Jezebel's Daughter

by Wilkie Collins

say? She was too considerate to press me; she only asked me to think of

  it. I have been trying to think of it ever since--and the more I try, the

  more I dread the consequences if that madman is brought into the house."

  Fritz shuddered at the prospect.

  "On the day when Jack comes into the house, I shall go out of it," he

  said. The social consequences of my aunt's contemplated experiment

  suddenly struck him while he spoke. "What will Mrs. Wagner's friends

  think?" he asked piteously. "They will refuse to visit her--they will say

  she's mad herself."

  "Don't let that distress you, gentlemen--I shan't mind what my friends

  say of me."

  We both started in confusion to our feet. My aunt herself was standing at

  the open door of the summer-house with a letter in her hand.

  "News from Germany, just come for you, Fritz."

  With those words, she handed him the letter, and left us.

  We looked at each other thoroughly ashamed of ourselves, if the truth

  must be told. Fritz cast an uneasy glance at the letter, and recognized

  the handwriting on the address. "From my father!" he said. As he opened

  the envelope a second letter enclosed fell out on the floor. He changed

  color as he picked it up, and looked at it. The seal was unbroken--the

  postmark was Wurzburg.

  CHAPTER VII

  Fritz kept the letter from Wurzburg unopened in his hand.

  "It's not from Minna," he said; "the handwriting is strange to me.

  Perhaps my father knows something about it." He turned to his father's

  letter; read it; and handed it to me without a word of remark.

  Mr. Keller wrote briefly as follows:--

  "The enclosed letter has reached me by post, as you perceive, with

  written instructions to forward it to my son. The laws of honor guide me

  just as absolutely in my relations with my son as in my relations with

  any other gentleman. I forward the letter to you exactly as I have

  received it. But I cannot avoid noticing the postmark of the city in

  which the Widow Fontaine and her daughter are still living. If either

  Minna or her mother be the person who writes to you, I must say plainly

  that I forbid your entering into any correspondence with them. The two

  families shall never be connected by marriage while I live. Understand,

  my dear son, that this is said in your own best interests, and said,

  therefore, from the heart of your father who loves you."

  While I was reading these lines Fritz had opened the letter from

  Wurzburg. "It's long enough, at any rate," he said, turning over the

  closely-written pages to find the signature at the end.

  "Well?" I asked.

  "Well," Fritz repeated, "it's an anonymous letter. The signature is 'Your

  Unknown Friend.' "

  "Perhaps it relates to Miss Minna, or to her mother," I suggested. Fritz

  turned back to the first page and looked up at me, red with anger. "More

  abominable slanders! More lies about Minna's mother!" he burst out. "Come

  here, David. Look at it with me. What do you say? Is it the writing of a

  woman or a man?"

  The writing was so carefully disguised that it was impossible to answer

  his question. The letter (like the rest of the correspondence connected

  with this narrative) has been copied in duplicate and placed at my

  disposal. I reproduce it here for reasons which will presently explain

  themselves--altering nothing, not even the vulgar familiarity of the

  address.

  "My good fellow, you once did me a kindness a long time since. Never mind

  what it was or who I am. I mean to do you a kindness in return. Let that

  be enough.

  "You are in love with 'Jezebel's Daughter.' Now, don't be angry! I know

  you believe Jezebel to be a deeply-injured woman; I know you have been

  foolish enough to fight duels at Wurzburg in defense of her character.

  "It is enough for you that she is a fond mother, and that her innocent

  daughter loves her dearly. I don't deny that she is a fond mother; but is

  the maternal instinct enough of itself to answer for a woman? Why, Fritz,

  a cat is a fond mother; but a cat scratches and swears for all that! And

  poor simple little Minna, who can see no harm in anybody, who can't

  discover wickedness when it stares her in the face--is _she_ a

  trustworthy witness to the widow's character? Bah!

  "Don't tear up my letter in a rage; I am not going to argue the question

  with you any further. Certain criminal circumstances have come to my

  knowledge, which point straight to this woman. I shall plainly relate

  those circumstances, out of my true regard for you, in the fervent hope

  that I may open your eyes to the truth.

  "Let us go back to the death of Doctor-Professor Fontaine, at his

  apartments in the University of Wurzburg, on the 3rd of September, in the

  present year 1828.

