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are not living together at the present time。〃
〃Is it necessary to mention your husband？〃 he asked； coldly；
without looking up from his embroidery； and without pausing in
his work。
〃It is absolutely necessary；〃 I answered。 〃I can explain myself
to you in no other way。〃
He bent his head； and sighed resignedly。
〃You and your husband are not living together at the present
time；〃 he resumed。 〃Does that mean that Eustace has left you？〃
〃He has left me； and has gone abroad。〃
〃Without any necessity for it？〃
〃Without the least necessity。〃
〃Has he appointed no time for his return to you？〃
〃If he persevere in his present resolution； Mr。 Dexter； Eustace
will never return to me。〃
For the first time he raised his head from his embroiderywith a
sudden appearance of interest。
〃Is the quarrel so serious as that？〃 he asked。 〃Are you free of
each other； pretty Mrs。 Valeria； by common consent of both
parties？〃
The tone in which he put the question was not at all to my
liking。 The look he fixed on me was a look which unpleasantly
suggested that I had trusted myself alone with him； and that he
might end in taking advantage of it。 I reminded him quietly； by
my manner more than by my words； of the respect which he owed to
me。
〃You are entirely mistaken；〃 I said。 〃There is no angerthere is
not even a misunderstanding between us。 Our parting has cost
bitter sorrow； Mr。 Dexter； to him and to me。〃
He submitted to be set right with ironical resignation。 〃I am all
attention；〃 he said； threading his needle。 〃Pray go on； I won't
interrupt you again。〃 Acting on this invitation； I told him the
truth about my husband and myself quite unreservedly； taking
care； however； at the same time； to put Eustace's motives in the
best light that they would bear。 Miserrimus Dexter dropped his
embroidery on his lap； and laughed softly to himself； with an
impish enjoyment of my poor little narrative； which set every
nerve in me on edge as I looked at him。
〃I see nothing to laugh at；〃 I said； sharply。
His beautiful blue eyes rested on me with a look of innocent
surprise。
〃Nothing to laugh at；〃 he repeated； 〃in such an exhibition of
human folly as you have just described？〃 His expression suddenly
changed his face darkened and hardened very strangely。 〃Stop！〃 he
cried； before I could answer him。 〃There can be only one reason
for you're taking it as seriously as you do。 Mrs。 Valeria！ you
are fond of your husband。〃
〃Fond of him isn't strong enough to express it；〃 I retorted。 〃I
love him with my whole heart。〃
Miserrimus Dexter stroked his magnificent beard； and
contemplatively repeated my words。 〃You love him with your whole
heart？ Do you know why？〃
〃Because I can't help it；〃 I answered； doggedly。
He smiled satirically； and went on with his embroidery。
〃Curious！〃 he said to himself； 〃Eustace's first wife loved him
too。 There are some men whom the women all like； and there are
other men whom the women never care for。 Without the least reason
for it in either case。 The one man is just as good as the other；
just as handsome； as agreeable； as honorable； and as high in rank
as the other。 And yet for Number One they will go through fire
and water； and for Number Two they won't so much as turn their
heads to look at him。 Why？ They don't know themselvesas Mrs。
Valeria has just said！ Is there a physical reason for it？ Is
there some potent magnetic emanation from Number One which Number
Two doesn't possess？ I must investigate this when I have the
time； and when I find myself in the humor。〃 Having so far settled
the question to his own entire satisfaction； he looked up at me
again。 〃I am still in the dark about you and your motives；〃 he
said。 〃I am still as far as ever from understanding what your
interest is in investigating that hideous tragedy at Gleninch。
Clever Mrs。 Valeria； please take me by the hand； and lead me into
the light。 You're not offended with me are you？ Make it up； and I
will give you this pretty piece of embroidery when I have done
it。 I am only a poor； solitary； deformed wretch； with a quaint
turn of mind； I mean no harm。 Forgive me！ indulge me！ enlighten
me！〃
He resumed his childish ways； he recover； his innocent smile；
with the odd little puckers and wrinkles accompanying it at the
corners of his eyes。 I began to doubt whether I might not have
been unreasonably hard on him。 I penitently resolved to be more
considerate toward his infirmities of mind and body during the
remainder of my visit。
〃Let me go back for a moment； Mr。 Dexter； to past times at
