第24章

Suchwasthetrueaccountofmymaster’sinfamousconductinScotlandasitwasrelatedtome。Onconcluding，Mr。Darkhintedthathehadsomethingstilllefttotellme，butdeclaredthathewastoosleepytotalkanymorethatnight。Assoonaswewereawakethenextmorninghereturnedtothesubject。

"Ididn’tfinishallIhadtosaylastnight，didI？"hebegan。

Youunfortunatelytoldmeenough，andmorethanenough，toprovethetruthofthestatementintheanonymousletter，"Ianswered。

"Yes，"saysMr。Dark，"butdidItellyouwhowrotetheanonymousletter？"

"Youdon’tmeantosaythatyouhavefoundthatout！"saysI。

"IthinkIhave，"wasthecoolanswer。"WhenIheardaboutyourpreciousmasterpayingofftheregularcrewoftheyachtIputthecircumstancebyinmymind，tobebroughtoutagainandsiftedalittleassoonastheopportunityoffered。Itofferedinabouthalfanhour。SaysItothegauger，whowastheprincipaltalkerintheroom：’HowaboutthosementhatMr。Smithpaidoff？

Didtheyallgoassoonastheygottheirmoney，ordidtheystopheretilltheyhadspenteveryfarthingofitinthepublic—houses？’Thegaugerlaughs。’Nosuchluck，’sayshe，inthebroadestpossibleScotch（whichItranslateintoEnglish，William，foryourbenefit）；’nosuchluck；theyallwentsouth，tospendtheirmoneyamongfinerpeoplethanus——all，thatistosay，withoneexception。Itwasthoughtthestewardoftheyachthadgonealongwiththerest，when，theverydayMr。SmithsailedfortheMediterranean，whoshouldturnupunexpectedlybutthestewardhimself！Wherehehadbeenhiding，andwhyhehadbeenhiding，nobodycouldtell。’’Perhapshehadbeenimitatinghismaster，andlookingoutforawife，’saysI。’Likelyenough，’

saysthegauger；’hegaveaveryconfusedaccountofhimself，andhecutallquestionsshortbygoingawaysouthinaviolenthurry。’Thatwasenoughforme：Iletthesubjectdrop。Clearasdaylight，isn’tit，William？Thestewardsuspectedsomethingwrong——thestewardwaitedandwatched——thestewardwrotethatanonymouslettertoyourmistress。Wecanfindhim，ifwewanthim，byinquiringatCowes；

andwecansendtothechurchforlegalevidenceofthemarriageassoonasweareinstructedtodoso。Allthatwehavegottodonowistogobacktoyourmistress，andseewhatcourseshemeanstotakeunderthecircumstances。It’saprettycase，William，sofar——anuncommonlyprettycase，asitstandsatpresent。"

WereturnedtoDarrockHallasfastascoachesandpost—horsescouldcarryus。

Havingfromthefirstbelievedthatthestatementintheanonymousletterwastrue，mymistressreceivedthebadnewswebroughtcalmlyandresignedly——sofar，atleast，asoutwardappearanceswent。SheastonishedanddisappointedMr。Darkbydecliningtoactinanywayontheinformationthathehadcollectedforher，andbyinsistingthatthewholeaffairshouldstillbeburiedintheprofoundestsecrecy。ForthefirsttimesinceIhadknownmytravelingcompanion，hebecamedepressedinspiritsonhearingthatnothingmorewastobedone，and，althoughhelefttheHallwithahandsomepresent，heleftitdiscontentedly。

"Suchaprettycase，William，"sayshe，quitesorrowfully，asweshookhands——"suchanuncommonlyprettycase——it’sathousandpitiestostopit，inthisway，beforeit’shalfover！"

"Youdon’tknowwhataproudladyandwhatadelicateladymymistressis，"Ianswered。"Shewoulddieratherthanexposeherforlornsituationinapubliccourtforthesakeofpunishingherhusband。"

"Blessyoursimpleheart！"saysMr。Dark，"doyoureallythink，now，thatsuchacaseasthiscanbehushedup？"

"Whynot，"Iasked，"ifweallkeepthesecret？"

"Thatforthesecret！"criesMr。Dark，snappinghisfingers。

"Yourmasterwillletthecatoutofthebag，ifnobodyelsedoes。"

"Mymaster！"Irepeated，inamazement。

"Yes，yourmaster！"saysMr。Dark。"Ihavehadsomeexperienceinmytime，andIsayyouhavenotseenthelastofhimyet。Markmywords，William，Mr。JamesSmithwillcomeback。"

Withthatprophecy，Mr。Darkfretfullytreatedhimselftoalastpinchofsnuff，anddepartedindudgeononhisjourneybacktohismasterinLondon。Hislastwordshungheavilyonmymindfordaysafterhehadgone。ItwassomeweeksbeforeIgotoverahabitofstartingwheneverthebellwasrungatthefrontdoor。

