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felt myself blush for my own head…strong resistance to him as I
took my leave and turned away into the street。
CHAPTER XXXIV。
GLENINCH。
〃AHA！〃 said Benjamin； complacently。 〃So the lawyer thinks； as I
do； that you will be highly imprudent if you go back to Mr。
Dexter？ A hard…headed； sensible man the lawyer； no doubt。 You
will listen to Mr。 Playmore； won't you； though you wouldn't
listen to me？〃
（I had of course respected Mr。 Playmore's confidence in me when
Benjamin and I met on my return to the hotel。 Not a word relating
to the lawyer's horrible suspicion of Miserrimus Dexter had
passed my lips。）
〃You must forgive me； my old friend；〃 I said； answering Benjamin。
〃I am afraid it has come to thistry as I may； I can listen to
nobody who advises me。 On our way here I honestly meant to be
guided by Mr。 Playmorewe should never have taken this long
journey if I had not honestly meant it。 I have tried； tried hard
to be a teachable； reasonable woman。 But there is something in me
that won't be taught。 I am afraid I shall go back to Dexter。〃
Even Benjamin lost all patience with me this time。
〃What is bred in the bone；〃 he said； quoting the old proverb；
〃will never come out of the flesh。 In years gone by； you were the
most obstinate child that ever made a mess in a nursery。 Oh； dear
me； we might as well have stayed in London。〃
〃No；〃 I replied； 〃now we have traveled to Edinburgh； we will see
something （interesting to _me_ at any rate） which we should never
have seen if we had not left London。 My husband's country…house
is within a few miles of us here。 To…morrowwe will go to
Gleninch。〃
〃Where the poor lady was poisoned？〃 asked Benjamin； with a look
of dismay。 〃You mean that place？〃
〃Yes。 I want to see the room in which she died； I want to go all
over the house。〃
Benjamin crossed his hands resignedly on his lap。 〃I try to
understand the new generation；〃 said the old man； sadly； 〃but I
can't manage it。 The new generation beats me。〃
I sat down to write to Mr。 Playmore about the visit to Gleninch。
The house in which the tragedy had occurred that had blighted my
husband's life was； to my mind； the most interesting house on the
habitable globe。 The prospect of visiting Gleninch had； indeed
（to tell the truth）； strongly influenced my resolution to consult
the Edinburgh lawyer。 I sent my note to Mr。 Playmore by a
messenger； and received the kindest reply in return。 If I would
wait until the afternoon； he would get the day's business done；
and would take us to Gleninch in his own carriage。
Benjamin's obstinacyin its own quiet way； and on certain
occasions onlywas quite a match for mine。 He had privately
determined； as one of the old generation； to have nothing to do
with Gleninch。 Not a word on the subject escaped him until Mr。
Playmore's carriage was at the hotel door。 At that appropriate
moment Benjamin remembered an old friend of his in Edinburgh。
〃Will you please to excuse me； Valeria？ My friend's name is
Saunders； and he will take it unkindly of me if I don't dine with
him to…day。〃
Apart from the associations that I connected with it； there was
nothing to interest a traveler at Gleninch。
The country around was pretty and well cultivated； and nothing
more。 The park was； to an English eye； wild and badly kept。 The
house had been built within the last seventy or eighty years。
Outside； it was as bare of all ornament as a factory； and as
gloomily heavy in effect as a prison。 Inside； the deadly
dreariness； the close； oppressive solitude of a deserted dwelling
wearied the eye and weighed on the mind； from the roof to the
basement。 The house had been shut up since the time of the Trial。
A lonely old couple； man and wife； had the keys and the charge of
it。 The man shook his head in silent and sorrowful disapproval of
our intrusion when Mr。 Playmore ordered him to open the doors and
shutters； and let the light in on the dark； deserted place。 Fires
were burning in the library and the picture…gallery； to preserve
the treasures which they contained from the damp。 It was not
easy； at first； to look at the cheerful blaze without fancying
that the inhabitants of the house must surely come in and warm
themselves。 Ascending to the upper floor； I saw the rooms made
familiar to me by the Report of the Trial。 I entered the little
study； with the old books on the shelves； and the key still
missing from the locked door of communication with the
bedchamber。 I looked into the room in which the unhappy mistress
of Gleninch had suffered and died。 The bed was left in its place；
