第23章

Ifyouhaveeverbeendisposedtoregrethisabsencedosonolonger。Hopeandpray，rather，thatyouandhemaynevermeetfacetofaceagaininthisworld。Iwriteingreathasteandingreatfearofbeingobserved。TimefailsmetoprepareyouasyououghttobepreparedforwhatIhavenowtodisclose。Imusttellyouplainly，withmuchrespectforyouandsorrowforyourmisfortune，thatyourhusband_hasmarriedanotherwife_。Isawtheceremonyperformed，unknowntohim。IfIcouldnothavespokenofthisinfamousactasaneye—witness，Iwouldnothavespokenofitatall。

"IdarenotacknowledgewhoIam，forIbelieveMr。JamesSmithwouldstickatnocrimetorevengehimselfonmeifheevercametoaknowledgeofthestepIamnowtaking，andofthemeansbywhichIgotmyinformation；neitherhaveItimetoenterintoparticulars。Isimplywarnyouofwhathashappened，andleaveyoutoactonthatwarningasyouplease。Youmaydisbelievethisletter，becauseitisnotsignedbyanyname。Inthatcase，ifMr。JamesSmithshouldeverventureintoyourpresence，I

recommendyoutoaskhimsuddenlywhathehasdonewithhis_newwife，_andtoseeifhiscountenancedoesnotimmediatelytestifythatthetruthhasbeenspokenby"YOURUNKNOWNFRIEND。"

Poorasmyopinionwasofmymaster，Ihadneverbelievedhimtobecapableofsuchvillainyasthis，andIcouldnotbelieveitwhenthelawyerhaddonereadingtheletter。

"Oh，sir，"Isaid，"surelythatissomebaseimposition？Surelyitcannotbetrue？"

"ThatiswhatIhavetoldyourmistress，"heanswered。"Butshesaysinreturn——"

"ThatIfeelittobetrue，"mymistressbrokein，speakingbehindthehandkerchiefinafaint，smotheredvoice。

"Weneednotdebatethequestion，"thelawyerwenton。"Ourbusinessnowistoprovethetruthorfalsehoodofthisletter。

Thatmustbedoneatonce。Ihavewrittentooneofmyclerks，whoisaccustomedtoconductingdelicateinvestigations，tocometothishousewithoutlossoftime。Heistobetrustedwithanything，andhewillpursuetheneedfulinquiriesimmediately。

Itisabsolutelynecessary，tomakesureofcommittingnomistakes，thatheshouldbeaccompaniedbysomeonewhoiswellacquaintedwithMr。JamesSmith’shabitsandpersonalappearance，andyourmistresshasfixeduponyoutobethatperson。Howeverwelltheinquiryismanaged，itmaybeattendedbymuchtroubleanddelay，maynecessitatealongjourney，andmayinvolvesomepersonaldanger。Areyou，"saidthelawyer，lookinghardatme，"readytosufferanyinconvenienceandtorunanyriskforyourmistress’ssake？"

"ThereisnothingI_can_do，sir，"saidI，"thatIwillnotdo。

IamafraidIamnotcleverenoughtobeofmuchuse；but，sofarastroublesandrisksareconcerned，Iamreadyforanythingfromthismoment。"

Mymistresstookthehandkerchieffromherface，lookedatmewithhereyesfulloftears，andheldoutherhand。HowIcametodoitIdon’tknow，butIstoopeddownandkissedthehandsheofferedme，feelinghalfstartled，halfashamedatmyownboldnessthemomentafter。

"Youwilldo，myman，"saidthelawyer，noddinghishead。"Don’ttroubleyourselfabouttheclevernessorthecunningthatmaybewanted。Myclerkhasgotheadenoughfortwo。Ihaveonlyonewordmoretosaybeforeyougodownstairsagain。Rememberthatthisinvestigationandthecausethatleadstoitmustbekeptaprofoundsecret。Exceptusthree，andtheclergymanhere（towhomyourmistresshaswrittenwordofwhathashappened），nobodyknowsanythingaboutit。Iwillletmyclerkintothesecretwhenhejoinsus。Assoonasyouandheareawayfromthehouse，youmaytalkaboutit。Untilthen，youwillcloseyourlipsonthesubject。"

Theclerkdidnotkeepuslongwaiting。HecameasfastasthemailfromLondoncouldbringhim。

Ihadexpected，fromhismaster’sdescription，toseeaserious，sedateman，ratherslyinhislooks，andratherreservedinhismanner。Tomyamazement，thispracticedhandatdelicateinvestigationswasabrisk，plump，jollylittleman，withacomfortabledoublechin，apairofverybrightblackeyes，andabigbottle—noseofthetruegroggyredcolor。Heworeasuitofblack，andalimp，dingywhitecravat；tooksnuffperpetuallyoutofaverylargebox；walkedwithhishandscrossedbehindhisback；andlooked，uponthewhole，muchmorelikeaparsonoffree—and—easyhabitsthanalawyer’sclerk。