  "The poor man died of typhoid fever, as you know--and died in debt,

  through no extravagance on his own part, as you also know. He had

  outlived all his own relatives, and had no pecuniary hopes or

  expectations from anyone. Under these circumstances, he could only leave

  the written expression of his last wishes, in place of a will.

  "This document committed his widow and child to the care of his widow's

  relations, in terms of respectful entreaty. Speaking next of himself, he

  directed that he should be buried with the strictest economy, so that he

  might cost the University as little as possible. Thirdly, and lastly, he

  appointed one of his brother professors to act as his sole executor, in

  disposing of those contents of his laboratory which were his own property

  at the time of his death.

  "The written instructions to his executor are of such serious importance

  that I feel it my duty to copy them for you, word for word.

  "Thus they begin:--

  " 'I hereby appoint my dear old friend and colleague, Professor

  Stein--now absent for a while at Munich, on University business--to act

  as my sole representative in the disposal of the contents of my

  laboratory, after my death. The various objects used in my chemical

  investigations, which are my own private property, will be all found

  arranged on the long deal table that stands between the two windows. They

  are to be offered for sale to my successor, in the first instance. If he

  declines to purchase them, they can then be sent to Munich, to be sold

  separately by the manufacturer, as occasion may offer. The furniture of

  the laboratory, both movable and stationary, belongs entirely to the

  University, excepting the contents of an iron safe built into the south

  wall of the room. As to these, which are my own sole property, I

  seriously enjoin my executor and representative to follow my instructions

  to the letter:--

  " '(1) Professor Stein will take care to be accompanied by a competent

  witness, when he opens the safe in the wall.

  " '(2) The witness will take down in writing, from the dictation of

  Professor Stein, an exact list of the contents of the safe. These

  are:--Bottles containing drugs, tin cases containing powders, and a small

  medicine-chest, having six compartments, each occupied by a labeled

  bottl
e, holding a liquid preparation.

  " '(3) The written list being complete, I desire Professor Stein to empty

  every one of the bottles and cases, including the bottles in the

  medicine-chest, into the laboratory sink, with his own hands. He is also

  to be especially careful to destroy the labels on the bottles in the

  medicine-chest. These things done, he will sign the list, stating that

  the work of destruction is accomplished; and the witness present will add

  his signature. The document, thus attested, is to be placed in the care

  of the Secretary to the University.

  " 'My object in leaving these instructions is simply to prevent the

  dangerous results which might follow any meddling with my chemical

  preparations, after my death.

  " 'In almost every instance, these preparations are of a poisonous

  nature. Having made this statement, let me add, in justice to myself,

  that the sole motive for my investigations has been the good of my

  fellow-creatures.

  " 'I have been anxious, in the first place, to enlarge the list of

  curative medicines having poison for one of their ingredients. I have

  attempted, in the second place, to discover antidotes to the deadly

  action of those poisons, which (in cases of crime or accident) might be

  the means of saving life.

  " 'If I had been spared for a few years longer, I should so far have

  completed my labors as to have ventured on leaving them to be introduced

  to the medical profession by my successor. As it is--excepting one

  instance, in which I ran the risk, and was happily enabled to preserve

  the life of a poisoned man--I have not had time so completely to verify

  my theories, by practical experiment, as to justify me in revealing my

  discoveries to the scientific world for the benefit of mankind.

  " 'Under these circumstances, I am resigned to the sacrifice of my

  ambition--I only desire to do no harm. If any of my preparations, and

  more particularly those in the medicine-chest, fell into ignorant or

  wicked hands, I tremble when I think of the consequences which might

  follow. My one regret is, that I have not strength enough to rise from my

  bed, and do the good work of destruction myself. My friend and executor

  will take my place.

  " 'The key of the laboratory door, and the key of the safe, will be

  secured this day in the presence of my medical attendant, in a small

  wooden box. The box will be sealed (before the same witness) with my own

  seal. I shall keep it under my pillow, to give it myself to Professor

  Stein, if I live until he returns from Munich.

  " 'If I die while my executor is still absent, my beloved wife is the one

  person in the world whom I can implicitly trust to take charge of the

  sealed box. She will give it to Professor Stein, immediately on his

  return to Wurzburg; together with these instructions, which will be

  placed in the box along with the keys.'

