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for her permission to open his lips and speak。 Whenever she
interrupted himand she did it； over and over again； without
ceremonyhe submitted with a senile docility and admiration； at
once absurd and shocking to see。
〃Isn't she beautiful？〃 he said to me （in his wife's hearing！）。
〃What a figure； and what a voice！ You remember her voice？ It's a
loss； my dear lady； an irretrievable loss； to the operatic stage！
Do you know； when I think what that grand creature might have
done； I sometimes ask myself if I really had any right to marry
her。 I feel； upon my honor I feel； as if I had committed a fraud
on the public！〃
As for the favored object of this quaint mixture of admiration
and regret； she was pleased to receive me graciously； as an old
friend。 While Eustace was talking to the Major； the bride drew me
aside out of their hearing； and explained her motives for
marrying； with a candor which was positively shameless。
〃You see we are a large family at home； quite unprovided for！〃
this odious young woman whispered in my ear。 〃It's all very well
about my being a 'Queen of Song' and the rest of it。 Lord bless
you； I have been often enough to the opera； and I have learned
enough of my music…master； to know what it takes to make a fine
singer。 I haven't the patience to work at it as those foreign
women do： a parcel of brazen…faced JezebelsI hat e them！ No！
no！ between you and me； it was a great deal easier to get the
money by marrying the old gentleman。 Here I am； provided forand
there's all my family provided for； tooand nothing to do but to
spend the money。 I am fond of my family； I'm a good daughter and
sister_I_ am！ See how I'm dressed； look at the furniture： I
haven't played my cards badly； have I？ It's a great advantage to
marry an old manyou can twist him round your little finger。
Happy？ Oh； yes！ I'm quite happy； and I hope you are； too。 Where
are you living now？ I shall call soon； and have a long gossip
with you。 I always had a sort of liking for you； and （now I'm as
good as you are） I want to be friends。〃
I made a short and civil reply to this； determining inwardly that
when she did visit me she should get no further than the
house…door。 I don't scruple to say that I was thoroughly
disgusted with her。 When a woman sells herself to a man； that
vile bargain is none the less infamous （to my mind） because it
happens to be made under the sanction of the Church and the Law。
As I sit at the desk thinking； the picture of the Major and his
wife vanishes from my memoryand the last scene in my story
comes slowly into view。
The place is my bedroom。 The persons （both； if you will be
pleased to excuse them； in bed） are myself and my son。 He is
already three weeks old； and he is now lying fast asleep by his
mother's side。 My good Uncle Starkweather is coming to London to
baptize him。 Mrs。 Macallan will be his godmother； and his
godfathers will be Benjamin and Mr。 Playmore。 I wonder whether my
christening will pass off more merrily than my wedding？
The doctor has just left the house； in some little perplexity
about me。 He has found me reclining as usual （latterly） in my
arm…chair； but on this particular day he has detected symptoms of
exhaustion； which he finds quite unaccountable under the
circumstances； and which warn him to exert his authority by
sending me back to my bed。
The truth is that I have not taken the doctor into my confidence。
There are two causes for those signs of exhaustion which have
surprised my medical attendantand the names of them
areAnxiety and Suspense。
On this day I have at last summoned courage enough to perform the
promise which I made to my husband in Paris。 He is informed； by
this time； how his wife's Confession was discovered。 He knows （on
Mr。 Playmore's authority） that the letter may be made the means；
if he so will it； of publicly vindicating his innocence in a
Court of Law。 And； last and most important of all； he is now
aware that the Confession itself has been kept a sealed secret
from him； out of compassionate regard for his own peace of mind；
as well as for the memory of the unhappy woman who was once his
wife。
These necessary disclosures I have communicated to my
husbandnot by word of mouth； when the time came； I shrank from
speaking to him personally of his first wifebut by a written
statement of the circumstances； taken mainly out of my letters
received in Paris from Benjamin and Mr。 Playmore。 He has now had
ample time to read all that I have written to him； and to reflect
on it in the retirement of his own study。 I am waiting； with the
fatal letter in my handand my mother…in…law is waiting in the
next room to meto hear from his own lips whether he decides to
break the seal or not。
The minutes pass； and still we fail to hear his footstep on the
stairs。 My doubts as to which way his decision may turn affect me
more and more uneasily the longer I wait。 The very possession of
the letter； in the present excited state of my nerves； oppresses
and revolts me。 I shrink from touching it or looking at it。 I
move it about restlessly from place to place on the bed； and
still I cannot keep it out of my mind。 At last； an odd fancy
strikes me。 I lift up one of the baby's hands； and put the letter
under itand so associate that dreadful record of sin and misery
with something innocent and pretty that seems to hallow and to
purify it。
The minutes pass； the half…hour longer strikes from the clock on
the chimney…piece； and at last I hear him！ He knocks softly； and
opens the door。
He is deadly pale： I fancy I can detect traces of tears on his
cheeks。 But no outward signs of agitation escape him as he takes
his seat by my side。 I can see that he has waited until he could
control himselffor my sake。
He takes my hand； and kisses me tenderly。
〃Valeria！〃 he says； 〃let me once more ask you to forgive what I
said and did in the bygone time。 If I understand nothing else； my
love； I understand this： The proof of my innocence has been
found； and I owe it entirely to the courage and the devotion of
my wife！〃
I wait a little； to enjoy the full luxury of hearing him say
those wordsto revel in the love and the gratitude that moisten
his dear eyes as they look at me。 Then I rouse my resolution； and
put the momentous question on which our future depends。
〃Do you wish to see the letter； Eustace？〃
Instead of answering directly； he questions me in his turn。
〃Have you got the letter here？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Sealed up？〃
〃Sealed up。〃
He waits a little； considering what he is going to say next
before he says it；
〃Let me be sure that I know exactly what it is I have to decide；〃
he proceeds。 〃Suppose I insist on reading the letter？〃
There I interrupt him。 I know it is my duty to restrain myself。
But I cannot do my duty。
〃My darling； don't talk of reading the letter！ Pray； pray spare
yourself〃
He holds up his hand for silence。
〃I am not thinking of myself；〃 he says。 〃I am thinking of my dead
wife。 If I give up the public vindication of my innocence； in my
own lifetimeif I leave the seal of the letter unbrokendo you
say； as Mr。 Playmore says； that I shall be acting mercifully and
tenderly toward the memory of my wife？〃
〃Oh； Eustace； there cannot be the shadow of a doubt of it！〃
〃Shall I be making some little atonement for any pain that I may
have thoughtlessly caused her to suffer in her lifetime？〃
〃Yes！ yes！〃
〃And； Valeriashall I please You？〃
〃My darling； you will enchant me！〃
〃Where is the letter？〃
〃In your son's hand； Eustace。〃
He goes around to the other side of the bed； and lifts the baby's
little pink hand to his lips。 For a while he waits so； in sad and
secret communion with himself。 I see his mother softly open the
door； and watch him as I am watching him。 In a moment more our
suspense is at an end。 With a heavy sigh； he lays the child's
hand back again on the sealed letter； and by that one little
action says （as if in words） to his son〃I leave it to You！〃
And so it ended！ Not as I thought it would end； not perhaps as
you thought it would end。 What do we know of our own lives？ What
do we know of the fulfillment of our dearest wishes？ God
knowsand that is best。
Must I shut up the paper？ Yes。 There is nothing more for you to
read or for me to say。
Except thisas a postscript。 Don't bear hardly； good people； on
the follies and the errors of my husband's life。 Abuse _me_ as
much as you please。 But pray think kindly of Eustace for my sake。
End