The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-08-11
THE WOMAN IN WHITE


The statement YOU demand Of me shall
be written; and the plain proof shall be
produced. You call a letter from my
lamented friend, informing me Of the
day and hour OF his wife's arrival In
London. written, signed and dated by
himself a proof, l suppose? / can give
you this. l can also send you 10 the
man Of whom l hired the carriage 10
| fetch nv visitor from the railway on the
day when she arrived-hls order book
may help you 10 your date even " his
coachman who drove me proves 10 be Of
| no use. These things ! can do and will
do. on conditions. l will recite them
First condition: Madame Fosco and
leave this house when and how we
! please. without interference OF any lind
! on your part. Second condition. You
wait here. In company with me. 10 see
my agent, who Is coming at seven O'Clock
| in the morning TO regulate my affairs
You give my agent written order TO
the man who has got your sealed letter
TO resign his possession OF II. You wait
! here Till my agent places that letter
unopened In my hands; and you then
allow me one clear half hour to leave
| the house--after which you resume your
| own freedom OF action. and go where
| you please. Third condition: You give
me the satisfaction Of n gentleman for
your intrusion into my private affairs.
and for the language you have allowed
| yourself TO use TO me at this conference.
| The time and place abroad, TO be Fixed
/ I'm a. letter from my hand when / am
safe on the continent and that letter
| 10 contain a strip OF paper measuring
accurately the length OF my sword. These
are my terms. Inform me II you accept
| them-Yes or no"
The extraordinary mixture OF prompt
decision. far-sighteded cunning and
/ Il. L.. ~ tom
| gered me for a moment--and only for
| moment The only question TO consider
was whether ] was Justified or not In
| possessing myself OF the means OF estah-
| fishing Iaura's identity at the cost Of
allowing the scoundrel who had robbed
| her OF II TO escape me with impunlty.
| knew that the motive OF securing the
just recognition Of my wife In the birth
/ place from which she had been driven
/ out as an imposter and of publicly siGs-
| ing the lie that still profaned her moth
| er's tom tone, was far purer, In lts
| freedom from all taint Of evil passion.
| than the vindictive motive which had
mingled itself with my purpose from the
| first. And yet 1 can not honestly soy
| that nv own moral convictions were
strong enough to decide the struggle In
me by themselves.
They were helped by my remembrances
of Sir Percivals death. How awfully, at
| the last moment, had the working or the
retribution there been snatched from my
feeble hands What right had | 10 de-
eide in my poor mortal Ignorance OF the
/ future, that this man, too, must escape
/ with impunity because he escaped mey
/ | thought of~ASese things-perhaps with
! the superstition inherent In my nature;
perhaps with a sense worthier OF me than
| superstition II was hard. when had
! fastened my hold on him at last, 10 loosen
! IL again of my own accord. but forced
! myself TO make the sacrifice. In palmer
words, determined 10 be guided BY the
one higher motive OF which was GER
tain. the motive of serving the cause OF
Laura and the cause OF truth.
| II accept your conditions" said.
with one resedvation. on my part"
What reservation may that be?" he
asked
1T refers to the sealed letter" I an
swered. II require you to destroy 1t. un-
opened. In my presence, as soon as 1t is
placed in your hands.
My object in making this stipulation
! was simply to prevent him from carrying
| away any written evidence OF the nature
of my communication with Pesca. The
fact of my communication he would ne
! cessarily discover when l gave the ad-
dress to his agent in the morning. But
he could make no use OF It, on his own
unsupported testimony-even II he really
NeDtuTeu 10 Try the thpeTlfnent-WIiCH
need excite In me the slightest apprehen-
sion on Pescas account.
II grant your reservation" he replied,
after considering the question gravely for
! n minute or two. 1t Is not worth dis
pute-the letter shall be destroyed when
It comes into my hands"
He rose as bespoke, from the chair In
which he had been sitting opposite to me
up 10 this time With one effort he
appeared to free his mind from the whole
| pressure on IL OF the interview between
us thus far. "Ouf," he cried stretching
his arms luxuriously; 'the skirmish was
hot while II lasted. Take a seat, Mr..
Hartright. We meet as mortal enemies
! hereafter-let us. like gallant gentlemen,
exchange polite attentions in the mean
time. Permit me 10 take the liberty of
calling for my wife"
He unlocked and opened the door.
"Eleanor!" he called out. In his deep
voice. The lady OF the viperish face came
In. Madame Fosco-Mr. Hartright -
said the count. introducing US with easy
dignity. MY angel" he went on, ad-
dressing his wife. will your labors Of
packing up allow you time 20 make me
some nice strong coffee7 l have writing
business 10 transact with Mr. Hartright--
and require the full possession OF my
intelligence to do Justice TO myself"
Madame Fosco bowed her head twice
once sternly 10 me: once submissively 10
her husband-and giided out of the room.
The count walked 20 a writing table
near the window, opened his desk, and
took from II several auires OF paper and
bundle OF quill pens He scattered the
pens about the table. so that they might
lie ready IN all directions TO be taken up
when wanted, and then cut the paper
into a heap OF narrow slips, OF the form
used by professional writer's for the press.
II shall make this remarkable docu-
ment.' he said, looking at me over his
shoulder. Habits Of literary composition
are perfectly familiar To me. One OF the
rarest OF all the intellectual accomplish
ments that man can possess, is the
grand faculty OF arranging his ideas I'M
mense privilege l possess II. Do you? p
He marched backward and forward In
the room until the coffee appeared hum.