dare say in the housefor fear of my being behind some door
listening to them？ What do you think of these discoveries of mine
being made on the very morning when Mrs。 Eustace was taken
illon the very day when she died by a poisoner's hand？ Do you
see your way to the guilty person？ And has mad Miserrimus Dexter
been of some assistance to you； so far？〃
I was too violently excited to answer him。 The way to the
vindication of my husband's innocence was opened to me at last！
〃Where is she？〃 I cried。 〃And where is that servant who is in her
confidence？〃
〃I can't tell you；〃 he said。 〃I don't know。〃
〃Where can I inquire？ Can you tell me that？〃
He considered a little。 〃There is one man who must know where she
isor who could find it out for you；〃 he said。
〃Who is he？ What is his name？〃
〃He is a friend of Eustace's。 Major Fitz…David。〃
〃I know him！ I am going to dine with him next week。 He has asked
you to dine too。〃
Miserrimus Dexter laughed contemptuously。
〃Major Fitz…David may do very well for the ladies；〃 he said。 〃The
ladies can treat him as a species of elderly human lap…dog。 I don
t dine with lap…dogs； I have said； No。 You go。 He or some of his
ladies may be of use to you。 Who are the guests？ Did he tell
you？〃
〃There was a French lady whose name I forget；〃 I said； 〃and Lady
Clarinda〃
〃That will do！ She is a friend of Mrs。 Beauly's。 She is sure to
know where Mrs。 Beauly is。 Come to me the moment you have got
your information。 Find out if the maid is with her： she is the
easiest to deal with of the two。 Only make the maid open her
lips； and we have got Mrs。 Beauly。 We crush her；〃 he cried；
bringing his hand down like lightning on the last languid fly of
the season； crawling over the arm of his chair〃we crush her as
I crush this fly。 Stop！ A questiona most important question in
dealing with the maid。 Have you got any money？〃
〃Plenty of money。〃
He snapped his fingers joyously。
〃The maid is ours！〃 he cried。 〃It's a matter of pounds；
shillings； and pence with the maid。 Wait！ Another question。 About
your name？ If you approach Mrs。 Beauly in your own character as
Eustace's wife； you approach her as the woman who has taken her
placeyou make a mortal enemy of her at starting。 Beware of
that！〃
My jealousy of Mrs。 Beauly； smoldering in me all through the
interview； burst into flames at those words。 I could resist it no
longerI was obliged to ask him if my husband had ever loved
her。
〃Tell me the truth；〃 I said。 〃Did Eustace really？〃
He burst out laughing maliciously； he penetrated my jealousy； and
guessed my question almost before it had passed my lips。
〃Yes；〃 he said； 〃Eustace did really love herand no mistake
about it。 She had every reason to believe （before the Trial） that
the wife's death would put her in the wife's place。 But the Trial
made another man of Eustace。 Mrs。 Beauly had been a witness of
the public degradation of him。 That was enough to prevent his
marrying Mrs。 Beauly。 He broke off with her at once and
foreverfor the same reason precisely which has led him to
separate himself from you。 Existence with a woman who knew that
he had been tried for his life as a murderer was an existence
that he was not hero enough to face。 You wanted the truth。 There
it is！ You have need to be cautious of Mrs。 Beaulyyou have no
need to be jealous of her。 Take the safe course。 Arrange with the
Major； when you meet Lady Clarinda at his dinner； that you meet
her under an assumed name。〃
〃I can go to the dinner；〃 I said； 〃under the name in which
Eustace married me。 I can go as 'Mrs。 Woodville。'〃
〃The very thing！〃 he exclaimed。 〃What would I not give to be
present when Lady Clarinda introduces you to Mrs。 Beauly！ Think
of the situation。 A woman with a hideous secret hidden in her
inmost soul： and another woman who knows of itanother woman who
is bent； by fair means or foul； on dragging that secret into the
light of day。 What a struggle！ What a plot for a novel！ I am in a
fever when I think of it。 I am beside myself when I look into the
future； and see Mrs。 Borgia…Beauly brought to her knees at last。
Don't be alarmed！〃 he cried； with the wild light flashing once
more in his eyes。 〃My brains are beginning to boil again in my
head。 I must take refuge in physical exercise。 I must blow off
the steam； or I shall explode in my pink jacket on the spot！〃
The old madness seized on him again。 I made for the door； to
secure my retreat in case of necessityand then ventured to look
around at him。
He was off on his furious wheelshalf man； half chairflying
like a whirlwind to the other end of the room。 Even this exercise
was not violent enough for him in his present mood。 In an instant
he was down on the floor； poised on his hands； and looking in the
distance like a monstrous frog。 Hopping down the room； he
overthrew； one after another； all the smaller and lighter chairs
as he passed them； arrived at the end； he turned； surveyed the
prostrate chairs； encouraged himself with a scream of triumph；
and leaped rapidly over chair after chair on his handshis
