The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-08-13
THE WOMAN IN WHITE


nation. at the sight OF the sleeping face.
AT the same time my heart. always ac-
cessible TO tender influences, dissolved In
tears at the spectacle OF suffering before
me. instantly set myself To impart re-
lief In other words; ] provided the
4 Anne Catherick to perform the journey TO
! London.
AZ this point 1 enter a necessary pro.
test. and correct a lamentable error.
| The best years OF my life have been
passed In the ardent study OF medical and
chemical science. Chemistry. especially.
has always had irresistible attractions FOR
me. from the enormous, the llimtable
power which the knowledge OF II confers.
! Chemists. 1 assert IL emphatically, might
sway II they pleased. the destinies OF
humanity Let me explain this before
Mind they say, rules the world But
what rules the mind7 The body. The body
uoiiow me closely here) lies at the mercy
OF the most omnipo'ent Of all potentates-
the chemist Give MISUNDERSTANDING
and when Shakespeare has conceived
Hamlet, and sits down TO execute the
dropped into his daily food will reduce
his mind, by the action OF his body, till
his pen pours out the most abJect drivel
that, has ever degraded paper. Under
similar circumstances revive me the IL
lustrious Newton. guarantee that,
when he sees the apple fall, he shall eat
1t, Instead OF discovering the principle OF
gravitation. Neros dinner shall trans
form Nero into the mildest OF men before
he has done dlgesting IL, and the morning
draught or Alexander the Great shall
make Alexander run for his life, at the
first sight OF the enemy. the same after
noon. on my sacred word OF honor II Is
lucky for society that modern chemists
are by incomprehensible good fortune,
the most harmless OF mankind. The
mass are worthy fathers OF families who
keep shops. The few are philosophers
besotted with admiration for the sound OF
their own lecturing voices: vsionaries
who waste their lives on fantastic impos-
sibilities or quacks whose ambition scars
no higher than our corns. Thus society
chemistry remains the slave OF the most
superficial and the most insignificant
ends.
Why this outburstq Why this wither-
Because my conduct has been misrep-
resented: because my motives have been
misunderstood. IL has been assumed
mat | used my vast chemical resources
against Anne Catherick. and that would
have used them. II could against the
magnificent Marian herself odious in.
situations both! All my interests were
the preservation of Anne Cathericks life.
All my anxieties were concentrated on
Marian's rescue from the hands of the
licensed imbecile who attended her, AND
who found my advice confirmed from
nrst TO last. by the physician from Lon
don. on two occasions only-both equally
harmless 10 the individual on whom ]
assistance OF chemical knowledge. On the
first OF the two. after following Marian to
the inn at Blackwater (studying. behind
the convenient wagon which hid me from
her. the poetry OF motion. as embodied
in her walk). | availed myself OF the SER
vices OF my invaluable wife TO copy one
and 10 intercept the other OF two letters
which my adored enemy had intrusted to
A discarded maid. In this case. the let
ter being In the bosom OF the girls dress.
Mime. -Fosco could only open them. read
them. perform her instructions. seal
them and put them back again. by sci
entifc assistance--whi assistance | rem
1ered in a half-ounce bottle. The second
occasion when the same means were en-
ployed was the occasion tto which / shall |
soon refer of Lady Glyde's arrival in /
London. Never. at any other time. was /
indebted TO my art, as distinguished 1
from myself To all other emergencies
md complications my natural capacity /
FOR graphing. single handed, with cir .
was invariably equal. I af- |
irm the all-pervading intelligence of that
capacity. At the expense OF the chem
st I vindicate the man
Respect this outburst OF generous indig-
lation. II has inexpressibly relieved me.
en- route! Let US proceed.
(To Be Continued)