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possible that Mrs。 Beauly's maid might have quitted her service；
or might have been left behind in England。 My information would
not be complete until I knew what had become of the maid。 I
pushed my chair back a little from the fire…place； and took a
hand…screen from a table near me； it might be made useful in
hiding my face； if any more disappointments were in store for me。
〃Thank you； Lady Clarinda； I was only a little too near the fire。
I shall do admirably here。 You surprise me about Mrs。 Beauly。
From what Mr。 Dexter said to me； I had imagined〃
〃Oh； you must not believe anything Dexter tells you！〃 interposed
Lady Clarinda。 〃He delights in mystifying people； and he
purposely misled you； I have no doubt。 If all that I hear is
true； _he_ ought to know more of Helena Beauly's strange freaks
and fancies than most people。 He all but discovered her in one of
her adventures （down in Scotland）； which reminds me of the story
in Auber's charming operawhat is it called？ I shall forget my
own name next！ I mean the opera in which the two nuns slip out of
the convent； and go to the ball。 Listen！ How very odd！ That
vulgar girl is singing the castanet song in the second act at
this moment。 Major！ what opera is the young lady singing from？〃
The Major was scandalized at this interruption。 He bustled into
the back roomwhispered； 〃Hush！ hush！ my dear lady； the 'Domino
Noir'〃and bustled back again to the piano。
〃Of course！〃 said Lady Clarinda。 〃How stupid of me！ The 'Domino
Noir。' And how strange that you should forget it too！〃
I had remembered it perfectly； but I could not trust myself to
speak。 If； as I believed； the 〃adventure〃 mentioned by Lady
Clarinda was connected； in some way； with Mrs。 Beauly's
mysterious proceedings on the morning of the twenty…first of
October； I was on the brink of the very discovery which it was
the one interest of my life to make！ I held the screen so as to
hide my face； and I said； in the steadiest voice that I could
command at the moment；
〃Pray go on！pray tell me what the adventure was！〃
Lady Clarinda was quite flattered by my eager desire to hear the
coming narrative。
〃I hope my story will be worthy of the interest which you are so
good as to feel in it； 〃she said。 〃If you only knew Helenait is
_so_ like her！ I have it； you must know； from her maid。 She has
taken a woman who speaks foreign languages with her to Hungary
and she has left the maid with me。 A perfect treasure！ I should
be only too glad if I could keep her in my service： she has but
one defect； a name I hatePhoebe。 Well！ Phoebe and her mistress
were staying at a place near Edinburgh； called （I think）
Gleninch。 The house belonged to that Mr。 Macallan who was
afterward triedyou remember it； of course？for poisoning his
wife。 A dreadful case； but don't be alarmedmy story has nothing
to do with it； my story has to do with Helena Beauly。 One evening
（while she was staying at Gleninch） she was engaged to dine with
some English friends visiting Edinburgh。 The same nightalso in
Edinburghthere was a masked ball； given by somebody whose name
I forget。 The ball （almost an unparalleled event in Scotland！）
was reported to be not at all a reputable affair。 All sorts of
amusing people were to be there。 Ladies of doubtful virtue； you
know； and gentlemen on the outlying limits of society； and so on。
Helena's friends had contrived to get cards； and were going； in
spite of the objectionsin the strictest incognito； of course；
trusting to their masks。 And Helena herself was bent on going
with them； if she could only manage it without being discovered
at Gleninch。 Mr。 Macallan was one of the strait…laced people who
disapproved of the ball。 No lady； he said； could show herself at
such an entertainment without compromising her reputation。 What
stuff！ Well； Helena； in one of her wildest moments； hit on a way
of going to the ball without discovery which was really as
ingenious as a plot in a French play。 She went to the dinner in
the carriage from Gleninch； having sent Phoebe to Edinburgh
before her。 It was not a grand dinnera little friendly
gathering： no evening dress。 When the time came for going back to
Gleninch； what do you think Helena did？ She sent her maid back in
the carriage； instead of herself！ Phoebe was dressed in her
mistress's cloak and bonnet and veil。 She was instructed to run
upstairs the moment she got to the house； leaving on the hall
table a little note of apology （written by Helena； of course！）；
pleading fatigue as an excuse for not saying good…night to her
