"I feel such entire confidence in your fidelity and attachment that I am about, with the full concurrence of this gentleman, who is my nearest relative and my legal adviser, to place a very serious secret in your keeping, and to employ your services on a matter which is as important to me as a matter of life and death."Her poor eyes were very red, and her lips quivered as she spoke to me.I was so startled by what she had said that I hardly knew which chair to sit in.She pointed to one placed near herself at the table, and seemed about to speak to me again, when the lawyer interfered.
"Let me entreat you," he said, "not to agitate yourself unnecessarily.I will put this person in possession of the facts, and, if I omit anything, you shall stop me and set me right."My mistress leaned back in her chair and covered her face with her handkerchief.The lawyer waited a moment, and then addressed himself to me.
"You are already aware," he said, "of the circumstances under which your master left this house, and you also know, I have no doubt, that no direct news of him has reached your mistress up to this time?"I bowed to him and said I knew of the circumstances so far.
"Do you remember," he went on, "taking a letter to your mistress five days ago?""Yes, sir," I replied; "a letter which seemed to distress and alarm her very seriously.""I will read you that letter before we say any more," continued the lawyer."I warn you beforehand that it contains a terrible charge against your master, which, however, is not attested by the writer's signature.I have already told your mistress that she must not attach too much importance to an anonymous letter;and I now tell you the same thing."
Saying that, he took up a letter from the table and read it aloud.I had a copy of it given to me afterward, which I looked at often enough to fix the contents of the letter in my memory.Ican now repeat them, I think, word for word.
"MADAM--I cannot reconcile it to my conscience to leave you in total ignorance of your husband 's atrocious conduct toward you.
If you have ever been disposed to regret his absence do so no longer.Hope and pray, rather, that you and he may never meet face to face again in this world.I write in great haste and in great fear of being observed.Time fails me to prepare you as you ought to be prepared for what I have now to disclose.I must tell you plainly, with much respect for you and sorrow for your misfortune, that your husband _has married another wife_.I saw the ceremony performed, unknown to him.If I could not have spoken of this infamous act as an eye-witness, I would not have spoken of it at all.
"I dare not acknowledge who I am, for I believe Mr.James Smith would stick at no crime to revenge himself on me if he ever came to a knowledge of the step I am now taking, and of the means by which I got my information; neither have I time to enter into particulars.I simply warn you of what has happened, and leave you to act on that warning as you please.You may disbelieve this letter, because it is not signed by any name.In that case, if Mr.James Smith should ever venture into your presence, Irecommend you to ask him suddenly what he has done with his _new wife,_ and to see if his countenance does not immediately testify that the truth has been spoken by "YOUR UNKNOWN FRIEND."Poor as my opinion was of my master, I had never believed him to be capable of such villainy as this, and I could not believe it when the lawyer had done reading the letter.
"Oh, sir," I said, "surely that is some base imposition? Surely it cannot be true?""That is what I have told your mistress," he answered."But she says in return--""That I feel it to be true," my mistress broke in, speaking behind the handkerchief in a faint, smothered voice.
"We need not debate the question," the lawyer went on."Our business now is to prove the truth or falsehood of this letter.
That must be done at once.I have written to one of my clerks, who is accustomed to conducting delicate investigations, to come to this house without loss of time.He is to be trusted with anything, and he will pursue the needful inquiries immediately.
It is absolutely necessary, to make sure of committing no mistakes, that he should be accompanied by some one who is well acquainted with Mr.James Smith's habits and personal appearance, and your mistress has fixed upon you to be that person.However well the inquiry is managed, it may be attended by much trouble and delay, may necessitate a long journey, and may involve some personal danger.Are you," said the lawyer, looking hard at me, "ready to suffer any inconvenience and to run any risk for your mistress's sake?""There is nothing I _can_ do, sir," said I, "that I will not do.
I am a fraid I am not clever enough to be of much use; but, so far as troubles and risks are concerned, I am ready for anything from this moment."My mistress took the handkerchief from her face, looked at me with her eyes full of tears, and held out her hand.How I came to do it I don't know, but I stooped down and kissed the hand she offered me, feeling half startled, half ashamed at my own boldness the moment after.
"You will do, my man," said the lawyer, nodding his head."Don't trouble yourself about the cleverness or the cunning that may be wanted.My clerk has got head enough for two.I have only one word more to say before you go downstairs again.Remember that this investigation and the cause that leads to it must be kept a profound secret.Except us three, and the clergyman here (to whom your mistress has written word of what has happened), nobody knows anything about it.I will let my clerk into the secret when he joins us.As soon as you and he are away from the house, you may talk about it.Until then, you will close your lips on the subject."The clerk did not keep us long waiting.He came as fast as the mail from London could bring him.