Gleninch；〃 I said。 〃You agree with me in believing Eustace to be
absolutely innocent of the crime for which he was tried。 Your
evidence at the Trial tells me that。〃
He paused over his work； and looked at me with a grave and stern
attention which presented his face in quite a new light。
〃That is _our_ opinion；〃 I resumed。 〃But it was not the opinion
of the Jury。 Their verdict； you remember； was Not Proven。 In
plain English； the Jury who tried my husband declined to express
their opinion； positively and publicly； that he was innocent。 Am
I right？〃
Instead of answering； he suddenly put his embroidery back in the
basket； and moved the machinery of his chair； so as to bring it
close by mine。
〃Who told you this？〃 he asked。
〃I found it for myself in a book。〃
Thus far his face had expressed steady attentionand no more。
Now； for the first time； I thought I saw something darkly passing
over him which betrayed itself to my mind as rising distrust。
〃Ladies are not generally in the habit of troubling their heads
about dry questions of law；〃 he said。 〃Mrs。 Eustace Macallan the
Second； you must have some very powerful motive for turning your
studies that way。〃
〃I have a very powerful motive； Mr。 Dexter My husband is resigned
to the Scotch Verdict His mother is resigned to it。 His friends
（so far as I know） are resigned to it〃
〃Well？〃
〃Well！ I don't agree with my husband； or his mother； or his
friends。 I refuse to submit to the Scotch Verdict。〃
The instant I said those words； the madness in him which I had
hitherto denied； seemed to break out。 He suddenly stretched
himself over his chair： he pounced on me； with a hand on each of
my shoulders； his wild eyes questioned me fiercely； frantically；
within a few inches of my face。
〃What do you mean？〃 he shouted； at the utmost pitch of his
ringing and resonant voice。
A deadly fear of him shook me。 I did my best to hide the outward
betrayal of it。 By look and word； I showed him； as firmly as I
could； that I resented the liberty he had taken with me。
〃Remove your hands； sir；〃 I said； 〃and retire to your proper
place。〃
He obeyed me mechanically。 He apologized to me mechanically。 His
whole mind was evidently still filled with the words that I had
spoken to him； and still bent on discovering what those words
meant。
〃I beg your pardon；〃 he said； 〃I humbly beg your pardon。 The
subject excites me； frightens me； maddens me。 You don't know what
a difficulty I have in controlling myself。 Never mind。 Don't take
me seriously。 Don't be frightened at me。 I am so ashamed of
myselfI feel so small and so miserable at having offended you。
Make me suffer for it。 Take a stick and beat me。 Tie me down in
my chair。 Call up Ariel； who is as strong as a horse； and tell
her to hold me。 Dear Mrs。 Valeria！ Injured Mrs。 Valeria！ I'll
endure anything in the way of punishment； if you will only tell
me what you mean by not submitting to the Scotch Verdict。〃 He
backed his chair penitently as he made that entreaty。 〃Am I far
enough away yet？〃 he asked； with a rueful look。 〃Do I still
frighten you？ I'll drop out of sight； if you prefer it； in the
bottom of the chair。〃
He lifted the sea…green coverlet。 In another moment he would have
disappeared like a puppet in a show if I had not stopped him。
〃Say nothing more； and do
nothing more； I accept your apologies；〃 I said。 〃When I tell you
that I refuse to submit to the opinion of the Scotch Jury； I mean
exactly what my words express。 That verdict has left a stain on
my husband's character。 He feels the stain bitterly。 How bitterly
no one knows so well as I do。 His sense of his degradation is the
sense that has parted him from me。 It is not enough for _him_
that I am persuaded of his innocence。 Nothing will bring him back
to menothing will persuade Eustace that I think him worthy to
be the guide and companion of my lifebut the proof of his
innocence； set before the Jury which doubts it； and the public
which doubts it； to this day。 He and his friends and his lawyers
all despair of ever finding that proof now。 But I am his wife；
and none of you love him as I love him。 I alone refuse to
despair； I alone refuse to listen to reason。 If God spare me； Mr。
Dexter； I dedicate my life to the vindication of my husband's
innocence。 You are his old friendI am here to ask you to help
me。〃
It appeared to be now my turn to frighten _him。_ The color left
his face。 He passed his hand restlessly over his forehead； as if
he were trying to brush some delusion out of his brain。
〃Is this one of my dreams？〃 he asked； faintly。 〃Are you a Vision
of the night？〃
〃I am only a frien