the slightest possible flavor of a Scotch accent。
〃I have the honor to be an old friend of Mr。 Macallan；〃 he said；
cordially shaking hands with me； 〃and I am honestly happy to
become acquainted with Mr。 Macallan's wife。 Where will you sit？
Near the light？ You are young enough not to be afraid of the
daylight just yet。 Is this your first visit to Edinburgh？ Pray
let me make it as pleasant to you as I can。 I shall be delighted
to present Mrs。 Playmore to you。 We are staying in Edinburgh for
a little while。 The Italian opera is here； and we have a box for
to…night。 Will you kindly waive all ceremony and dine with us and
go to the music afterward？〃
〃You are very kind；〃 I answered。 〃But I have some anxieties just
now which will make me a very poor companion for Mrs。 Playmore at
the opera。 My letter to you mentions； I think； that I have to ask
your advice on matters which are of very serious importance to
me。〃
〃Does it？〃 he rejoined。 〃To tell you the truth； I have not read
the letter through。 I saw your name in it； and I gathered from
your message that you wished to see me here。 I sent my note to
your hoteland then went on with something else。 Pray pardon me。
Is this a professional consultation？ For your own sake； I
sincerely hope not！〃
〃It is hardly a professional consultation； Mr。 Playmore。 I find
myself in a very painful position； and I come to you to advise
me； under very unusual circumstances。 I shall surprise you very
much when you hear what I have to say； and I am afraid I shall
occupy more than my fair share of your time。〃
〃I and my time are entirely at your disposal；〃 he said。 〃Tell me
what I can do for youand tell it in your own way。〃
The kindness of this language was more than matched by the
kindness of his manner。 I spoke to him freely and fullyI told
him my strange story without the slightest reserve。
He showed the varying impressions that I produced on his mind
without the slightest concealment。 My separation from Eustace
distressed him。 My resolution to dispute the Scotch Verdict； and
my unjust suspicions of Mrs。 Beauly； first amused； then surprised
him。 It was not； however； until I had described my extraordinary
interview with Miserrimus Dexter； and my hardly less remarkable
conversation with Lady Clarinda； that I produced my greatest
effect on the lawyer's mind。 I saw him change color for the first
time。 He started； and muttered to himself； as if he had
completely forgotten me。 〃Good God！〃 I heard him say〃can it be
possible？ Does the truth lie _that_ way after all？〃
I took the liberty of interrupting him。 I had no idea of allowing
him to keep his thoughts to himself。
〃I seem to have surprised you？〃 I said。
He started at the sound of my voice。
〃I beg ten thousand pardons！〃 he exclaimed。 〃You have not only
surprised meyou have opened an entirely new view to my mind。 I
see a possibility； a really startling possibility； in connection
with the poisoning at Gleninch； which never occurred to me until
the present moment。 This is a nice state of things；〃 he added；
falling back again into his ordinary humor。 〃Here is the client
leading the lawyer。 My dear Mrs。 Eustace； which is itdo you
want my advice？ or do I want yours？〃
〃May I hear the new idea？〃 I asked。
〃Not just yet； if you will excuse me；〃 he answered。 〃Make
allowances for my professional caution。 I don't want to be
professional with youmy great anxiety is to avoid it。 But the
lawyer gets the better of the man； and refuses to be suppressed。
I really hesitate to realize what is passing in my own mind
without some further inquiry。 Do me a great favor。 Let us go over
a part of the ground again； and let me ask you some questions as
we proceed。 Do you feel any objection to obliging me in this
matter？〃
〃Certainly not； Mr。 Playmore。 How far shall we go back？〃
〃To your visit to Dexter with your mother…in…law。 When you first
asked him if he had any ideas of his own on the subject of Mrs。
Eustace Macallan's death； did I understand you to say that he
looked at you suspiciously？〃
〃Very suspiciously。〃
〃And his face cleared up again when you told him that your
question was only suggested by what you had read in the Report of
the Trial？〃
〃Yes。〃
He drew a slip of paper out of the drawer in his desk； dipped his
pen in the ink； considered a little； and placed a chair for me
close at his side。
〃The lawyer disappears；〃 he said； 〃and the man resumes his proper
place。 There shall be no professional mysteries between you and
me。 As your husband's old friend； Mrs。 Eustace； I feel no common
interest in you。 I see a serious necessity for warning you before
it is too late； and I can only do so to any good purpose by
running a risk on which few men in my place would venture。
Personally and professionally； I am going to trust youthough I
_am_ a Scotchman and a lawyer。 Sit here； and look over my
shoulder while I make my notes。 You will see what is passing in
my mind
if you see what I write。〃
I sat down by him； and looked over his shoulder； without the
smallest pretense of hesitation。
He began to write as follows：