CHAPTERIV。

OURlifeattheHallsoonreturnedtoitsold，drearycourse。ThelawyerinLondonwrotetomymistresstoaskhertocomeandstayforalittlewhilewithhiswife；butshedeclinedtheinvitation，beingaversetofacingcompanyafterwhathadhappenedtoher。Thoughshetriedhardtokeeptherealstateofhermindconcealedfromallabouther，I，forone，couldseeplainlyenoughthatshewaspiningunderthebitterinjurythathadbeeninflictedonher。WhateffectcontinuedsolitudemighthavehadonherspiritsItrembletothink。

Fortunatelyforherself，itoccurredtoher，beforelong，tosendandinviteMr。MeeketoresumehismusicalpracticingwithherattheHall。Shetoldhim——and，asitseemedtome，withperfecttruth——thatanyimpliedengagementwhichhehadmadewithMr。

JamesSmithwasnowcanceled，sincethepersonsonamedhadmorallyforfeitedallhisclaimsasahusband，first，byhisdesertionofher，and，secondly，byhiscriminalmarriagewithanotherwoman。Afterstatingthisviewofthematter，sheleftittoMr。Meeketodecidewhethertheperfectlyinnocentconnectionbetweenthemshouldberesumedornot。Thelittleparson，afterhesitatingandponderinginhishelplessway，endedbyagreeingwithmymistress，andbycomingbackoncemoretotheHallwithhisfiddleunderhisarm。Thisrenewaloftheiroldhabitsmighthavebeenimprudentenough，astendingtoweakenmymistress’scaseintheeyesoftheworld，but，forallthat，itwasthemostsensiblecourseshecouldtakeforherownsake。TheharmlesscompanyofMr。Meeke，andthereliefofplayingtheoldtunesagainintheoldway，savedher，Iverilybelieve，fromsinkingaltogetherundertheoppressionoftheshockingsituationinwhichshewasnowplaced。

So，withtheassistanceofMr。Meekeandhisfiddle，mymistressgotthoughthewearytime。Thewinterpassed，thespringcame，andnofreshtidingsreachedusofMr。JamesSmith。Ithadbeenalong，hardwinterthatyear，andthespringwasbackwardandrainy。ThefirstreallyfinedaywehadwasthedaythatfellonthefourteenthofMarch。

Iamparticularinmentioningthisdatemerelybecauseitisfixedforeverinmymemory。AslongasthereislifeinmeI

shallrememberthatfourteenthofMarch，andthesmallestcircumstancesconnectedwithit。

Thedaybeganill，withwhatsuperstitiouspeoplewouldthinkabadomen。Mymistressremainedlateinherroominthemorning，amusingherselfbylookingoverherclothes，andbysettingtorightssomedrawersinhercabinetwhichshehadnotopenedforsometimepast。Justbeforeluncheonwewerestartledbyhearingthedrawing—roombellrungviolently。Iranuptoseewhatwasthematter，andthequadroon，Josephine，whohadheardthebellinanotherpartofthehouse，hastenedtoansweritalso。Shegotintothedrawing—roomfirst，andIfollowedcloseonherheels。

Mymistresswasstandingaloneonthehearth—rug，withanappearanceofgreatdiscomposureinherfaceandmanner。

"Ihavebeenrobbed！"shesaid，vehemently，"Idon’tknowwhenorhow；butImissapairofbracelets，threerings，andaquantityofold—fashionedlacepocket—handkerchiefs。"

"Ifyouhaveanysuspicions，ma’am，"saidJosephine，inasharp，suddenway，"saywhotheypointat。Myboxes，forone，arequiteatyourdisposal。"

"Whoaskedaboutyourboxes？"saidmymistress，angrily。"Bealittlelessreadywithyouranswer，ifyouplease，thenexttimeIspeak。"

Shethenturnedtome，andbeganexplainingthecircumstancesunderwhichshehaddiscoveredherloss。Isuggestedthatthemissingthingsshouldbewellsearchedforfirst，andthen，ifnothingcameofthat，thatIshouldgofortheconstable，andplacethematterunderhisdirection。

Mymistressagreedtothisplan，andthesearchwasundertakenimmediately。Itlastedtilldinner—time，andledtonoresults。I

thenproposedgoingfortheconstable。Butmymistresssaiditwastoolatetodoanythingthatday，andtoldmetowaitattableasusual，andtogoonmyerrandthefirstthingthenextmorning。Mr。Meekewascomingwithsomenewmusicintheevening，andIsuspectshewasnotwillingtobedisturbedatherfavoriteoccupationbythearrivaloftheconstable。

Whendinnerwasovertheparsoncame，andtheconcertwentonasusualthroughtheevening。Atteno’clockItookupthetray，withthewine，andsoda—water，andbiscuits。JustasIwasopeningoneofthebott

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