第25章

Titlefirst。Ashorttitle，atakingtitle：’MistressandMaid。’

Scene，thelandofromance——Italy。Time，theageofromance——thefifteenthcentury。Ha！lookatAriel。Sheknowsnomoreaboutthefifteenthcenturythanthecatinthekitchen，andyetsheisinterestedalready。HappyAriel！"

Ariellookedatmeagain，inthedoubleintoxicationofthewineandthetriumph。

"Iknownomorethanthecatinthekitchen，"sherepeated，withabroadgrinofgratifiedvanity。"Iam’happyAriel！’Whatareyou？"

MiserrimusDexterlaugheduproariously。

"Didn’tItellyou？"hesaid。"Isn’tshefun？——PersonsoftheDrama。"heresumed："threeinnumber。Womenonly。Angelica，anoblelady；noblealikeinspiritandinbirth。Cunegonda，abeautifuldevilinwoman’sform。Damoride，herunfortunatemaid。

Firstscene：adarkvaultedchamberinacastle。Time，evening。

Theowlsarehootinginthewood；thefrogsarecroakinginthemarsh。——LookatAriel！Herfleshcreeps；sheshuddersaudibly。

AdmirableAriel！"

MyrivalintheMaster’sfavoreyedmedefiantly。"AdmirableAriel！"sherepeated，indrowsyaccents。MiserrimusDexterpausedtotakeuphisgobletofBurgundy——placedcloseathandonalittleslidingtableattachedtohischair。Iwatchedhimnarrowlyashesippedthewine。Theflushwasstillmountinginhisface；thelightwasstillbrighteninginhiseyes。Hesetdownhisglassagain，withajovialsmackofhislips——andwenton：

"Personspresentinthevaultedchamber：CunegondaandDamoride。

Cunegondaspeaks。’Damoride！’’Madam？’’Wholiesillinthechamberaboveus？’’Madam，thenobleladyAngelica。’（Apause。

Cunegondaspeaksagain。）’Damoride！’’Madam？’’HowdoesAngelicalikeyou？’’Madam，thenoblelady，sweetandgoodtoallwhoapproachher，issweetandgoodtome。’’Haveyouattendedonher，Damoride？’’Sometimes，madam，whenthenursewasweary。’

’Hasshetakenherhealingmedicinefromyourhand’’Onceortwice，madam，whenIhappenedtobeby。’’Damoride，takethiskeyandopenthecasketonthetablethere。’（Damorideobeys。）’Doyouseeagreenvialinthecasket？’’Iseeit，madam。’’Takeitout。’（Damorideobeys。）’Doyouseealiquidinthegreenvial？

canyouguesswhatitis？’’No，madam。’’ShallItellyou？’

（Damoridebowsrespectfully）’Poisonisinthevial。’（Damoridestarts；sheshrinksfromthepoison；shewouldfainputitaside。

Hermistresssignstohertokeepitinherhand；hermistressspeaks。）’Damoride，Ihavetoldyouoneofmysecrets；shallI

tellyouanother？’（Damoridewaits，fearingwhatistocome。Hermistressspeaks。）’IhatetheLadyAngelica。Herlifestandsbetweenmeandthejoyofmyheart。Youholdherlifeinyourhand。’（Damoridedropsonherknees；sheisadevoutperson；shecrossesherself，andthenshespeaks。）’Mistress，youterrifyme。

Mistress，whatdoIhear？’（Cunegondaadvances，standsoverher，looksdownonherwithterribleeyes，whispersthenextwords。）

’Damoride！theLadyAngelicamustdie——andImustnotbesuspected。TheLadyAngelicamustdie——andbyyourhand。’"

Hepausedagain。Tosipthewineoncemore？No；todrinkadeepdraughtofitthistime。

Wasthestimulantbeginningtofailhimalready？

Ilookedathimattentivelyashelaidhimselfbackagaininhischairtoconsiderforamomentbeforehewenton。

Theflushonhisfacewasasdeepasever；butthebrightnessinhiseyeswasbeginningtofadealready。Ihadnoticedthathespokemoreandmoreslowlyasheadvancedtothelaterdialogueofthescene。Washefeelingtheeffortofinventionalready？Hadthetimecomewhenthewinehaddoneallthatthewinecoulddoforhim？

Wewaited。Arielsatwatchinghimwithvacantlystaringeyesandvacantlyopenmouth。Benjamin，impenetrablyexpectingthesignal，kepthisopennote—bookonhisknee，coveredbyhishand。

MiserrimusDexterwenton：

"Damoridehearsthoseterriblewords；Damorideclaspsherhandsinentreaty。’Oh，madam！madam！howcanIkillthedearandnoblelady？WhatmotivehaveIforharmingher？’Cunegondaanswers，’YouhavethemotiveofobeyingMe。’（Damoridefallswithherfaceonthefloorathermistress’sfeet。）’Madam，Icannotdoit！Madam，Idarenotdoit！’Cunegondaanswers，’Yourunnorisk：Ihavemyplanfordivertingdiscoveryfrommyself，andmyplanfordivertingdiscoveryfromyou。’Damoriderepeats，’I

cannotdoit！Idarenotdoit！’Cunegonda’seyesflashlightningsofrage。Shetakesfromitsplaceofconcealmentinherbosom——"

