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back to me！ the dead face comes back to me！ Look！ look！〃
He tore from its place of concealment in his bosom a little
locket； fastened by a ribbon around his neck。 He threw it to me
where I sat； and burst into a passion of tears。
A man in my place might have known what to do。 Being only a
woman； I yielded to the compassionate impulse of the moment。
I got up and crossed the room to him。 I gave him back his locket；
and put my hand； without knowing what I was about； on the poor
wretch's shoulder。 〃I am incapable of suspecting you； Mr。
Dexter；〃 I said； gently。 〃No such idea ever entered my head。 I
pity you from the bottom of my heart。〃
He caught my hand in his； and devoured it with kisses。 His lips
burned me like fire。 He twisted himself suddenly in the chair；
and wound his arm around my waist。 In the terror and indignation
of the moment； vainly struggling with him； I cried out for help。
The door opened； and Benjamin appeared on the threshold。
Dexter let go his hold of me。
I ran to Benjamin； and prevented him from advancing into the
room。 In all my long experience of my fatherly old friend I had
never seen him really angry yet。 I saw him more than angry now。
He was palethe patient； gentle old man was pale with rage！ I
held him at the door with all my strength。
〃You can't lay your hand on a cripple；〃 I said。 Send for the man
outside to take him a way。
I drew Benjamin out of the room； and closed and locked the
library door。 The housekeeper was in the dining…room。 I sent her
out to call the driver of the pony…chaise into the house。
The man came inthe rough man whom I had noticed when we were
approaching the garden gate。 Benjamin opened the library door in
stern silence。 It was perhaps unworthy of me； but I could _not_
resist the temptation to look in。
Miserrimus Dexter had sunk down in the chair。 The rough man
lifted his master with a gentleness that surprised me。 〃Hide my
face；〃 I heard Dexter say to him； in broken tones。 He opened his
coarse pilot…jacket； and hid his master's head under it； and so
went silently outwith the deformed creature held to his bosom；
like a woman sheltering her child。
CHAPTER XXXVI。
ARIEL。
I PASSED a sleepless night。
The outrage that had been offered to me was bad enough in itself。
But consequences were associated with it which might affect me
more seriously still。 In so far as the attainment of the one
object of my life might yet depend on my personal association
with Miserrimus Dexter； an insurmountable obstacle appeared to be
now placed in my way。 Even in my husband's interests； ought I to
permit a man who had grossly insulted me to approach me again？
Although I was no prude； I recoiled from the thought of it。
I arose late； and sat down at my desk； trying to summon energy
enough to write to Mr。 Playmoreand trying in vain。
Toward noon （while Benjamin happened to be out for a little
while） the housekeeper announced the arrival of another strange
visitor at the gate of the villa。
〃It's a woman this time； ma'amor something like one；〃 said this
worthy person； confidentially。 〃A great； stout； awkward； stupid
creature； with a man's hat on and a man's stick in her hand。 She
says she has got a note for you； and she won't give it to anybody
_but_ you。 I'd better not let her inhad I？〃
Recognizing the original of the picture； I astonished the
housekeeper by consenting to receive the messenger immediately。
Ariel entered the roomin stolid silence； as usual。 But I
noticed a change in her which puzzled me。 Her dull eyes were red
and bloodshot。 Traces of tears （as I fancied） were visible on her
fat； shapeless cheeks。 She crossed the room； on her way to my
chair； with a less determined tread than was customary with her。
Could Ariel （I asked myself） be woman enough to cry？ Was it
within the limits of possibility that Ariel should approach me in
sorrow and in fear？
〃I hear you have brought something for me？〃 I said。 〃Won't you
sit down？〃
She handed me a letterwithout answering and without taking a
chair。 I opened the envelope。 The letter inside was written by
Miserrimus Dexter。 It contained these lines：
〃Try to pity me； if you have any pity left for a miserable man；
I have bitterly expiated the madness of a moment。 If you could
see meeven you would own that my punishment has been heavy
enough。 For God's sake； don't abandon me！ I was beside myself
when I let the feeling that you have awakened in me get the
better of my control。 It shall never show itself again； it shall
