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dexterity which had so painfully impressed me when she first took
up the brush。 Miserrimus Dexter appeared to be perfectly
satisfied with these results。
〃I thought my little experiment might interest you；〃 he said。
〃You see how it is？ The dormant intelligence of my curious cousin
is like the dormant sound in a musical instrument。 I play upon
itand it answers to my touch。 She likes being played upon。 But
her great delight is to hear me tell a story。 I puzzle her to the
verge of distraction； and the more I confuse her the better she
likes the story。 It is the greatest fun； you really must see it
some day。〃 He indulged himself in a last look at the mirror。
〃Ha！〃 he said； complacently； 〃now I shall do。 Vanish； Ariel！〃
She tramped out of the room in her heavy boots； with the mute
obedience of a trained animal。 I said 〃Good…night〃 as she passed
me。 She neither returned the salutation nor looked at me： the
words simply produced no effect on her dull senses。 The one voice
that could reach her was silent。 She had relapsed once more into
the vacant inanimate creature who had opened the gate to us；
until it pleased Miserrimus Dexter to speak to her again。
〃Valeria！〃 said my mother…in…law。 〃Our modest host is waiting to
see what you think of him。〃
While my attention was fixed on his cousin he had wheeled his
chair around so as to face me。 with the light of the lamp falling
full on him。 In mentioning his appearance as a witness at the
Trial； I find I have borrowed （without meaning to do so） from my
experience of him at this later time。 I saw plainly now the
bright intelligent face and the large clear blue eyes； the
lustrous waving hair of a light chestnut color； the long delicate
white hands； and the magnificent throat and chest which I have
elsewhere described。 The deformity which degraded and destroyed
the manly beauty of his head and breast was hidden from view by
an Oriental robe of many colors； thrown over the chair like a
coverlet。 He was clothed in a jacket of black velvet； fastened
loosely across his chest with large malachite buttons； and he
wore lace ruffles at the ends of his sleeves； in the fashion of
the last century。 It may well have been due to want of perception
on my partbut I could see nothing mad in him； nothing in any
way repelling； as he now looked at me。 The one defect that I
could discover in his face was at the outer corners of his eyes；
just under the temple。 Here when he laughed； and in a lesser
degree when he smiled； the skin contracted into quaint little
wrinkles and folds； which looked strangely out of harmony with
the almost youthful appearance of the rest of his face。 As to his
other features； the mouth； so far as his beard and mustache
permitted me to see it； was small and delicately formed； the
noseperfectly shaped on the straight Grecian modelwas perhaps
a little too thin； judged by comparison with the full cheeks and
the high massive forehead。 Looking at him as a whole （and
speaking of him； of course； from a woman's； not a physiognomist's
point of view）； I can only describe him as being an unusually
handsome man。 A painter would have reveled in him as a model for
St。 John。 And a young girl； ignorant of what the Oriental robe
hid from view； would have said to herself； the instant she looked
at him； 〃Here is the hero of my dreams！〃
His blue eyeslarge as the eyes of a woman； clear as the eyes of
a childrested on me the moment I turned toward him； with a
strangely varying play of expression； which at once interested
and perplexed me。
Now there was doubtuneasy； painful doubtin the look； and now
again it changed brightly to approval； so open and unrestrained
that a vain woman might have fancied she had made a conquest of
him at first sight。 Suddenly a new emotion seemed to take
possession of him。 His eyes sank； his head drooped； he lifted his
hands with a gesture of regret。 He muttered and murmured to
himself； pursuing some secret and melancholy train of thought；
which seemed to lead him further and further away from present
objects of interest； and to plunge him deeper and deeper in
troubled recollections of the past。 Here and there I caught some
of the words。 Little by little I found myself trying to fathom
what was darkly passing in this strange man's mind。
〃A far more charming face；〃 I heard him say。 〃But nonot a more
beautiful figure。 What figure was ever more beautiful than hers？
Somethingbut not allof her enchanting grace。 Where is the
resemblance which has brought her back to me？ In the pose of the
