want to know？〃 asked my mother…in…law。
〃I want to know because I can't address her as 'Mrs。 Eustace
Macallan。'〃
〃Why not？〃
〃It recalls _the other_ Mrs。 Eustace Macallan。 If I am reminded
of those horrible days at Gleninch my fortitude will give wayI
shall burst out screaming again。〃
Hearing this； I hastened to interpose。
〃My name is Valeria；〃 I said。
〃A Roman name；〃 remarked Miserrimus Dexter。 〃I like it。 My mind
is cast in the Roman mold。 My bodily build would have been Roman
if I had been born with legs。 I shall call you Mrs。 Valeria；
unless you disapprove of it。〃
I hastened to say that I was far from disapproving of it。
〃Very good；〃 said Miserrimus Dexter 〃Mrs。 Valeria； do you see the
face of this creature in front of me？〃
He pointed with the hand…mirror to his cousin as unconcernedly as
he might have pointed to a dog。 His cousin； on her side； took no
more notice than a dog would have taken of the contemptuous
phrase by which he had designated her。 She went on combing and
oiling his beard as composedly as ever。
〃It is the face of an idiot； isn't it？〃 pursued Miserrimus
Dexter！ 〃Look at her！ She is a mere vegetable。 A cabbage in a
garden has as much life and expression in it as that girl
exhibits at the present moment。 Would you believe there was
latent intelligence； affection； pride； fidelity； in such a
half…developed being as this？〃
I was really ashamed to answer him。 Quite needlessly！ The
impenetrable young woman went on with her master's beard。 A
machine could not have taken less notice of the life and the talk
around it than this incomprehensible creature。
〃_I_ have got at that latent affection； pride； fidelity； and the
rest of it；〃 resumed Miserrimus Dexter。 〃_I_ hold the key to that
dormant Intelligence。 Grand thought！ Now look at her when I
speak。 （I named her； poor wretch； in one of my ironical moments。
She has got to like her name； just as a dog gets to like his
collar。） Now； Mrs。 Valeria； look and listen。Ariel！〃
The girl's dull face began to brighten。 The girl's mechanically
moving hand stopped； and held the comb in suspense。
〃Ariel！ you have learned to dress my hair and anoint my beard；
haven't you？〃
Her face still brightened。 〃Yes！ yes！ yes！〃 she answered；
eagerly。 〃And you say I have learned to do it well； don't you？〃
〃I say that。 Would you like to let anybody else do it for you？〃
Her eyes melted softly into light and life。 Her strange unwomanly
voice sank to the gentlest tones that I had heard from her yet。
〃Nobody else shall do it for me；〃 she said at once proudly and
tenderly。 〃Nobody； as long as I live； shall touch you but me。〃
〃Not even the lady there？〃 asked Miserrimus Dexter； pointing
backward with his hand…mirror to the place at which I was
standing。
Her eyes suddenly flashed； her hand suddenly shook the comb at
me； in a burst of jealous rage。
〃Let her try！〃 cried the poor creature； raising her voice again
to its hoarsest notes。 〃Let her touch you if she dares！〃
Dexter laughed at the childish outbreak。 〃That will do； my
delicate Ariel；〃 he said。 〃I dismiss your Intelligence for the
present。 Relapse into your former self。 Finish my beard。〃
She passively resumed her work。 The new light in her eyes； the
new expression in her face； faded little by little and died out。
In another minute the face was as vacant and as lumpish as
before； the hands did their work again with the lifeless
dexterity which had so painfully impressed me when she first took
up the brush。 Miserrimus Dexter