"Howd’yedo？"sayshe，whenIopenedthedoortohim。"I’mthemanyouexpectfromtheofficeinLondon。JustsayMr。Dark，willyou？I’llsitdownheretillyoucomeback；and，youngman，ifthereissuchathingasaglassofaleinthehouse，Idon’tmindcommittingmyselfsofarastosaythatI’lldrinkit。"

IgothimthealebeforeIannouncedhim。Hewinkedatmeasheputittohislips。

"Yourgoodhealth，"sayshe。"Ilikeyou。Don’tforgetthatthename’sDark；andjustleavethejugandglass，willyou，incasemymasterkeepsmewaiting。"

Iannouncedhimatonce，andwastoldtoshowhimintothelibrary。

WhenIgotbacktothehallthejugwasempty，andMr。Darkwascomfortinghimselfwithapinchofsnuff，snortingoveritlikeaperfectgrampus。Hehadswallowedmorethanapintofthestrongestoldaleinthehouse；and，foralltheeffectitseemedtohavehadonhim，hemightjustaswellhavebeendrinkingsomuchwater。

AsIledhimalongthepassagetothelibraryJosephinepassedus。Mr。Darkwinkedatmeagain，andmadeheralowbow。

"Lady’smaid，"Iheardhimwhispertohimself。"Afinewomantolookat，butadamnedbadonetodealwith。"Iturnedroundonhim，ratherangryathiscoolways，andlookedhardathimjustbeforeIopenedthelibrarydoor。Mr。Darklookedhardatme。

"Allright，"sayshe。"Icanshowmyselfin。"Andheknocksatthedoor，andopensit，andgoesinwithanotherwickedwink，allinamoment。

Halfanhourlaterthebellrangforme。Mr。Darkwassittingbetweenmymistress（whowaslookingathiminamazement）andthelawyer（whowaslookingathimwithapproval）。Hehadamapopenonhisknee，andapeninhishand。Judgingbyhisface，thecommunicationofthesecretaboutmymasterdidnotseemtohavemadethesmallestimpressiononhim。

"I’vegotleavetoaskyouaquestion，"sayshe，themomentI

appeared。"Whenyoufoundyourmaster’syachtgone，didyouhearwhichwayshehadsailed？WasitnorthwardtowardScotland？Speakup，youngman，speakup！"

"Yes，"Ianswered。"TheboatmentoldmethatwhenImadeinquiriesattheharbor。"

"Well，sir，"saysMr。Dark，turningtothelawyer，"ifhesaidhewasgoingtoSweden，heseemstohavestartedontheroadtoit，atallevents。IthinkIhavegotmyinstructionsnow？"

Thelawyernodded，andlookedatmymistress，whobowedherheadtohim。Hethensaid，turningtome：

"Packupyourbagfortravelingatonce，andhaveaconveyancegotreadytogotothenearestpost—town。Looksharp，youngman——looksharp！"

"And，whateverhappensinthefuture，"addedmymistress，herkindvoicetremblingalittle，"believe，William，thatIshallneverforgettheproofyounowshowofyourdevotiontome。ItisstillsomecomforttoknowthatIhaveyourfidelitytodependoninthisdreadfultrial——yourfidelityandtheextraordinaryintelligenceandexperienceofMr。Dark。"

Mr。Darkdidnotseemtohearthecompliment。Hewasbusywriting，withhispaperuponthemaponhisknee。

Aquarterofanhourlater，whenIhadorderedthedog—cart，andhadgotdownintothehallwithmybagpacked，Ifoundhimtherewaitingforme。Hewassittinginthesamechairwhichhehadoccupiedwhenhefirstarrived，andhehadanotherjugoftheoldaleonthetablebyhisside。

"Gotanyfishing—rodsinthehouse？"sayshe，whenIputmybagdowninthehall。

"Yes，"Ireplied，astonishedatthequestion。"Whatdoyouwantwiththem？"

"Packacoupleincasesfortraveling，"saysMr。Dark，"withlines，andhooks，andfly—booksallcomplete。Haveadropofthealebeforeyougo——anddon’tstare，William，don’tstare。I’llletthelightinonyouassoonasweareoutofthehouse。Offwithyoufortherods！Iwanttobeontheroadinfiveminutes。"

WhenIcamebackwiththerodsandtackleIfoundMr。Darkinthedog—cart。

"Money，luggage，fishing—rods，papersofdirections，copyofanonymousletter，guide—bo

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