第25章

beincludedinthefalseaccusation？Inthedazedstateofmyfacultiesatthattime，Iwasquiteincapableofseekingtheanswertothesequestions。Mymindwascloudedallover，andI

gaveuptheattempttoclearitindespair。

IwasbroughtbeforeMr。RobertNicholsonthatday，andthefiendofaquadroonwasexaminedinmypresence。Thefirstsightofherface，withitswickedself—possession，withitssmoothleeringtriumph，sosickenedmethatIturnedmyheadawayandneverlookedatherasecondtimethroughouttheproceedings。Theanswersshegaveamountedtoamererepetitionofthedepositiontowhichshehadalreadysworn。Ilistenedtoherwiththemostbreathlessattention，andwasthunderstruckattheinconceivableartfulnesswithwhichshehadmixeduptruthandfalsehoodinherchargeagainstmymistressandme。

Thiswas，insubstance，whatshenowstatedinmypresence：

AfterdescribingthemannerofMr。JamesSmith’sarrivalattheHall，thewitness，JosephineDurand，confessedthatshehadbeenledtolistenatthemusic—roomdoorbyhearingangryvoicesinside，andshethendescribed，trulyenough，thelatterpartofthealtercationbetweenhusbandandwife。Fearing，afterthis，thatsomethingseriousmighthappen，shehadkeptwatchinherroom，whichwasonthesamefloorashermistress’s。Shehadheardhermistress’sdooropensoftlybetweenoneandtwointhemorning——hadfollowedhermistress，whocarriedasmalllamp，alongthepassageanddownthestairsintothehall——hadhiddenherselfintheporter’schair——hadseenhermistresstakeadaggerinagreensheathfromacollectionofEasterncuriositieskeptinthehall——hadfollowedheragain，andseenhersoftlyentertheRedRoom——hadheardtheheavybreathingofMr。JamesSmith，whichgavetokenthathewasasleep——hadslippedintoanemptyroom，nextdoortotheRedRoam，andhadwaitedthereaboutaquarterofanhour，whenhermistresscameoutagainwiththedaggerinherhand——hadfollowedhermistressagainintothehall，whereshehadputthedaggerbackintoitsplace——hadseenhermistressturnintoasidepassagethatledtomyroom——hadheardherknockatmydoor，andheardmeanswerandopenit——hadhiddenagainintheporter’schair——had，afterawhile，seenmeandmymistresspasstogetherintothepassagethatledtotheRedRoom——hadwatchedusbothintotheRedRoom——andhadthen，throughfearofbeingdiscoveredandmurderedherself，ifsheriskeddetectionanylonger，stolenbacktoherownroomfortherestofthenight。

Afterdeposingonoathtothetruthoftheseatrociousfalsehoods，anddeclaring，inconclusion，thatMr。JamesSmithhadbeenmurderedbymymistress，andthatIwasanaccomplice，thequadroonhadfurtherasserted，inordertoshowamotiveforthecrime，thatMr。Meekewasmymistress’slover；thathehadbeenforbiddenthehousebyherhusband，andthathewasfoundinthehouse，andalonewithher，ontheeveningofMr。JamesSmith’sreturn。Hereagainthereweresomegrainsoftruthcunninglymixedupwitharevoltinglie，andtheyhadtheireffectingivingtothefalsehoodalookofprobability。

IwascautionedintheusualmannerandaskedifIhadanythingtosay。

IrepliedthatIwasinnocent，butthatIwouldwaitforlegalassistancebeforeIdefendedmyself。Thejusticeremandedmeandtheexaminationwasover。Threedayslatermyunhappymistresswassubjectedtothesametrial。Iwasnotallowedtocommunicatewithher。AllIknewwasthatthelawyerhadarrivedfromLondontohelpher。Towardtheeveninghewasadmittedtoseeme。HeshookhisheadsorrowfullywhenIaskedaftermymistress。

"Iamafraid，"hesaid，"thatshehassunkunderthehorrorofthesituationinwhichthatvilewomanhasplacedher。Weakenedbyherpreviousagitation，sheseemstohavegivenwayunderthislastshock，tenderlyandcarefullyasMr。PhilipNicholsonbrokethebadnewstoher。Allherfeelingsappearedtobestrangelybluntedattheexaminationto—day。Sheansweredthequestionsputtoherquitecorrectly，butatthesametimequitemechanically，withnochangeinhercomplexion，orinhertoneofvoice，orinhermanner，frombeginningtoend。Itisasadthing，William，whenwomencannotgettheirnaturalventofweeping，andyourmistresshasnotshedatearsincesheleftDarrockHall。"