limbless body now thrown back from the shoulders； and now thrown
forward to keep the balancein a manner at once wonderful and
horrible to behold。 〃Dexter's Leap…frog！〃 he cried； cheerfully；
perching himself with his birdlike lightness on the last of the
prostrate chairs when he had reached the further end of the room。
〃I'm pretty active； Mrs。 Valeria； considering I'm a cripple。 Let
us drink to the hanging of Mrs。 Beauly in another bottle of
Burgundy！〃
I seized desperately on the first excuse that occurred to me for
getting away from him。
〃You forget；〃 I said〃I must go at once to the Major。 If I don't
warn him in time； he may speak of me to Lady Clarinda by the
wrong name。〃
Ideas of hurry and movement were just the ideas to take his fancy
in his present state。 He blew furiously on the whistle that
summoned Ariel from the kitchen regions； and danced up and down
on his hands in the full frenzy of his delight。
〃Ariel shall get you a cab！〃 he cried。 〃Drive at a gallop to the
Major's。 Set the trap for her without losing a moment。 Oh； what a
day of days this has been！ Oh； what a relief to get rid of my
dreadful secret； and share it with You！ I am suffocating with
happinessI am like the Spirit of the Earth in Shelley's poem。〃
He broke out with the magnificent lines in 〃Prometheus Unbound；〃
in which the Earth feels the Spirit of Love； and bursts into
speech。 〃'The joy； the triumph； the delight； the madness！ the
boundless； overflowing； bursting gladness！ the vaporous
exultation not to be confined！ Ha！ ha！ the animation of delight；
which wraps me like an atmosphere of light； and bears me as a
cloud is borne by its own wind。' That's how I feel；
Valeria！that's how I feel！〃
I crossed the threshold while he was still speaking。 The last I
saw of him he was pouring out that glorious flood of wordshis
deformed body； poised on the overthrown chair； his face lifted in
rapture to some fantastic heaven of his own making。 I slipped out
softly into the antechamber。 Even as I crossed the room； he
changed once more。 I heard his ringing cry； I heard the soft
thump…thump of his hands on the floor。 He was going down the room
again； in 〃Dexter's Leap…frog；〃 flying over the prostrate chairs。
In the hall； Ariel was on the watch for me。
As I approached her； I happened to be putting on my gloves。 She
stopped me； and； taking my right arm； lifted my hand toward her
face。 Was she going to kiss it？ or to bite it？〃 Neither。 She
smelt it like a dogand dropped it again with a hoarse chuckling
laugh。
〃You don't smell of his perfumes；〃 she said。 〃You _haven't_
touched his beard。 _Now_ I believe you。 Want a cab？〃
〃Thank you。 I'll walk till I meet a cab。〃
She was bent on being polite to menow I had _not_ touched his
beard。
〃I say！〃 she burst out； in her deepest notes。
〃Yes？〃
〃I'm glad I didn't upset you in the canal。 There now！〃
She gave me a friendly smack on the shoulder which nearly knocked
me downrelapsed； the instant after； into her leaden stolidity
of look and manner…and led the way out by the front door。 I
heard her hoarse chuckling laugh as she locked the gate behind
me。 My star was at last in the ascendant！ In one and the same day
I had found my way into the confidence of Ariel and Ariel's
master。
CHAPTER XXXI。
THE DEFENSE OF MRS。 BEAULY。
THE days that elapsed before Major Fitz…David's dinner…party
were precious days to me。
My long interview with Miserrimus Dexter had disturbed me far
more seriously than I suspected at the time。 It was not until
some hours after I had left him that I really began to feel how
my nerves had been tried by all that I had seen and heard during
my visit at his house。 I started at the slightest noises； I
dreamed of dreadful things； I was ready to cry without reason at
one moment； and to fly into a passion without reason at another。
Absolute rest was what I wanted； and （thanks to my good Benjamin）
was what I got。 The dear old man controlled his anxieties on my
account； and spared me the questions which his fatherly interest
in my welfare made him eager to ask。 It was tacitly understood
between us that all conversation on the subject of my visit to
Miserrimus Dexter （of which； it is needless to say； he strongly
disapproved） should be deferred until repose had restored my
energies of body and mind。 I saw no visitors。 Mrs。 Macallan came
to the cottage； and Major Fitz…David came to the cottageone of
them to hear what had passed between Miserrimus Dexter and
myself； the other to amuse me with the latest gossip about the
guests at the forthcoming dinner。 Benjamin took it on himself to
make my apologies； and to spare me the exertion of receiving my
visitors。 We hired a little open carriage； and took long drives
in the pretty country lanes still left flourishing within a few
miles of the northern suburb of London。 At home we sat and talked
quietly of old times； or played at backgammon and dominoesand
so； for a few happy days； led the peaceful unadventurous life
which was good for me。 When the day of the dinner arrived； I felt
restored to my customary health。 I was ready again； and eager
ag