Hestoppedinthemiddleofthesentence，andputhishandtohishead——notlikeamaninpain，butlikeamanwhohadlosthisidea。

WoulditbewellifItriedtohelphimtorecoverhisidea？orwoulditbewiser（ifIcouldonlydoit）tokeepsilence？

Icouldseethedriftofhisstoryplainlyenough。Hisobject，underthethindisguiseoftheItalianromance，wastomeetmyunanswerableobjectiontosuspectingMrs。Beauly’smaid——theobjectionthatthewomanhadnomotiveforcommittingherselftoanactofmurder。Ifhecouldpracticallycontradictthis，bydiscoveringamotivewhichIshouldbeobligedtoadmit，hisendwouldbegained。ThoseinquirieswhichIhadpledgedmyselftopursue——thoseinquirieswhichmight，atanymoment，takeaturnthatdirectlyconcernedhim——would，inthatcase，besuccessfullydivertedfromtherighttothewrongperson。Theinnocentmaidwouldsetmystrictestscrutinyatdefiance；andDexterwouldbesafelyshieldedbehindher。

Ideterminedtogivehimtime。Notawordpassedmylips。

Theminutesfollowedeachother。Iwaitedinthedeepestanxiety。

Itwasatryingandacriticalmoment。Ifhesucceededininventingaprobablemotive，andinshapingitneatlytosuitthepurposeofhisstory，hewouldprove，bythatactalone，thattherewerereservesofmentalpowerstillleftinhimwhichthepracticedeyeoftheScotchdoctorhadfailedtosee。Butthequestionwas——wouldhedoit？

Hedidit！Notinanewway；notinaconvincingway；notwithoutapainfullyevidenteffort。Still，welldoneorilldone，hefoundamotiveforthemaid。

"Cunegonda，"heresumed，"takesfromitsplaceofconcealmentinherbosomawrittenpaper，andunfoldsit。’Lookatthis，’shesays。Damoridelooksatthepaper，andsinksagainathermistress’sfeetinaparoxysmofhorroranddespair。Cunegondaisinpossessionofashamefulsecretinthemaid’spastlife。

Cunegondacansaytoher，’Chooseyouralternative。Eithersubmittoanexposurewhichdisgracesyouand——disgracesyourparentsforever——ormakeupyourmindtoobeyMe。’Damoridemightsubmittothedisgraceifitonlyaffectedherself。Butherparentsarehonestpeople；shecannotdisgraceherparents。Sheisdriventoherlastrefuge——thereisnohopeofmeltingthehardheartofCunegonda。Heronlyresourceistoraisedifficulties；shetriestoshowthatthereareobstaclesbetweenherandthecrime。

’Madam！madam！’shecries；’howcanIdoit，whenthenurseistheretoseeme？’Cunegondaanswers，’Sometimesthenursesleeps；

sometimesthenurseisaway。’Damoridestillpersists。’Madam！

madam！thedooriskeptlocked，andthenursehasgotthekey。’"

Thekey！IinstantlythoughtofthemissingkeyatGleninch。Hadhethoughtofittoo？Hecertainlycheckedhimselfasthewordescapedhim。Iresolvedtomakethesignal。Irestedmyelbowonthearmofmychair，andplayedwithmyearring。Benjamintookouthispencilandarrangedhisnote—booksothatArielcouldnotseewhathewasaboutifshehappenedtolookhisway。

WewaiteduntilitpleasedMiserrimusDextertoproceed。Theintervalwasalongone。Hishandwentupagaintohisforehead。

Adulleranddullerlookwaspalpablystealingoverhiseyes。

Whenhedidspeak，itwasnottogoonwiththenarrative，buttoputaquestion。

"WheredidIleaveoff？"heasked。

Myhopessankagainasrapidlyastheyhadrisen。Imanagedtoanswerhim，however，withoutshowinganychangeinmy，manner。

"Youleftoff，"Isaid，"whereDamoridewasspeakingtoCunegonda——"

"Yes，yes！"heinterposed。"Andwhatdidshesay？"

"Shesaid，’Thedooriskeptlocked，andthenursehasgotthekey。’"

Heinstantlyleanedforwardinhischair。

"No！"heanswered，vehemently。"You’rewrong。’Key？’Nonsense！I

neversaid’Key。’"

"Ithoughtyoudid，Mr。Dexter。"

"Ineverdid！Isaidsomethingelse，andyouhaveforgottenit。"

Irefrainedfromdisputingwithhim，infearofwhatmightfollow。Wewaitedagain。Benjamin，sullenlysubmittingtomycaprices，hadtakendownthequestionsandanswersthathadpassedbetweenDexterandmyself。Hestillmechanicallykepthispageopen，andstillheldhispencilinreadinesstogoon。

Ariel，quietlysubmittingtothedrowsyinfluenceofthewinewhileDexter’svoicewasinherears，feltuneasilythechangetosi