the filigree ball-第22部分

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〃Mr。　Jeffrey；　you　are　on　oath。　　We　certainly　have　no　reason　for　not
believing　you。〃

Mr。　Jeffrey　bowed。　　He　was　probably　sorry　for　his　momentary　loss
of　self…control；　and　gravely；　but　with　eyes　bent　downward；　answered
with　the　abrupt　phrase：

〃Well；　then；　I　will　say　no。〃

The　coroner　shifted　his　ground。

〃Will　you　make　the　same　reply　when　I　ask　if　the　like　forbearance
was　shown　toward　your　wife's　name　in　the　conversation　you　had　with
Miss　Tuttle　immediately　afterward？〃

A　halt　in　the　eagerly　looked…for　reply；　a　hesitation；　momentary
indeed；　but　pregnant　with　nameless　suggestions；　caused　his　answer；
when　it　did　come；　to　lose　some　of　the　emphasis　he　manifestly　wished
to　put　into　it。

〃Miss　Tuttle　was　Mrs。　Jeffrey's　half…sister。　　The　bond　between　them
was　strong。　　Would　she　would　I　…　be　apt　to　speak　of　my　young　wife
with　bitterness？〃

〃That　is　not　an　answer　to　my　question；　Mr。　Jeffrey。　　I　must　request
a　more　positive　reply。〃

Miss　Tuttle　made　a　move。　　The　strain　on　all　present　was　so　great　we
could　but　notice　it。　　He　noticed　it　too；　for　his　brows　came　together
with　a　quick　frown；　as　he　emphatically　replied：

〃There　were　no　recriminations　uttered。　　Mrs。　Jeffrey　had　displeased
me　and　I　said　so；　but　I　did　not　forget　that　I　was　speaking　of　my
wife　and　to　her　sister。〃

As　this　was　in　the　highest　degree　non…committal；　the　coroner　could
be　excused　for　persisting。

〃The　conversation；　then；　was　about　your　wife？〃

〃It　was。〃

〃In　criticism　of　her　conduct？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃At　the　ambassador's　ball？〃

〃Yes。〃

Mr。　Jeffrey　was　a　poor　hand　at　lying。　　That　last　〃yes〃　came　with
great　effort。

The　coroner　waited；　possibly　for　the　echo　of　this　last　〃yes〃　to
cease；　then　he　remarked　with　a　coldness　which　lifted　at　once　the
veil　from　his　hitherto　well　disguised　antagonism　to　this　witness。

〃If　you　will　recount　to　us　anything　which　your　wife　said　or　did　on
that　evening　which；　in　your　mind；　was　worthy　of　all　this　coil；　it
might　help　us　to　understand　the　situation。〃

But　the　witness　made　no　attempt　to　do　so；　and　while　many　of　us　were
ready　to　pardon　him　this　show　of　delicacy；　others　felt　that　under
the　circumstances　it　would　have　been　better　had　he　been　more　open。

Among　the　latter　was　the　coroner　himself；　who；　from　this　moment；
threw　aside　all　hesitation　and　urged　forward　his　inquiries　in　a　way
to　press　the　witness　closer　and　closer　toward　the　net　he　was　secretly
holding　out　for　him。　　First；　he　obliged　him　to　say　that　his
conversation　with　Miss　Tuttle　had　not　tended　to　smooth　matters；　that
no　reconciliation　with　his　wife　had　followed　it；　and　that　in　the
thirty…six　hours　which　elapsed　before　he　returned　home　again　he　had
made　no　attempt　to　soothe　the　feelings　of　one；　who；　according　to　his
own　story；　he　considered　hardly　responsible　for　any　extravagances
in　which　she　might　have　indulged。　　Then　when　this　inconsistency　had
been　given　time　to　sink　into　the　minds　of　the　jury；　Coroner　Z。
increased　the　effect　produced　by　confronting　Jeffrey　with　witnesses
who　testified　to　the　friendly；　if　not　lover…like　relations　which　had
existed　between　himself　and　Miss　Tuttle　prior　to　the　appearance　of
his　wife　upon　the　scene；　closing　with　a　question　which　brought　out
the　denial；　by　no　means　new；　that　an　engagement　had　ever　taken　place
between　him　and　Miss　Tuttle　and　hence　that　a　bond　had　been　canceled
by　his　marriage　with　Miss　Moore。