figure； perhaps。 In the movement of the figure； perhaps。 Poor
martyred angel！ What a life！ And what a death！ what a death！〃
Was he comparing me with the victim of the poisonwith my
husband's first wife？ His words seemed to justify the conclusion。
If I were right； the dead woman had evidently been a favorite
with him。 There was no misinterpreting the broken tones of his
voice when he spoke of her： he had admired her； living； he
mourned her； dead。 Supposing that I could prevail upon myself to
admit this extraordinary person into my confidence； what would be
the result？ Should I be the gainer or the loser by the
resemblance which he fancied he had discovered？ Would the sight
of me console him or pain him？ I waited eagerly to hear more on
the subject of the first wife。 Not a word more escaped his lips。
A new change came over him。 He lifted his head with a start； and
looked about him as a weary man might look if he was suddenly
disturbed in a deep sleep。
〃What have I done？〃 he said。 〃Have I been letting my mind drift
again？〃 He shuddered and sighed。 〃Oh； that house of Gleninch！〃 he
murmured； sadly； to himself。 〃Shall I never get away from it in
my thoughts？ Oh； that house of Gleninch！〃
To my infinite disappointment； Mrs。 Macallan checked the further
revelation of what was passing in his mind。
Something in the tone and manner of his allusion to her son's
country…house seemed to have offended her。 She interposed sharply
and decisively。
〃Gently； my friend； gently！〃 she said。 〃I don't think you quite
know what you are talking about。〃
His great blue eyes flashed at her fiercely。 With one turn of his
hand he brought his chair close at her side。 The next instant he
caught her by the arm； and forced her to bend to him； until he
could whisper in her ear。 He was violently agitated。 His whisper
was loud enough to make itself heard where I was sitting at the
time。
〃I don't know what I am talking about？〃 he repeated； with his
eyes fixed attentively； not on my mother…in…law； but on me。 〃You
shortsighted old woman！ where are your spectacles？ Look at her！
Do you see no resemblancethe figure； not the face！do you see
no resemblance there to Eustace's first wife？〃
〃Pure fancy！〃 rejoined Mrs。 Macallan。 〃I see nothing of the
sort。〃
He shook her impatiently。
〃Not so loud！〃 he whispered。 〃She will hear you。〃
〃I have heard you both；〃 I said。 〃You need have no fear； Mr。
Dexter； of speaking before me。 I know that my husband had a first
wife； and I know how miserably she died。 I have read the Trial。〃
〃You have read the life and death of a martyr！〃 cried Miserrimus
Dexter。 He suddenly wheeled his chair my way； he bent over me；
his eyes filled with tears。 〃Nobody appreciated her at her true
value；〃 he said； 〃but me。 Nobody but me！ nobody but me！〃
Mrs。 Macallan walked away impatiently to the end of the room。
〃When you are ready； Valeria； I am；〃 she said。 〃We cannot keep
the servants and the horses waiting much longer in this bleak
place。〃
I was too deeply interested in leading Miserrimus Dexter to
pursue the subject on which he had touched to be willing to leave
him at that moment。 I pretended not to have heard Mrs。 Macallan。
I laid my hand； as if by accident； on the wheel…chair to keep him
near me。
〃You showed me how highly you esteemed that poor lady in your
evidence at the Trial；〃 I said。 〃I believe； Mr。 Dexter； you have
ideas of your own about the mystery of her death？〃
He had been looking at my hand； resting on the arm of his chair；
until I ventured on my question。 At that he suddenly raised his
eyes； and fixed them with a frowning and furtive suspicion on my
face。
〃How do you know I have ideas of my own？〃 he asked； sternly。
〃I know it from reading the Trial；〃 I answered。 〃The lawyer who
cross…examined you spoke almost in the very words which I have
just used。 I had no intention of offending you； Mr。 Dexter。〃
His face cleared as rapidly as it had clouded。 He smiled； and
laid his hand on mine。 His touch struck me cold。 I felt every
nerve in me shivering under it； I drew my hand away quickly。
〃I beg your pardon；〃 he said； 〃if I have misunderstood you。 I
_have_ ideas of my own about that unhappy lady。 〃He paused and
looked at me in silence very earnestly。 〃Have _you_ any ideas？〃
he asked。 〃Ideas about her life？ or about her death？〃
I was deeply interested； I was burning to hear more。 It might
encourage him to speak if I were candid with him。 I answered；
〃Yes。〃
〃Ideas which you have mentioned to any one？〃 he went on。
〃To no living creature；〃 I replied〃as yet。〃
〃This very strange！〃 he said； still earnestly reading my face。
〃What interest