The adulteress

"He was. I made him happy. I liked making him happy. He was good to me, he was. He took me in ... he made a pet of me ... and when it all happened ... when they found out what my mother was ... and all that ... he never threw it up at me. All he said was 'My poor little girl.' He understood I never wanted to be like that. I wanted to be good and respectable like you were"—she paused and looked at me with the old sly look in her eyes—"until you came here."

I felt my hatred of her welling up in me and at the same time I was sorry for her. I knew she was very frightened. I thought: She is another of Dickon's victims. He is a devil. He creates mischief wherever he goes. But could I blame him? Evalina was the sort of girl who would frolic in barns with whatever lusty young man beckoned her.

She was looking at me almost defiantly. She had some absurd and childish faith in me; she was begging my help; no, demanding it. I had to make her problem mine or she would make it uncomfortable for me.

Oddly enough I wanted to help her ... apart from the fact that I was afraid not to.

I said: "Andrew accepted Richard as his, didn't he?"

"Yes, he did. He thought it was a miracle. He'd been told he could never have children ... nor could he. Well, I wanted a little one of my own. You can't blame me. So it happened and he thought it was his and there was no harm in it. It made a new man of him. He kept saying that. He was almost crazy with joy when Richard was born. *A boy,' he kept saying, 'my own son.' I felt pretty good, I did, lying in that bed ... giving him a son. He just couldn't do enough for me. Proved his manhood and all that, he said. What was wrong with it, eh? You tell me that."

"There was some good in it, obviously," I said. "But why are you so worried?"

"Because of this nephew. He's threatening all sorts of things ... talking of lawyers ..."

"How can he? The will is there. No one can go against a will."

"Yes, the will's there. Andrew was very careful about that. He made it when Richard was born. He said to me: 'That's taken care of. Everything is for you and the boy. So if anything should happen to me suddenly I know you're safe.' '

"I am sure the nephew can do nothing."

"But you see, if he can prove Andrew couldn't have children ..."

"Surely no one could be absolutely sure of that?"

"Couldn't he be?"

"No."

"Then no one must know that Richard's not ..."

"No one must know."

"You know."

We looked at each other steadily. It was like that moment in the bedroom when she had bought my silence with the key of my bedroom.

We understood each other. I felt a tremendous relief because I was free of her. She had played into my hands.

But I wanted to help her now. I was beginning to see her as a sad little creature, born into a world where it was necessary to fight for all the comforts her body craved; she had to fight against a sensuous nature which betrayed her at every turn. Who was I to blame her for that?

I said to her: "He cannot do anything. Andrew made the will. He cannot prove that Richard is not Andrew's. Who should know this? Perhaps it was his."

She was smiling at me shyly, almost gratefully.

"The nephew is trying to browbeat you. Obviously, he guesses the child is not his uncle's and by showing your fear of him you are playing into his hands. You must insist that the child is Andrew's. I don't see what good can come in denying it. And you should go to a solicitor. Go to Mr. Rosen. I am sure the nephew won't have a leg to stand on."

"Would you come with me to Mr. Rosen? You can talk so much better than I can."

I wanted to laugh out loud. When I thought of how she had disturbed me, the anxious thoughts I had suffered because of her, I felt it had turned out almost comically.

We were blackmailing each other. We had a pact. No word of my misdemeanors and no word of yours.

I said: "We will go to Rosen, Stead and Rosen tomorrow. I will explain the case to Mr. Rosen senior, and I am sure then that you will have nothing to worry about."

A Visit to London

It was as I had said it would be. Mr. Rosen senior took over the matter with calm efficiency; the will was perfectly in order and there could be no doubt of Mr. Mather's intention. Everything with the exception of one or two legacies—including something for the nephew—was left to Evalina in trust for Richard. "Perfectly straightforward," declared Mr. Rosen. "I will see the gentleman who is raising objections."

This he did and that gentleman was soon departing—slinking away might be a more apt description. "He is thoroughly ashamed of himself," Mr. Rosen commented to me. "It is my belief that he thought he could delude an ignorant female."

His parting words to Evalina were: "You did right to come to me. If you are ever in any difficulties I shall be pleased to help you."