suppose； by the defective institutions of the age they live in。
No！ the obstacle is in themselves。 No institutions that can be
devised to encourage them will ever be strong enough to contend
successfully with the sweetheart and the new bonnet。 A little
while ago； for instance； I was instrumental in getting women
employed in our local post…office here。 The other day I took the
troublea serious business to meof getting downstairs； and
wheeling myself away to the office to see how they were getting
on。 I took a letter with me to register。 It had an unusually long
address。 The registering woman began copying the address on the
receipt form； in a business…like manner cheering and delightful
to see。 Half way through； a little child…sister of one of the
other women employed trotted into the office； and popped under
the counter to go and speak to her relative。 The registering
woman's mind instantly gave way。 Her pencil stopped； her eyes
wandered off to the child with a charming expression of interest。
'Well； Lucy；' she said； 'how d'ye do？' Then she remembered
business again； and returned to her receipt。 When I took it
across the counter； an important line in the address of my letter
was left out in the copy。 Thanks to Lucy。 Now a man in the same
position would not have seen Lucyhe would have been too closely
occupied with what he was about at the moment。 There is the whole
difference between the mental constitution of the sexes； which no
legislation will ever alter as long as the world lasts！ What does
it matter？ Women are infinitely superior to men in the moral
qualities which are the true adornments of humanity。 Be
contentoh； my mistaken sisters； be content with that！〃
He twisted his chair around toward the stove。 It was useless to
dispute the question with him； even if I had felt inclined to do
so。 He absorbed himself in his stew…pan。
I looked about me in the room。
The same insatiable relish for horrors exhibited downstairs by
the pictures in the hall was displayed again here。 The
photographs hanging on the wall represented the various forms of
madness taken from the life。 The plaster casts ranged on the
shelf opposite were casts （after death） of the heads of famous
murderers。 A frightful little skeleton of a woman hung in a
cupboard； behind a glazed door； with this cynical inscription
placed above the skull： 〃Behold the scaffolding on which beauty
is built！〃 In a corresponding cupboard； with the door wide open；
there hung in loose folds a shirt （as I took it to be） of chamois
leather。 Touching it （and finding it to be far softer than any
chamois leather that my fingers had ever felt before）； I
disarranged the folds； and disclosed a ticket pinned among them；
describing the thing in these horrid lines： 〃Skin of a French
Marquis； tanned in the Revolution of Ninety…three。 Who says the
nobility are not good for something？ They make good leather。〃
After this last specimen of my host's taste in curiosities； I
pursued my investigation no further。 I returned to my chair； and
waited for the truffles。
After a brief interval； the voice of the
poet…painter…composer…and…cook summoned me back to the alcove。
The gas was out。 The stew…pan and its accompaniments had
vanished。 On the marble slab were two plates； two napkins； two
rolls of bread； and a dish； with another napkin in it； on which
reposed two quaint little black balls。 Miserrimus Dexter；
regarding me with a smile of benevolent interest； put one of the
balls on my plate； and took the other himself。 〃Compose yourself；
Mrs。 Valeria；〃 he said。 〃This is an epoch in your life。 Your
first Truffle！ Don't touch it with the knife。 Use the fork alone。
Andpardon me； this is most importanteat slowly。〃
I followed my instructions； and assumed an enthusiasm which I
honestly confess I did not feel。 I privately thought the new
vegetable a great deal too rich； and in other respects quite
unworthy of the fuss that had been made about it。 Miserrimus
Dexter lingered and languished over his truffles； and sipped his
wonderful Burgundy； and sang his own praises as a cook until I
was really almost mad with impatience to return to the real
object of my visit。 In the reckless state of mind which this
feeling produced； I abruptly reminded my host that he was wasting
our time； by the most dangerous question that I could possibly
put to him。
〃Mr。 Dexter；〃 I said； 〃have you seen anything lately of Mrs。
Beauly？〃
The easy sense of enjoyment expressed in his face left it at
those rash words； and went out like a suddenly extinguished
light。 That furtive distrust of me which I had already noticed
instantly made itself felt again in his manner and in his voice。
〃Do you know Mrs。 Beauly？〃 he asked。
〃I only know her；〃 I answered； 〃by what I have read of her in the
Trial。〃
He was not satisfied with that reply。
〃You must have an interest of some sort in Mrs。 Beauly；〃 he said；
〃or you would not have asked me about her。 Is it the interest of
a friend； or the interest of an enemy？〃
Rash as I might be； I was not quite reckless enough yet to meet
