h the wretch inspired
in me; I wickedly gave him leave to explain himself; I wickedly
permitted this enemy of yours and of mine to take me into his
confidence. And why? Because I loved you, and you only; and because
Miserrimus Dexter's proposal did, after all, echo a doubt of you that
had long been gnawing secretly at my heart.

"Forgive me, Eustace! This is my first sin against you. It shall be my
last.

"I will not spare myself; I will write a full confession of what I said
to him and of what he said to me. You may make me suffer for it when you
know what I have done; but you will at least be warned in time; you will
see your false friend in his true light.

"I said to him, 'How can you prove to me that my husband hates me in
secret?'

"He answered, 'I can prove it under his own handwriting; you shall see
it in his Diary.'

"I said, 'His Diary has a lock; and the drawer in which he keeps it has
a lock. How can you get at the Diary and the drawer?'

"He answered, 'I have my own way of getting at both of them, without the
slightest risk of being discovered by your husband. All you have to do
is to give me the opportunity of seeing you privately. I will engage, in
return, to bring the open Diary with me to your room.'

"I said, 'How can I give you the opportunity? What do you mean?'

"He pointed to the key in the door of communication between my room and
the little study.

"He said, 'With my infirmity, I may not be able to profit by the first
opportunity of visiting you here unobserved. I must be able to choose
my own time and my own way of getting to you secretly. Let me take this
key, leaving the door locked. When the key is missed, if _you_ say it
doesn't matter--if _you_ point out that the door is locked, and tell the
servants not to trouble themselves about finding the key--there will be
no disturbance in the house; and I shall be in secure possession of a
means of communication with you which no one will suspect. Will you do
this?'

"I have done it.

"Yes! I have become the accomplice of this double-faced villain. I have
degraded myself and outraged you by making an appointment to pry into
your Diary. I know how base my conduct is. I can make no excuse. I can
only repeat that I love you, and that I am sorely afraid you don't love
me. And Miserrimus Dexter offers to end my doubts by showing me the most
secret thoughts of your heart, in your own writing.

"He is to be with me, for this purpose (while