The Law and the Lady

t of asking me for my name, let me in. Mrs. Macallan was at home, and had no visitors with her. Giving me this

ment I appeared in the doorway she laid aside her work, and, rising, si

re to ask questions. Spare yourself, and spare me. I warn you bef

t harshly said. I spo

ut your son," I answered. "I have come, if you wil

enly over her spectacles. I had

question?"

le explanation of this circumstance, so far as I know, is that my husband is your son by a first marriage. The happiness of my life is at stake. W

a little befo

one in your position," she said. "But

I ask

at I said on the beach-I have no other feeling than a feeling of sympathy toward you. If you had consulted me before your marriage, I should willingly have admitted

d. All I know, unless you enlighten me, is that your son has married me under a n

is incapable of willfully deceiving a woman who loves and trusts him. He will do you justice. On my side, I will do you justice, too. If the legal opinion is adverse to your rightful claims, I will promise to answer any questions which you may choose to put to me. As it is, I b

the air of a woman who

see it in her face; I could hear it in her voic

I said at parting. "I am at y

nswered me with a flush on he

child, I pity you from

ng, she took up her work with one hand, an

r in silence,

As to the question of the name, I saw it now in the light in which I ought to have seen it from the first. If Mrs. Macallan had been twice married (as I had rashly chosen to suppose), she would certainly have shown some

efore it, evidently waiting for my return. If he asked me the question, I decided to

ith signs of disturbanc

ia," he said. "Do you mind returning

opular phrase, I could ha

equires my presence in London. You don't wish to sail just yet, as I understand? I can't

ion. I too was e

ul old clerk. I could confide in Benjamin as I could confide in no one else. Dearly as I loved my uncle Starkweather, I shrank from communicating with him in my present need. His wife had told

to the first! On our way to Ramsgate everybody could see that we were a newly wedded couple. On

hotel in the neighbor

s. I had previously mentioned to him that I had some purchases to make in London. He was quite wi

husband opened the door to go out, and came back to kiss me before he left me by myself. That little after-thought

our confidence. I know that you love

d drew back from me-in

return to that subject again," he said. "Y

ter not to dwell on what I felt after this last repulse. I ordered the carriage a

way of giving a reason for going out. Then I devoted myself to the object which I reall

ce that I was in trouble. We sat down together by the bright fireside in his little library (Benjamin, as far as his means

to hear what he had heard. Then, after a pause, he repeated my mother-in-law's name to himself in a doubting, questioni

elp me, in the first place, to put an end to the doubt-an unendurable doubt to me-whether I were lawfully married or not.

" he answered. "Come with me to my own

Lincoln's

onestly believing my husband's name to be the name under which I had known him. The witnesses to my marriage-my uncle, my aunt, and Benjamin-had acted, as I

epted my old friend's invitation to return with him to St.

uppermost in my mind. I reiterated my resolution to discover why

meet!-was my mother-in-law's advice, repeated almost word for word. "Leave things as they are, my dear. In the interest of your own peace

ing could alter my resolution-for this plain reason, that nothing could reconcile me to living with my husband on the terms on wh

r was thoroughly ch

want of me, my dea

rtman Square. I was on the point of speaking again, whe

he did not look up when the-carriage passed. As the servant closed the door behind him, I noticed that

s at Number Sixteen Vivian Plac

as certainly a strange one, aft

plied. "Why

en Eustace leav

ear, and wh

verything my husband does that I don'

nds, and let them drop on his knees

in doubt of the one man on earth whom I love. You have had experience of the world. Suppose you were shut out from Eustace's c

in. Benjamin met it

timate friend of your husband's," he said, "and ma

enjamin's advice? Suppose I applied to Major Fitz-David? Even if he, too, refused to answer my questions, my position would not be more helpless than it was now. I determined to make the attempt. The only difficulty in the way, s

e an idea already," I said to Benjamin.

ing very much puzzled. "But I ca

to borrow a Directory. She returned with the book just as we sat down to dinner. S

This is a strange coi

as Number Sixteen Vivian Place-the very house which I h