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in Benjamin's house。
He was the first to speak。
〃Lady Clarinda has destroyed your confidence in me！〃 he began；
wildly。
〃Lady Clarinda has done nothing of the sort；〃 I replied。 〃She has
not attempted to influence my opinion。 I was really obliged to
leave London； as I told you。〃
He sighed； and closed his eyes contentedly； as if I had relieved
him of a heavy weight of anxiety。
〃Be merciful to me；〃 he said； 〃and tell me something more。 I have
been so miserable in your absence。〃 He suddenly opened his eyes
again； and looked at me with an appearance of the greatest
interest。 〃Are you very much fatigued by traveling？〃 he
proceeded。 〃I am hungry for news of what happened at the Major's
dinner party。 Is it cruel of me to tell you so； when you have not
rested after your journey？ Only one question to…night； and I will
leave the rest till to…morrow。 What did Lady Clarinda say about
Mrs。 Beauly？ All that you wanted to hear？〃
〃All； and more；〃 I answered。
〃What？ what？ what？〃 he cried wild with impatience in a moment。
Mr。 Playmore's last prophetic words were vividly present to my
mind。 He had declared； in the most positive manner； that Dexter
would persist in misleading me； and would show no signs of
astonishment when I repeated what Lady Clarinda had told me of
Mrs。 Beauly。 I resolved to put the lawyer's prophecyso far as
the question of astonishment was concernedto the sharpest
attainable test。 I said not a word to Miserrimus Dexter in the
way of preface or preparation： I burst on him with my news as
abruptly as possible。
〃The person you saw in the corridor was not Mrs。 Beauly；〃 I said。
〃It was the maid； dressed in her mistress's cloak and hat。 Mrs。
Beauly herself was not in the house at all。 Mrs。 Beauly herself
was dancing at a masked ball in Edinburgh。 There is what the maid
told Lady Clarinda； and there is what Lady Clarinda told _me。_〃
In the absorbing interest of the moment； I poured out those words
one after another as fast as they would pass my lips。 Miserrimus
Dexter completely falsified the lawyer's prediction。 He shuddered
under the shock。 His eyes opened wide with amazement。 〃Say it
again！〃 he cried。 〃I can't take it all in at once。 You stun me。〃
I was more than contented with this resultI triumphed in my
victory。 For once； I had really some reason to feel satisfied
with myself。 I had taken the Christian and merciful side in my
discussion with Mr。 Playmore； and I had won my reward。 I could
sit in the same room with Miserrimus Dexter； and feel the blessed
conviction that I was not breathing the same air with a poisoner。
Was it not worth the visit to Edinburgh to have made sure of
that？
In repeating； at his own desire； what I had already said to him；
I took care to add the details which made Lady Clarinda's
narrative coherent and credible。 He listened throughout with
breathless attentionhere and there repeating the words after
me； to impress them the more surely and the more deeply on his
mind。
〃What is to be said？ what is to be done？〃 he asked； with a look
of blank despair。 〃I can't disbelieve it。 From first to last；
strange as it is； it sounds true。〃
（How would Mr。 Playmore have felt if he had heard those words？ I
did him the justice to believe that he would have felt heartily
ashamed of himself。）
〃There is nothing to be said；〃 I rejoined； 〃except that Mrs。
Beauly is innocent； and that you and I have done her a grievous
wrong。 Don't you agree with me？〃
〃I entirely agree with you；〃 he answered； without an instant's
hesitation。 〃Mrs。 Beauly is an innocent woman。 The defense at the
Trial was the right defense after all。〃
He folded his arms complacently； he looked perfectly satisfied to
leave the matter there。
I was not of his mind。 To my own amazement； I now found myself
the least reasonable person of the two！
Miserrimus Dexter （to use the popular phrase） had given me more
than I had bargained for。 He had not only done all that I had
anticipated in the way of falsifying Mr。 Playmore's
predictionhe had actually advanced beyond my limits。 I could go
the length of recognizing Mrs。 Beauly's innocence； but at that
point I stopped。 If the Defense at the Trial were the right
defense； farewell to all hope of asserting my husband's
innocence。 I held to that hope as I held to my love and my life。
〃Speak for yourself；〃 I said。 〃My opinion of the Defense remains
unchanged。〃
He started； and knit his brows as if I had disappointed and
displeased him。
〃Does that mean that you are determined to go on？〃
〃It does。〃
He was downright angry with me。 He cast his customary politeness