that plain question by an equally plain reply。 I saw enough in
his face to warn me to be careful with him before it was too
late。
〃I can only answer you in one way；〃 I rejoined。 〃I must return to
a subject which is very painful to youthe subject of the
Trial。〃
〃Go on；〃 he said； with one of his grim outbursts of humor。 〃Here
I am at your mercya martyr at the stake。 Poke the fire！ poke
the fire！〃
〃I am only an ignorant woman；〃 I resumed； 〃and I dare say I am
quite wrong； but there is one part of my husband's trial which
doesn't at all satisfy me。 The defense set up for him seems to me
to have been a complete mistake。〃
〃A complete mistake？〃 he repeated。 〃Strange language； Mrs。
Valeria； to say the least of it！〃 He tried to speak lightly； he
took up his goblet of wine； but I could see that I had produced
an effect on him。 His hand trembled as it carried the wine to his
lips。
〃I don't doubt that Eustace's first wife really asked him to buy
the arsenic；〃 I continued。 〃I don't doubt that she used it
secretly to improve her complexion。 But w hat I do _not_ believe
is that she died of an overdose of the poison； taken by mistake。〃
He put back the goblet of wine on the table near him so
unsteadily that he spilled the greater part of it。 For a moment
his eyes met mine； then looked down again。
〃How do you believe she died？〃 he inquired； in tones so low that
I could barely hear them。
〃By the hand of a poisoner；〃 I answered。
He made a movement as if he were about to start up in the chair；
and sank back again； seized； apparently； with a sudden faintness。
〃Not my husband！〃 I hastened to add。 〃You know that I am
satisfied of _his_ innocence。〃
I saw him shudder。 I saw his hands fasten their hold convulsively
on the arms of his chair。
〃Who poisoned her？〃 he asked； still lying helplessly back in the
chair。
At the critical moment my courage failed me。 I was afraid to tell
him in what direction my suspicions pointed。
〃Can't you guess？〃 I said。
There was a pause。 I supposed him to be seceretly following his
own train of thought。 It was not for long。 On a sudden he started
up in his chair。 The prostration which had possessed him appeared
to vanish in an instant。 His eyes recovered their wild light； his
hands were steady again； his color was brighter than ever。 Had he
been pondering over the secret of my interest in Mrs。 Beauly？ and
had he guessed？ He had！
〃Answer on your word of honor！〃 he cried。 〃Don't attempt to
deceive me！ Is it a woman？〃
〃It is。〃
〃What is the first letter of her name？ Is it one of the first
three letters of the alphabet？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃B？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Beauly？〃
〃Beauly。〃
He threw his hands up above his head； and burst into a frantic
fit of laughter。
〃I have lived long enough！〃 he broke out； wildly。 〃At last I have
discovered one other person in the world who sees it as plainly
as I do。 Cruel Mrs。 Valeria！ why did you torture me？ Why didn't
you own it before？〃
〃What！〃 I exclaimed； catching the infection of his excitement。
〃Are _your_ ideas _my_ ideas？ Is it possible that _you_ suspect
Mrs。 Beauly too？〃
He made this remarkable reply：
〃Suspect？〃 he repeated； contemptuously。 〃There isn't the shadow
of a doubt about it。 Mrs。 Beauly poisoned her。〃
CHAPTER XXX。
THE INDICTMENT OF MRS。 BEAULY。
I STARTED to my feet； and looked at Miserrimus Dexter。 I was too
much agitated to be able to speak to him。
My utmost expectations had not prepared me for the tone of
absolute conviction in which he had spoken。 At the best； I had
anticipated that he might； by the barest chance； agree with me in
suspecting Mrs。 Beauly。 And now his own lips had said it； without
hesitation or reserve！ 〃There isn't the shadow of a doubt： Mrs。
Beauly poisoned her。〃
〃Sit down；〃 he said； quietly。 〃There's nothing to be afraid of。
Nobody can hear us in this room。〃
I sat down again； and recovered myself a little。
〃Have you never told any one else what you have just told me？〃
was the first question that I put to him。
〃Never。 No one else suspected her。〃
〃Not even the lawyers？〃
〃Not even the lawyers。 There is no legal evidence against Mrs。
Beauly。 There is nothing but moral certainty。〃
〃Surely you might have found the evidence if you had tried？〃
He laughed at the idea。
〃Look at me！〃 he said。 〃How is a man to hunt up evidence who is
tied to this chair？ Besides； there were other difficulties in my
way。 I am not generally in the habit of needlessly betraying
myselfI am a cautious man； though you may not have noticed it。
But my immeasurable hatred of Mrs。 Beauly was not to be
concealed。 If eyes can tell secrets； she must have discovered； in
my eyes； that I hungered and thirsted to see her in the hangman's
hands。 From first to last； I tell you； Mrs。 Borgia…Beauly was on
her guard against me。 Can I describe her cunning？ All my
resources of language are not equal to the task。 Take the degrees
of comparison to give you a faint idea of it： I am positively
cunning； the devil is comparatively cunning； Mrs。 Beauly is
superlatively cunning。 No！ no！ If she is ever discovered； at this
dista