keys being taken away by Mr。 Gale？ There was but one of the
locked doors of which Mr。 Gale had not got the keythe door of
communication between the study and the bedroom。 The key was
missing from this。 Had it been stolen？ And was Dexter the thief？
He might have passed by the men on the watch while they were
asleep； or he might have crossed the corridor in an unguarded
interval while the men were being relieved。 But how could he have
got into the bedchamber except by way of the locked study door？
He _must_ have had the key！ And he _must_ have secreted it weeks
before Mrs。 Eustace Macallan's death！ When the nurse first
arrived at Gleninch； on the seventh of the month； her evidence
declared the key of the door of communication to be then missing。
To what conclusion did these considerations and discoveries
point？ Had Miserrimus Dexter； in a moment of ungovernable
agitation； unconsciously placed the clew in my hands？ Was the
pivot on which turned the whole mystery of the poisoning at
Gleninch the missing key？
I went back for the third time to my desk。 The one person who
might be trusted to find the answer to those questions was Mr。
Playmore。 I wrote him a full and careful account of all that had
happened； I begged him to forgive and forget my ungracious
reception of the advice which he had so kindly offered to me； and
I promised beforehand to do nothing without first consulting his
opinion in the new emergency which now confronted me。
The day was fine for the time of year； and by way of getting a
little wholesome exercise after the surprises and occupations of
the morning； I took my letter to Mr。 Playmore to the post。
Returning to the villa； I was informed that another visitor was
waiting to see me： a civilized visitor this time； who had given
her name。 My mother…in…lawMrs。 Macallan。
CHAPTER XXXVII。
AT THE BEDSIDE。
BEFORE she had uttered a word； I saw in my mother…in…law's face
that she brought bad news。
〃Eustace？〃 I said。
She answered me by a look。
〃Let me he ar it at once！〃 I cried。 〃I can bear anything but
suspense。〃
Mrs。 Macallan lifted her hand； and showed me a telegraphic
dispatch which she had hitherto kept concealed in the folds of
her dress。
〃I can trust your courage；〃 she said。 〃There is no need； my
child； to prevaricate with you。 Read that。〃
I read the telegram。 It was sent by the chief surgeon of a
field…hospital； and it was dated from a village in the north of
Spain。
〃Mr。 Eustace severely wounded in a skirmish by a stray shot。 Not
in danger； so far。 Every care taken of him。 Wait for another
telegram。〃
I turned away my face； and bore as best I might the pang that
wrung me when I read those words。 I thought I knew how dearly I
loved him： I had never known it till that moment。
My mother…in…law put her arm round me； and held me to her
tenderly。 She knew me well enough not to speak to me at that
moment。
I rallied my courage； and pointed to the last sentence in the
telegram。
〃Do you mean to wait？〃 I asked。
〃Not a day！〃 she answered。 〃I am going to the Foreign Office
about my passportI have some interest there： they can give me
letters； they can advise and assist me。 I leave to…night by the
mail train to Calais。〃
〃_You_ leave？〃 I said。 〃Do you suppose I will let you go without
me？ Get my passport when you get yours。 At seven this evening I
will be at your house。〃
She attempted to remonstrate； she spoke of the perils of the
journey。 At the first words I stopped her。 〃Don't you know yet；
mother； how obstinate I am？ They may keep you waiting at the
Foreign Office。 Why do you waste the precious hours here？〃
She yielded with a gentleness that was not in her everyday
character。 〃Will my poor Eustace ever know what a wife he has
got？〃 That was all she said。 She kissed me； and went away in her
carriage。
My remembrances of our journey are strangely vague and
imperfect。
As I try to recall them； the memory of those more recent and more
interesting events which occurred after my return to England gets
between me and my adventures in Spain； and seems to force these
last into a shadowy background； until they look like adventures
that happened many years since。 I confusedly recollect delays and
alarms that tried our patience and our courage。 I remember our
finding friends （thanks to our letters of recommendation） in a
Secretary to the Embassy and in a Queen's Messenger； who assisted
and protected us at a critical point in the journey。 I recall to
mind a long succession of men in our employment as travelers； all
equally remarkable for their dirty cloaks and their clean linen；
for their highly civilized courtesy to women and their utterly
barbarous cruelty to horses。 Last； and most important of all； I
see again； more clearly than I can see anything else； the one
wretched bedroom of a squalid village inn in which we found our
poor darling； prostrate between life and death； insensible to
everything that passed in the narrow little world that lay around
his bedside。
There was nothing romantic or interesting in the accident which
had put my husband's life in peril。