to the winds。
〃Absurd！ impossible！〃 he cried； contemptuously。 〃You have
yourself declared that we wronged an innocent woman when we
suspected Mrs。 Beauly。 Is there any one else whom we can suspect？
It is ridiculous to ask the question。 There is no alternative
left but to accept the facts as they are； and to stir no further
in the matter of the poisoning at Gleninch。 It is childish to
dispute plain conclusions。 You must give up。〃
〃You may be angry with me if you will； Mr。 Dexter。 Neither your
anger nor your arguments will make me give up。〃
He controlled himself by an efforthe was quiet and polite again
when he next spoke to me。
〃Very well。 Pardon me for a moment if I absorb myself in my own
thoughts。 I want to do something which I have not done yet。〃
〃What may that be； Mr。 Dexter？〃
〃I am going to put myself into Mrs。 Beauly's skin； and to think
with Mrs。 Beauly's mind。 Give me a minute。 Thank you。〃
What did he mean？ what new transformation of him was passing
before my eyes？ Was there ever such a puzzle of a man as this？
Who that saw him now； intently pursuing his new train of thought；
would have recognized him as the childish creature who
had awoke so innocently； and had astonished Benjamin by the
infantine nonsense which he talked？ It is said； and said truly；
that there are many sides to every human character。 Dexter's many
sides were developing themselves at such a rapid rate of progress
that they were already beyond my counting。
He lifted his head； and fixed a look of keen inquiry on me。
〃I have come out of Mrs。 Beauly's skin；〃 he announced。 〃And I
have arrived at this result： We are two impetuous people； and we
have been a little hasty in rushing at a conclusion。〃
He stopped。 I said nothing。 Was the shadow of a doubt of him
beginning to rise in my mind？ I waited； and listened。
〃I am as fully satisfied as ever of the truth of what Lady
Clarinda told you； he proceeded。 〃But I see； on consideration；
what I failed to see at the time。 The story admits of two
interpretationsone on the surface； and another under the
surface。 I look under the surface； in your interests； and I say；
it is just possible that Mrs。 Beauly may have been cunning enough
to forestall suspicion； and to set up an Alibi。〃
I am ashamed to own that I did not understand what he meant by
the last wordAlibi。 He saw that I was not following him； and
spoke out more plainly。
〃Was the maid something more than her mistress's passive
accomplice？〃 he said。 〃Was she the Hand that her mistress used？
Was she on her way to give the first dose of poison when she
passed me in this corridor？ Did Mrs。 Beauly spend the night in
Edinburghso as to have her defense ready； if suspicion fell
upon her？〃
My shadowy doubt of him became substantial doubt when I heard
that。 Had I absolved him a little too readily？ Was he really
trying to renew my suspicions of Mrs。 Beauly； as Mr。 Playmore had
foretold？ This time I was obliged to answer him。 In doing so； I
unconsciously employed one of the phrases which the lawyer had
used to me during my first interview with him。
〃That sounds rather far…fetched； Mr。 Dexter；〃 I said。
To my relief； he made no attempt to defend the new view that he
had advanced。
〃It is far…fetched；〃 he admitted。 〃When I said it was just
possiblethough I didn't claim much for my ideaI said more for
it perhaps than it deserved。 Dismiss my view as ridiculous； what
are you to do next？ If Mrs。 Beauly is not the poisoner （either by
herself or by her maid）； who is？ She is innocent； and Eustace is
innocent。 Where is the other person whom you can suspect？ Have
_I_ poisoned her？〃 he cried； with his eyes flashing； and his
voice rising to its highest notes。 〃Do you； does anybody； suspect
Me？ I loved her； I adored her； I have never been the same man
since her death。 Hush！ I will trust you with a secret。 （Don't
tell your husband； it might be the destruction of our
friendship。） I would have married her； before she met with
Eustace； if she would have taken me。 When the doctors told me she
had died poisonedask Doctor Jerome what I suffered； _he_ can
tell you！ All through that horrible night I was awake； watching
my opportunity until I found my way to her。 I got into the room；
and took my last leave of the cold remains of the angel whom I
loved。 I cried over her。 I kissed her。 for the first and last
time。 I stole one little lock of her hair。 I have worn it ever
since； I have kissed it night and day。 Oh； God！ the room comes
back to me！ the dead face comes back to me！ Look！ look！〃
He tore from its place of concealm