host。 The mistress and the maid were about the same height； and
the servants naturally never discovered the trick。 Phoebe got up
to her mistress's room safely enough。 There； her instructions
were to wait until the house was quiet for the night； and then to
steal up to her own room。 While she was waiting； the girl fell
asleep。 She only awoke at two in the morning； or later。 It didn't
much matter； as she thought。 She stole out on tiptoe； and closed
the door behind her。 Before she was at the end of the corridor；
she fancied she heard something。 She waited until she was safe on
the upper story； and then she looked over the banisters。 There
was Dexterso like him！hopping about on his hands （did you
ever see it？ the most grotesquely horrible exhibition you can
imagine！）there was Dexter； hopping about； and looking through
keyholes； evidently in search of the person who had left her room
at two in the morning； and no doubt taking Phoebe for her
mistress； seeing that she had forgotten to take her mistress's
cloak off her shoulders。 The next morning； early； Helena came
back in a hired carriage from Edinburgh； with a hat and mantle
borrowed from her English friends。 She left the carriage in the
road； and got into the house by way of the gardenwithout being
discovered； this time； by Dexter or by anybody。 Clever and
daring； wasn't it？ And； as I said just now； quite a new version
of the 'Domino Noir。' You will wonder； as I did； how it was that
Dexter didn't make mischief in the morning？ He would have done it
no doubt。 But even he was silenced （as Phoebe told me） by the
dreadful event that happened in the house on the same day。 My
dear Mrs。 Woodville！ the heat of this room is certainly too much
for you； take my smelling…bottle。 Let me open the window。〃
I was just able to answer； 〃Pray say nothing！ Let me slip out
into the open air！〃
I made my way unobserved to the landing； and sat down on the
stairs to compose myself where nobody could see me。 In a moment
more I felt a hand laid gently on my shoulder； and discovered
good Benjamin looking at me in dismay。 Lady Clarinda had
considerately spoken to him； and had assisted him in quietly
making his retreat from the room； while his host's attention was
still absorbed by the music。
〃My dear child！〃 he whispered； 〃what is the matter？〃
〃Take me home； and I will tell you；〃 was all that I could say。
CHAPTER XXXII。
A SPECIMEN OF MY WISDOM。
THE scene must follow my erratic movementsthe scene must close
on London for a while； and open in Edinburgh。 Two days had passed
since Major Fitz…David's dinner…party。 I was able to breathe
again freely； after the utter destruction of all my plans for the
future； and of all the hopes that I had founded on them。 I could
now see that I had been trebly in the wrongwrong in hastily and
cruelly suspecting an innocent woman； wrong in communicating my
suspicions （without an attempt to verify them previously） to
another person； wrong in accepting the flighty inferences and
conclusions of Miserrimus Dexter as if they had been solid
truths。 I was so ashamed of my folly； when I thought of the
pastso completely discouraged； so rudely shaken in my
confidence in myself； when I thought of the future； that； for
once in a way； I accepted sensible advice when it was offered to
me。 〃My dear；〃 said good old Benjamin； after we had thoroughly
talked over my discomfiture on our return from the dinner…party；
〃judging by what you tell me of him； I don't fancy Mr。 Dexter。
Promise me that you will not go back to him until you have first
consulted some person who is fitter to guide you through this
dangerous business than I am。
I gave him my promise； on one condition。 〃If I fail to find the
person；〃 I said； 〃will you undertake to help me？〃
Benjamin pledged himself to help me； cheerfully。
The next morning； when I was brushing my hair； and thinking over
my affairs； I called to mind a forgotten resolution of mine at
the time I first read the Report of my husband's Trial。 I mean
the resolutionif Miserrimus Dexter failed meto apply to one
of the two agents （or solicitors； as we should term them） who had
prepared Eustace's defensenamely； Mr。 Playmore。 This gentleman；
it may be remembered； had especially recommended himself to my
confidence by his friendly interference when the sheriff's
officers were in search of my husband's papers。 Referring back to
the evidence Of 〃Isaiah Schoolcraft；〃 I found that Mr。 Playmore
had been called in to assist and advise Eustace by Miserrimus
Dexter。 He was therefore not only a friend on whom I might rely；
but a friend who was personally acquainted with Dexter as well。