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words； that the arsenic which Eustace procured was purchased at
the request of his wife； and was in her possession at Gleninch。
This； remember； is in the handwriting of the wife； and is signed
by the wifeas we have also found out。 Unfortunately； I am
obliged to add that the objection to taking your husband into our
confidence； mentioned when I last wrote； still remains in
forcein greater force； I may say； than ever。 The more we make
out of the letter； the more inclined we are （if we only studied
our own feelings） to throw it back into the dust…heap； in mercy
to the memory of the unhappy writer。 I shall keep this open for a
day or two。 If there is more news to tell you by that time you
will hear of it from Mr。 Playmore。〃
Mr。 Playmore's postscript followed； dated three days later。
〃The concluding part of the late Mrs。 Macallan's letter to her
husband；〃 the lawyer wrote； 〃has proved accidentally to be the
first part which we have succeeded in piecing together。 With the
exception of a few gaps still left； here and there； the writing
of the closing paragraphs has been perfectly reconstructed。 I
have neither the time nor the inclination to write to you on this
sad subject in any detail。 In a fortnight more； at the longest；
we shall； I hope； send you a copy of the letter； complete from
the first line to the last。 Meanwhile； it is my duty to tell you
that there is one bright side to this otherwise deplorable and
shocking document。 Legally speaking； as well as morally speaking；
it absolutely vindicates your husband's innocence。 And it may be
lawfully used for this purposeif he can reconcile it to his
conscience； and to the mercy due to the memory of the dead； to
permit the public exposure of the letter in Court。 Understand me；
he cannot be tried again on what we call the criminal chargefor
certain technical reasons with which I need not trouble you。 But；
if the facts which were involved at the criminal trial can also
be shown to be involved in a civil action （and in this case they
can）； the entire matter may be made the subject of a new legal
inquiry； and the verdict of a second jury； completely vindicating
your husband； may thus be obtained。 Keep this information to
yourself for the present。 Preserve the position which you have so
sensibly adopted toward Eustace until you have read the restored
letter。 When you have done this； my own idea is that you will
shrink； in pity to _him；_ from letting him see it。 How he is to
be kept in ignorance of what we have discovered is another
question； the discussion of which must be deferred until we can
consult together。 Until that time comes； I can only repeat my
advicewait till the next news reaches you from Gleninch。〃
I waited。 What I suffered； what Eustace thought of me； does not
matter。 Nothing matters now but the facts。
In less than a fortnight more the task of restoring the letter
was completed。 Excepting certain instances； in which the morsels
of the torn paper had been irretrievably lostand in which it
had been necessary to complete the sense in harmony with the
writer's intentionthe whole letter had been put together； and
the promised copy of it was forwarded to me in Paris。
Before you； too； read that dreadful letter； do me one favor。 Let
me briefly remind you of the circumstances under which Eustace
Macallan married his first wife。
Remember that the poor creature fell in love with him without
awakening any corresponding affection on his side。 Remember that
he separated himself from her； and did all he could to avoid her；
when he found this out。 Remember that she presented herself at
his residence in London without a word of warning； that he did
his best to save her reputation； that he failed； through no fault
of his own； and that he ended； rashly ended in a moment of
despair； by marrying her； to silence the scandal that must
otherwise have blighted her life as a woman for the rest of her
days。 Bear all this in mind （it is the sworn testimony of
respectable witnesses）； and pray do not forgethowever foolishly
and blamably he may have written about her in the secret pages of
his Diarythat he was proved to have done his best to conceal
from his wife the aversion which the poor soul inspired in him；
and that he was （in the opinion of those who could best judge
him） at least a courteous and a considerate husband； if he could
be no more。
And now take the letter。 It asks but one favor of you： it asks to
be read by the light of Christ's teaching〃Judge not； that ye be
not judged。〃
CHAPTER XLVII。