He had ventured too near the scene of the conflict （a miserable
affair） to rescue a poor lad who lay wounded on the
fieldmortally wounded； as the event proved。 A rifle…bullet had
struck him in the body。 His brethren of the field…hospital had
carried him back to their quarters at the risk of their lives。 He
was a great favorite with all of them； patient and gentle and
brave； only wanting a little more judgment to be the most
valuable recruit who had joined the brotherhood。
In telling me this； the surgeon kindly and delicately added a
word of warning as well。
The fever caused by the wound had brought with it delirium； as
usual。 My poor husband's mind； in so far as his wandering words
might interpret it； was filled by the one image of his wife。 The
medical attendant had heard enough in the course of his
ministrations at the bedside； to satisfy him that any sudden
recognition of me by Eustace （if he recovered） might be attended
by the most lamentable results。 As things were at that sad time；
I might take my turn at nursing him； without the slightest chance
of his discovering me； perhaps for weeks and weeks to come。 But
on the day when he was declared out of dangerif that happy day
ever arrivedI must resign my place at his bedside； and must
wait to show myself until the surgeon gave me leave。
My mother…in…law and I relieved each other regularly； day and
night； in the sick…room。
In the hours of his deliriumhours that recurred with a pitiless
regularitymy name was always on my poor darling's fevered lips。
The ruling idea in him was the fine dreadful idea which I had
vainly combated at our last interview。 In the face of the verdict
pronounced at the Trial； it was impossible even for his wife to
be really and truly persuaded that he was an innocent man。 All
the wild pictures which his distempered imagination drew were
equally inspired by that one obstinate conviction。 He fancied
himself to be still living with me under those dreaded
conditions。 Do what he might； I was always recalling to him the
terrible ordeal through which he had passed。 He acted his part；
and he acted mine。 He gave me a cup of tea； and I said to him；
〃We quarreled yesterday； Eustace。 Is it poisoned？〃 He kissed me；
in token of our reconciliation； and I laughed； and said； 〃It's
morning now； my dear。 Shall I die by nine o'clock to…night？〃 I
was ill in bed； and he gave me my medicine。 I looked at him with
a doubting eye。 I said to him； 〃You are in love with another
woman。 Is there anything in the medicine that the doctor doesn't
know of？〃 Such was the horrible drama which now perpetually acted
itself in his mind。 Hundreds and hundreds of times I heard him
repeat it； almost always in the same words。 On other occasions
his thoughts wandered away to my desperate project of proving him
to be an innocent man。 Sometimes he laughed at it。 Sometimes he
mourned over it。 Sometimes he devised cunning schemes for placing
unsuspected obstacles in my way。 He was especially hard on me
when he was inventing his preventive stratagemshe cheerfully
instructed the visionary people who assisted him not to hesitate
at offending or distressing me。 〃Never mind if you make her
angry； never mind if you make her cry。 It's all for her good；
it's all to save the poor fool from dangers she doesn't dream of。
You mustn't pity her when she says she does it for my sake。 See！
she is going to be insulted； she is going to be deceived； she is
going to disgrace herself without knowing it。 Stop her！ stop
her！〃 It was weak of me； I know； I ought to have kept the plain
fact that he was out of his senses always present to my mind：
still it is true that my hours passed at my husband's pillow were
many of them hours of mortification and misery of which he； poor
dear； was the innocent and only cause。
The weeks passed； and he still hovered between life and death。
I kept no record of the time； and I cannot now recall the exact
date on which the first favorable change took place。 I only
remember that it was toward sunrise on a fine winter morning when
we were relieved at last of our heavy burden of suspense。 The
surgeon happened to be by the bedside when his patient awoke。 The
first thing he did； after looking at Eustace； was to caution me
by a sign to be silent and to keep out of sight。 My mother…in…law
and I both knew what this meant。 With full hearts we thanked God
together for giving us back the husband and the son。
The same evening； being alone； we ventured to speak of the
futurefor the first time since we had left home。
〃The surgeon tells me；〃 said Mrs。 Macallan； 〃that Eustace is too
weak to be capable of bearing anything in the nature of a
surprise for some days to come。 We have time to consider whether
he is or is not to be told that he owes his life as much to your
care as to mine。 Can you find it in your heart to leave him；
Valeria； now that God's mercy has restored him to you and to me？〃
〃If I only consulted my own heart；〃 I answered； 〃I should never
leave him again。〃
Mrs。 Macallan looked at me in grave surprise。
〃What else have