〃The poisoning at Gleninch。 Queries： In what position does
Miserrimus Dexter stand toward the poisoning？ And what does he
（presumably） know about that matter？
〃He has ideas which are secrets。 He suspects that he has betrayed
them； or that they have been discovered in some way inconceivable
to himself。 He is palpably relieved when he finds that this is
not the case。〃
The pen stopped； and the questions went on。
〃Let us advance to your second visit；〃 said Mr。 Playmore； 〃when
you saw Dexter alone。 Tell me again what he did； and how he
looked when you informed him that you were not satisfied with the
Scotch Verdict。〃
I repeated what I have already written in these pages。 The pen
went back to the paper again； and added these lines：
〃He hears nothing more remarkable than that a person visiting
him； who is interested in the case； refuses to accept the verdict
at the Macallan Trial as a final verdict； and proposes to reopen
the inquiry。 What does he do upon that？
〃He exhibits all the symptoms of a panic of terror； he sees
himself in some incomprehensible danger； he is frantic at one
moment and servile at the next； he must and will know what this
disturbing person really means。 And when he is informed on that
point； he first turns pale and doubts the evidence of his own
senses； and next； with nothing said to justify it； gratuitously
accuses his visitor of suspecting somebody。 Query here： When a
small sum of money is missing in a household； and the servants in
general are called together to be informed of the circumstance；
what do we think of the one servant in particular who speaks
first； and who says； 'Do you suspect _me？_'〃
He laid down the pen again。 〃Is that right？〃 he asked。
I began to see the end to which the notes were drifting。 Instead
of answering his question； I entreated him to enter into the
explanations that were still wanting to convince my own mind。 He
held up a warning forefinger； and stopped me。
〃Not yet；〃 he said。 〃Once again； am I rightso far？〃
〃Quite right。〃
〃Very well。 Now tell me what happened next。 Don't mind repeating
yourself。 Give me all the details； one after another； to the
end。〃
I mentioned all the details exactly as I remembered them。 Mr。
Playmore returned to his writing for the third and last time。
Thus the notes ended：
〃He is indirectly assured that he at least is not the person
suspected。 He sinks back in his chair； he draws a long breath； he
asks to be left a while by himself； under the pretense that the
subject excites him。 When the visitor returns； Dexter has been
drinking in the interval。 The visitor resumes the subjectnot
Dexter。 The visitor is convinced that Mrs。 Eustace Macallan died
by the hand of a poisoner； and openly says so。 Dexter sinks back
in his chair like a man fainting。 What is the horror that has got
possession of him？ It is easy to understand if we call it guilty
horror； it is beyond all understanding if we call it anything
else。 And how does it leave him？ He flies from one extreme； to
another； he is indescribably delighted when he discovers that the
visitor's suspicions are all fixed on an absent person。 And then；
and then only； he takes refuge in the declaration that he has
been of one mind with his visitor； in the matter of suspicion；
from the first。 These are facts。 To what plain conclusion do they
point？〃
He shut up his notes； and； steadily watching my face； waited for
me to speak first。
〃I understand you； Mr。 Playmore；〃 I beg impetuously。 〃You believe
that Mr。 Dexter〃
His warning forefinger stopped me there。
Tell me； 〃he interposed； 〃what Dexter said to you when he was so
good as to confirm your opinion of poor Mrs。 Beauly。〃
〃He said； 'There isn't a doubt about it。 Mrs。 Beauly poisoned
her。'〃
〃I can't do better than follow so good an examplewith one
trifling difference。 I say too； There isn't a doubt about it。
Dexter poisoned her。
〃Are you joking； Mr。 Playmore？〃
〃I never was more in earnest in my life。 Your rash visit to
Dexter； and your extraordinary imprudence in taking him into your
confidence have led to astonishing results。 The light which the
whole machinery of the Law was unable to throw on the poisoning
case at Gleninch has been accidentally let in on it by a Lady who
refuses to listen to reason and who insists on having her own
way。 Quite incredible； and nevertheless quite true。〃
〃Impossible！〃 I exclaimed。
〃What is impossible？〃 he asked； coolly
〃That Dexter poisoned my husband's first wife。〃
〃And why is that impossible； if you please？〃 I began to be almost
enraged with Mr。 Playmore。
〃Can you ask the question？〃 I replied； indignantly。 〃I have told
you that I heard him speak of her in terms of respect and
affection of which any woman might be proud。 He lives in the
memory of her。 I owe his friendly reception of me to some
resemblance which he fancies he sees between my figure and hers。
I have seen tears in his eyes； I have heard his voice falter and
fail him； when he spoke of her。 He may be the falsest of men in
all besides； but he is true to _her_he has not misled me in
t