be a secret that dies with me。 Can I expect you to believe this？
No。 I won't ask you to believe me； I won't ask you to trust me in
the future。 If you ever consent to see me again； let it be in the
presence of any third person whom you may appoint to protect you。
I deserve thatI will submit to it； I will wait till time has
composed your angry feeling against me。 All I ask now is leav e
to hope。 Say to Ariel； 'I forgive him； and one day I will let him
see me again。' She will remember it； for love of me。 If you send
her back without a message； you send me to the mad…house。 Ask
her； if you don't believe me。
〃MISERRIMUS DEXTER。〃
I finished the strange letter； and looked at Ariel。
She stood with her eyes on the floor； and held out to me the
thick walking…stick which she carried in her hand。
〃Take the stick〃 were the first words she said to me。
〃Why am I to take it？〃 I asked。
She struggled a little with her sluggishly working mind； and
slowly put her thoughts into words。
〃You're angry with the Master；〃 she said。 〃Take it out on Me。
Here's the stick。 Beat me。〃
〃Beat you！〃 I exclaimed。
〃My back's broad；〃 said the poor creature。 〃I won't make a row。
I'll bear it。 Drat you； take the stick！ Don't vex _him。_ Whack it
out on my back。 Beat _me。_〃
She roughly forced the stick into my hand； she turned her poor
shapeless shoulders to me； waiting for the blow。 It was at once
dreadful and touching to see her。 The tears rose in my eyes。 I
tried； gently and patiently； to reason with her。 Quite useless！
The idea of taking the Master's punishment on herself was the one
idea in her mind。 〃Don't vex _him；_〃 she repeated。 〃Beat _me。_〃
〃What do you mean by 'vexing him'？〃 I asked。
She tried to explain； and failed to find the words。 She showed me
by imitation； as a savage might have shown me； what she meant。
Striding to the fire…place； she crouched on the rug； and looked
into the fire with a horrible vacant stare。 Then she clasped her
hands over her forehead； and rocked slowly to and fro； still
staring into the fire。 〃There's how he sits！〃 she said； with a
sudden burst of speech。 〃Hours on hours； there's how he sits！
Notices nobody。 Cries about _you。_〃
The picture she presented recalled to my memory the Report of
Dexter's health； and the doctor's plain warning of peril waiting
for him in the future。
Even if I could have resisted Ariel； I must have yielded to the
vague dread of consequences which now shook me in secret。
〃Don't do that！〃 I cried。 She was still rocking herself in
imitation of the 〃Master；〃 and still staring into the fire with
her hands to her head。 〃Get up； pray！ I am not angry with him
now。 I forgive him。〃
She rose on her hands and knees； and waited； looking up intently
into my face。 In that attitudemore like a dog than a human
beingshe repeated her customary petition when she wanted to fix
words that interested her in her mind。
〃Say it again！〃
I did as she bade me。 She was not satisfied。
〃Say it as it is in the letter；〃 she went on。 〃Say it as the
Master said it to Me。〃
I looked back at the letter； and repeated the form of message
contained in the latter part of it； word for word：
〃I forgive him； and one day I will let him see me again。〃
She sprang to her feet at a bound。 For the first time since she
had entered the room her dull face began to break slowly into
light and life。
〃That's it！〃 she cried。 〃Hear if I can say it； too； hear if I've
got it by heart。〃
Teaching her exactly as I should have taught a child； I slowly
fastened the message； word by word； on her mind。
〃Now rest yourself；〃 I said； 〃and let me give you something to
eat and drink after your long walk。〃
I might as well have spoken to one of the chairs。 She snatched up
her stick from the floor； and burst out with a hoarse shout of
joy。 〃I've got it by heart！〃 she cried。 〃This will cool the
Master's head！ Hooray！〃 She dashed out into the passage like a
wild animal escaping from its cage。 I was just in time to see her
tear open the garden gate； and set forth on her walk back at a
pace which made it hopeless to attempt to follow and stop her。
I returned to the sitting…room； pondering on a question which has
perplexed wiser heads than mine。 Could a man who was hopelessly
and entirely wicked have inspired such devoted attachment to him
as Dexter had inspired in the faithful woman who had just left
me？ in the rough gardener who had carried him out so gently on
the previous night？ Who can decide？ The greatest scoundrel living
always has a friendin a woman or a dog。
I sat down again at my desk； and made another attempt to write to
M