But　his　manner　and　careful　choice　of　words　in　making　this　denial
did　not　satisfy　those　present　of　his　entire　candor；　especially　as
Miss　Tuttle；　for　all　her　apparent　immobility；　showed；　by　the　violent
locking　of　her　hands；　both　her　anxiety　and　the　suffering　she　was
undergoing　during　this　painful　examination。　　Was　the　suffering　merely
one　of　outraged　delicacy？　　We　felt　justified　in　doubting　it；　and
looked　forward；　with　cruel　curiosity　I　admit；　to　the　moment　when
this　renowned　and　universally　admired　beauty　would　be　called　on　to
throw　aside　her　veil　axed　reveal　the　highly　praised　features　which
had　been　so　openly　scorned　for　the　sake　of　one　whose　chief　claims
to　regard　lay　in　her　great　wealth。

But　this　moment　was　as　yet　far　distant。　　The　coroner　was　a　man　of
method；　and　his　plan　was　now　to　prove；　as　had　been　apparent　to　most
of　us　from　the　first；　that　the　assumption　of　suicide　on　the　part　of
Mrs。　Jeffrey　was　open　to　doubt。　　The　communication　suggesting　such
an　end　to　her　troubles　was　the　strongest　proof　Mr。　Jeffrey　could
bring　forward　that　her　death　had　been　the　result　of　her　own　act。
Consequently　it　was　now　the　coroner's　business　to　show　that　this
communication　was　either　a　forgery；　or　a　substitution；　and　that　if
she　left　some　word　in　the　book　to　which　she　had　in　so　peculiar　a
manner　directed　his　attention；　it　was　not　necessarily　the　one
bewailing　her　absence　of　love　for　him　and　her　consequent　intention
of　seeking　relief　from　her　disappointment　in　death。

Some　hint　of　what　the　coroner　contemplated　had　already　escaped　him
in　the　persistent　and　seemingly　inconsequent　questions　to　which　he
had　subjected　this　witness　in　reference　to　these　very　matters。　　But
the　time　had　now　come　for　a　more　direct　attack；　and　the　interest
rose　correspondingly　high；　when　the　coroner；　lifting　again　to　sight
the　scrap　of　paper　containing　the　few　piteous　lines　so　often　quoted；
asked　of　the　now　anxious　and　agitated　witness；　if　he　had　ever
noticed　any　similarity　between　the　handwriting　of　his　wife　and　that
of　Miss　Tuttle。

An　indignant　〃No！〃　was　about　to　pass　his　lips；　when　he　suddenly
checked　himself　and　said　more　mildly：　〃There　may　have　been　a
similarity；　I　hardly　know；　I　have　seen　too　little　of　Miss　Tuttle's
hand　to　judge。〃

This　occasioned　a　diversion。　　Specimens　of　Miss　Tuttle's　handwriting
were　produced；　which；　after　having　been　duly　proved；　were　passed
down　to　the　jury　along　with　the　communication　professedly　signed　by
Mrs。　Jeffrey。　　The　grunts　of　astonishment　which　ensued　as　the　knowing
heads　drew　near　over　these　several　papers　caused　Mr。　Jeffrey　to
flush　and　finally　to　cry　out　with　startling　emphasis：

〃I　know　that　those　words　were　written　by　my　wife。〃

But　when　the　coroner　asked　him　his　reasons　for　this　conviction；　he
could；　or　would　not　state　them。

〃I　have　said；〃　he　stolidly　repeated；　and　that　was　all。

The　coroner　made　no　comment；　but　when；　after　some　further　inquiry；
which　added　little　to　the　general　knowledge；　he　dismissed　Mr。
Jeffrey　and　recalled　Loretta；　there　was　that　in　his　tone　which　warned
us　that　the　really　serious　portion　of　the　day's　examination　was　about
to　begin。




XIII

CHIEFLY　THRUST


The　appearance　of　this　witness　had　undergone　a　change　since　she
last　stood　before　us。　　She　was　shame…faced　still；　but　her　manner
showed　resolve　and　a　feverish　determination　to　face　the　situation
which　could　but　awaken　in　the　breasts　of　those　who　had　Mr。　Jeffrey's
honor　and　personal　welfare　at　heart　a　nameless　dread；　as　if　they
already　foresaw　the　dark　shadow　which　minute　by　minute　was　slowly
sinking　over　a　household　which；　up　to　a　week　ago；　had　been　the　envy
and　admiration　of　all　Washington　society。