THE WIFE'S CONFESSION。
〃GLENINCH； October 19； 18。
〃MY HUSBAND
〃I have something very painful to tell you about one of your
oldest friends。
〃You have never encouraged me to come to you with any confidences
of mine。 If you had allowed me to be as familiar with you as some
wives are with their husbands； I should have spoken to you
personally instead of writing。 As it is； I don't know how you
might receive what I have to say to you if I said it by word of
mouth。 So I write。
〃The man against whom I warn you is still a guest in this
houseMiserrimus Dexter。 No falser or wickeder creature walks
the earth。 Don't throw my letter aside！ I have waited to say this
until I could find proof that might satisfy you。 I have got the
proof。
〃You may remember that I ventured to express some disapproval
when you first told me you had asked this man to visit us。 If you
had allowed me time to explain myself； I might have been bold
enough to give you a good reason for the aversion I felt toward
your friend。 But you would not wait。 You hastily （and most
unjustly） accused me of feeling prejudiced against the miserable
creature on account of his deformity。 No other feeling than
compassion for deformed persons has ever entered my mind。 I have；
indeed； alm ost a fellow…feeling for them； being that next worst
thing myself to a deformitya plain woman。 I objected to Mr。
Dexter as your guest because he had asked me to be his wife in
past days； and because I had reason to fear that he still
regarded me （after my marriage） with a guilty and a horrible
love。 Was it not my duty； as a good wife； to object to his being
your guest at Gleninch？ And was it not your duty； as a good
husband； to encourage me to say more？
〃Well； Mr。 Dexter has been your guest for many weeks； and Mr。
Dexter has dared to speak to me again of his love。 He has
insulted me； and insulted you； by declaring that _he_ adores me
and that _you_ hate me。 He has promised me a life of unalloyed
happiness； in a foreign country with my lover； and he has
prophesied for me a life of unendurable misery at home with my
husband。
〃Why did I not make my complaint to you； and have this monster
dismissed from the house at once and forever？
〃Are you sure you would have believed me if I had complained； and
if your bosom friend had denied all intention of insulting me？ I
heard you once say （when you were not aware that I was within
hearing） that the vainest women were always the ugly women。 You
might have accused _me_ of vanity。 Who knows？
〃But I have no desire to shelter myself under this excuse。 I am a
jealous； unhappy creature； always doubtful of your affection for
me； always fearing that another woman has got my place in your
heart。 Miserrimus Dexter has practiced on this weakness of mine。
He has declared he can prove to me （if I will permit him） that I
am； in your secret heart； an object of loathing to you； that you
shrink from touching me； that you curse the hour when you were
foolish enough to make me your wife。 I have struggled as long as
I could against the temptation to let him produce his proofs。 It
was a terrible temptation to a woman who was far from feeling
sure of the sincerity of your affection for her； and it has ended
in getting the better of my resistance。 I wickedly concealed the
disgust which the wretch inspired in me； I wickedly gave him
leave to explain himself； I wickedly permitted this enemy of
yours and of mine to take me into his confidence。 And why？
Because I loved you； and you only； and because Miserrimus
Dexter's proposal did； after all； echo a doubt of you that had
long been gnawing secretly at my heart。
〃Forgive me； Eustace！ This is my first sin against you。 It shall
be my last。
〃I will not spare myself； I will write a full confession of what
I said to him and of what he said to me。 You may make me suffer
for it when you know what I have done； but you will at least be
warned in time； you will see your false friend in his true light。
〃I said to him； 'How can you prove to me that my husband hates me
in secret？'
〃He answered； 'I can prove it under his own handwriting； you
shall see it in his Diary。'
〃I said； 'His Diary has a lock； and the drawer in which he keeps
it has a lock。 How can you get at the Diary and the drawer？'
〃He answered； 'I have my own way of getting at both of them；
without the slightest risk of being discovered by your husband。
All you have to do is to give me the opportunity of seeing you
privately。 I will engage； in return； to bring the open Diary with
me to your room。'
〃I said； 'How can I give you the opportunity？ Wha