the sofa on which the nurse had snatched her intervals of repose
was at its foot； the Indian cabinet； in which the crumpled paper
with the grains of arsenic had been found； still held its little
collection of curiosities。 I moved on its pivot the invalid…table
on which she had taken her meals and written her poems； poor
soul。 The place was dreary and dreadful； the heavy air felt as if
it were still burdened with its horrid load of misery and
distrust。 I was glad to get out （after a passing glance at the
room which Eustace had occupied in those days） into the Guests'
Corridor。 There was the bedroom； at the door of which Miserrimus
Dexter had waited and watched。 There was the oaken floor along
which he had hopped； in his horrible way； following the footsteps
of the servant disguised in her mistress's clothes。 Go where I
might； the ghosts of the dead and the absent were with me； step
by step。 Go where I might； the lonely horror of the house had its
still and awful voice for Me： 〃_I_ keep the secret of the Poison！
_I_ hide the mystery of the death！〃
The oppression of the place became unendurable。 I longed for the
pure sky and the free air。 My companion noticed and understood
me。
〃Come；〃 he said。 〃We have had enough of the house。 Let us look at
the grounds。〃
In the gray quiet of the evening we roamed about the lonely
gardens； and threaded our way through the rank； neglected
shrubberies。 Wandering here and wandering there； we drifted into
the kitchen gardenwith one little patch still sparely
cultivated by the old man and his wife； and all the rest a
wilderness of weeds。 Beyond the far end of the garden； divided
from it by a low paling of wood； there stretched a patch of waste
ground； sheltered on three sides by trees。 In one lost corner of
the ground an object； common enough elsewhere； attracted my
attention here。 The object was a dust…heap。 The great size of it；
and the curious situation in which it was placed； aroused a
moment's languid curiosity in me。 I stopped； and looked at the
dust and ashes； at the broken crockery and the old iron。 Here
there was a torn hat； and there some fragments of rotten old
boots； and scattered around a small attendant litter of torn
paper and frowzy rags。
〃What are you looking at？〃 asked Mr。 Playmore。
〃At nothing more remarkable than the dust…heap；〃 I answered。
〃In tidy England； I suppose； you would have all that carted away
out of sight；〃 said the lawyer。 〃We don't mind in Scotland； as
long as the dust…heap is far enough away not to be smelt at the
house。 Besides； some of it； sifted； comes in usefully as manure
for the garden。 Here the place is deserted； and the rubbish in
consequence has not been disturbed。 Everything at Gleninch； Mrs。
Eustace （the big dust…heap included）； is waiting for the new
mistress to set it to rights。 One of these days you may be queen
herewho knows？〃
〃I shall never see this place again；〃
I said。
〃Never is a long day；〃 returned my companion。 〃And time has its
surprises in store for all of us。〃
We turned away； and walked back in silence to the park gate； at
which the carriage was waiting。
On the return to Edinburgh； Mr。 Playmore directed the
conversation to topics entirely unconnected with my visit to
Gleninch。 He saw that my mind stood in need of relief； and he
most good…naturedly； and successfully； exerted himself to amuse
me。 It was not until we were close to the city that he touched on
the subject of my return to London。
〃Have you decided yet on the day when you leave Edinburgh？〃 he
asked。
〃We leave Edinburgh；〃 I replied； 〃by the train of to…morrow
morning。〃
〃Do you still see no reason to alter the opinions which you
expressed yesterday？ Does your speedy departure mean that？〃
〃I am afraid it does； Mr。 Playmore。 When I am an older woman； I
may be a wiser woman。 In the meantime； I can only trust to your
indulgence if I still blindly blunder on in my own way。〃
He smiled pleasantly； and patted my handthen changed on a
sudden； and looked at me gravely and attentively before he opened
his lips again。
〃This is my last opportunity of speaking to you before you go；〃
he said。 〃May I speak freely？〃
〃As freely as you please； Mr。 Playmore。 Whatever you may say to
me will only add to my grateful sense of your kindness。〃
〃I have very little to say； Mrs。 Eustaceand that little begins
with a word of caution。 You told me yesterday that； when you paid
your last visit to Miserrimus Dexter； you went to him alone。
Don't do that again。 Take somebody with you。〃
〃Do you think I am in any danger； then？〃
〃Not in the ordinary sense of the word。 I onl