"Butsurely，sir，"Isaid，"ifmyexaminationhasnotprovedJosephine’sperjury，mymistress’sexaminationmusthaveexposedit？"

"Nothingwillexposeit，"answeredthelawyer，"butproducingMr。

JamesSmith，or，atleast，legallyprovingthatheisalive。

Morallyspeaking，Ihavenodoubtthatthejusticebeforewhomyouhavebeenexaminedisasfirmlyconvincedaswecanbethatthequadroonhasperjuredherself。Morallyspeaking，hebelievesthatthosethreatswhichyourmistressunfortunatelyusedreferred（asshesaidtheydidto—day）toherintentionofleavingtheHallearlyinthemorning，withyouforherattendant，andcomingtome，ifshehadbeenwellenoughtotravel，toseekeffectuallegalprotectionfromherhusbandforthefuture。Mr。Nicholsonbelievesthat；andI，whoknowmoreofthecircumstancesthanhedoes，believealsothatMr。JamesSmithstoleawayfromDarrockHallinthenightunderfearofbeingindictedforbigamy。ButifIcan’tfindhim——ifIcan’tprovehimtobealive——ifIcan’taccountforthosespotsofbloodonthenight—gown，theaccidentalcircumstancesofthecaseremainunexplained——yourmistress’srashlanguage，thebadtermsonwhichshehaslivedwithherhusband，andherunluckydisregardofappearancesinkeepingupherintercoursewithMr。Meeke，alltelldeadagainstus——andthejusticehasnoalternative，inalegalpointofview，buttoremandyouboth，ashehasnowdone，fortheproductionoffurtherevidence。"

"Buthow，then，inHeaven’sname，isourinnocencetobeproved，sir？"Iasked。

"Inthefirstplace，"saidthelawyer，"byfindingMr。JamesSmith；and，inthesecondplace，bypersuadinghim，whenheisfound，tocomeforwardanddeclarehimself。"

"Doyoureallybelieve，sir，"saidI，"thathewouldhesitatetodothat，whenheknowsthehorriblechargetowhichhisdisappearancehasexposedhiswife？Heisaheartlessvillain，I

know；butsurely——"

"Idon’tsuppose，"saidthelawyer，cuttingmeshort，"thatheisquitescoundrelenoughtodeclinecomingforward，supposingherannoriskbydoingso。Butrememberthathehasplacedhimselfinapositiontobetriedforbigamy，andthathebelievesyourmistresswillputthelawinforceagainsthim。"

Ihadforgottenthatcircumstance。Myheartsankwithinmewhenitwasrecalledtomymemory，andIcouldsaynothingmore。

"Itisaveryseriousthing，"thelawyerwenton——"itisadownrightoffenseagainstthelawofthelandtomakeanyprivateofferofacompromisetothisman。Knowingwhatweknow，ourdutyasgoodcitizensistogivesuchinformationasmaybringhimtotrial。Itellyouplainlythat，ifIdidnotstandtowardyourmistressinthepositionofarelationaswellasalegaladviser，Ishouldthinktwiceaboutrunningtherisk——theveryseriousrisk——onwhichIamnowabouttoventureforhersake。Asitis，IhavetakentherightmeasurestoassureMr。JamesSmiththathewillnotbetreatedaccordingtohisdeserts。Whenheknowswhatthecircumstancesare，hewilltrustus——supposingalwaysthatwecanfindhim。Thesearchaboutthisneighborhoodhasbeenquiteuseless。Ihavesentprivateinstructionsbyto—day’sposttoMr。DarkinLondon，andwiththemacarefully—wordedformofadvertisementforthepublicnewspapers。

Youmayrestassuredthateveryhumanmeansoftracinghimwillbetriedforthwith。Inthemeantime，IhaveanimportantquestiontoputtoyouaboutJosephine。Shemayknowmorethanwethinkshedoes；shemayhavesurprisedthesecretofthesecondmarriage，andmaybekeepingitinreservetouseagainstus。Ifthisshouldturnouttobethecase，Ishallwantsomeotherchanceagainstherbesidesthechanceofindictingherforperjury。Astohermotivenowformakingthishorribleaccusation，whatcanyoutellmeabo

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