The　first　answer　she　made　revealed　both　the　cause　of　her　shame　and
the　reason　of　her　firmness。　　It　was　in　response　to　the　question
whether　she；　Loretta；　had　seen　Miss　Tuttle　before　she　went　out　on
the　walk　she　was　said　to　have　taken　immediately　after　Mrs。　Jeffrey's
final　departure　from　the　house。

Her　words　were　these

〃I　did　sir。　　I　do　not　think　Miss　Tuttle　knows　it；　but　I　saw　her　in
Mrs。　Jeffrey's　room。〃

The　emphatic　tone；　offering　such　a　contrast　to　her　former　manner　of
speech；　might　have　drawn　all　eyes　to　the　speaker　had　not　the　person
she　mentioned　offered　a　still　more　interesting　subject　to　the　general
curiosity。　　As　it　was；　all　glances　flew　to　that　silent　and　seemingly
impassive　figure　upon　which　all　open　suggestions　and　covert　innuendo
had　hitherto　fallen　without　creating　more　than　a　pressure　of　her
interlaced　fingers。　　This　direct　attack；　possibly　the　most
threatening　she　had　received；　appeared　to　produce　no　more　effect
upon　her　than　the　others；　less；　perhaps；　for　no　stir　was　visible　in
her　now；　and　to　some　eyes　she　hardly　seemed　to　breathe。

Curiosity；　thus　baffled；　led　the　gaze　on　to　Mr。　Jeffrey；　and　even
to　Uncle　David；　but　the　former　had　dropped　his　head　again　upon　his
hand；　and　the　other　…　well；　there　was　little　to　observe　in　Mr。　Moore
at　any　time；　save　the　immense　satisfaction　he　seemed　to　take　in
himself；　so　attention　returned　to　the　witness；　who；　by　this　time；
had　entered　upon　a　consecutive　tale。

As　near　as　I　can　remember；　these　are　the　words　with　which　she
prefaced　it：

〃I　am　not　especially　proud　of　what　I　did　that　night；　but　I　was　led
into　it　by　degrees；　and　I　am　sure　I　beg　the　lady's　pardon。〃　　And
then　she　went　on　to　relate　how；　after　she　had　seen　Mrs。　Jeffrey
leave　the　house；　she　went　into　her　room　with　the　intention　of　putting
it　to　rights。　　As　this　was　no　more　than　her　duty；　no　fault　could　be
found　with　her；　but　she　owned　that　when　she　had　finished　this　task
and　removed　all　evidence　of　Mrs。　Jeffrey's　frenzied　condition；　she
had　no　business　to　linger　at　the　table　turning　over　the　letters　she
found　lying　there。

Here　the　coroner　stopped　her　and　made　some　inquiries　in　regard　to
these　letters；　but　as　they　seemed　to　be　ordinary　epistles　from
friends　and　quite　foreign　to　the　investigation；　he　allowed　her　to
proceed。

Her　cheeks　were　burning　now；　for　she　had　found　herself　obliged　to
admit　that　she　had　read　enough　of　these　letters　to　be　sure　that　they
had　no　reference　to　the　quarrel　then　pending　between　her　mistress
and　Mr。　Jeffrey。　　Her　eyes　fell　and　she　looked　seriously　distressed
as　she　went　on　to　say　that　she　was　as　conscious　then　as　now　of
having　no　business　with　these　papers；　so　conscious；　indeed；　that
when　she　heard　Miss　Tuttle's　step　at　the　door；　her　one　idea　was　to
hide　herself。

That　she　could　stand　and　face　that　lady　never　so　much　as　occurred
to　her。　　Her　own　guilty　consciousness　made　her　cheeks　too　hot　for
her　to　wish　to　meet　an　eye　which　had　never　rested　on　her　any　too
kindly；　so　noticing　how　straight　the　curtains　fell　over　one　of　the
windows　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　room；　she　dashed　toward　it　and
slipped　in　out　of　sight　just　as　Miss　T