  "There are the instructions, friend Fritz! They are no secret now. The

  Professor has felt it his duty to make them public in a court of law, in

  consequence of the events which followed Doctor Fontaine's death. You are

  interested in those events, and you shall be made acquainted with them

  before I close my letter.

  "Professor Stein returned from Munich too late to receive the box from

  the hands of his friend and colleague. It was presented to him by the

  Widow Fontaine, in accordance with her late husband's wishes.

  "The Professor broke the seal. Having read his Instructions, he followed

  them to the letter, the same day.

  "Accompanied by the Secretary to the University, as a witness, he opened

  the laboratory door. Leaving the sale of the objects on the table to be

  provided for at a later date, he proceeded at once to take the list of

  the bottles and cases, whose contents he was bound to destroy. On opening

  the safe, these objects were found as the Instructions led him to

  anticipate: the dust lying thick on them vouched for their having been

  left undisturbed. The list being completed, the contents of the bottles

  and cases were thereupon thrown away by the Professor's own hand.

  "On looking next, however, for the medicine-chest, no such thing was to

  be discovered in the safe. The laboratory was searched from end to end,

  on the chance that some mistake had been made. Still no medicine-chest

  was to be found.

  "Upon this the Widow Fontaine was questioned. Did she know what had

  become of the medicine-chest? She was not even aware that such a thing

  existed. Had she been careful to keep the sealed box so safely that no

  other person could get at it? Certainly! She had kept it locked in one of

  her drawers, and the key in her pocket.

  "The lock of the drawer, and the locks of the laboratory door and the

  safe, were examined. They showed no sign of having been tampered with.

  Persons employed in the University, who were certain to know, were asked

  if duplicate keys existed, and all united in answering in the negative.

  The medical attendant was examined, and declared that it was physically

  impossible for Doctor Fontaine to have left his bed, and visited the

  laboratory, between the time of writing his Instructions and the time of

  his death.

  "While these investigations were proceeding, Doctor Fontaine's senior

  assistant obtained leave to examine through a microscope the sealing-wax

  left on the box which had contained the keys.

  "The result of this examination, and of the chemical analyses which

  followed, proved that two different kinds of sealing-wax (both of the

  same red color, superficially viewed) had been used on the seal of the

  box--an undermost layer of one kind of wax, and an uppermost layer of

  another, mingled with the undermost in certain places only. The plain

  inference followed that the doctor's sealing-wax had been softened by

  heat so as to allow of the opening of the box, and that new sealing-wax

  had been afterwards added, and impressed by the Doctor's seal so that the

  executor might suspect nothing. Here, again, the evidence of the medical

  attendant (present at the time) proved that Doctor Fontaine had only used

  one stick of sealing-wax to secure the box. The seal itself was found in

  the possession of the widow; placed carelessly in the china tray in which

  she kept her rings after taking them off for the night.

  "The affair is still under judicial investigation. I will not trouble you

  by reporting the further proceedings in detail.

  "Of course, Widow Fontaine awaits the result of the investigation with

  the composure of conscious innocence. Of course, she has not only

  submitted to an examination of her lodgings, but has insisted on it. Of

  course, no red sealing-wax and no medicine-chest have been found. Of

  course, some thief unknown, for some purpose quite inconceivable, got at

  the box and the seal, between the Doctor's death and the return of the

  Professor from Munich, and read the Instructions and stole the terrible

  medicine-chest. Such is the theory adopted by the defense. If you can

  believe it--then I have written in vain. If, on the other hand, you are

  the sensible you
ng man I take you to be, follow my advice. Pity poor

  little Minna as much as you please, but look out for another young lady

  with an unimpeachable mother; and think yourself lucky to have two such

  advisers as your excellent father, and Your Unknown Friend."

  CHAPTER VIII

  "I will lay any wager you like," said Fritz, when we had come to the end

  of the letter, "that the wretch who has written this is a woman."

  "What makes you think so?"

  "Because all the false reports about poor Madame Fontaine, when I was at

  Wurzburg, were traced to women. They envy and hate Minna's mother. She is

  superior to them in everything; handsome, distinguished, dresses to

  perfection, possesses all the accomplishments--a star, I tell you, a

  brilliant star among a set of dowdy domestic drudges. Isn't it infamous,

  without an atom of evidence against her, to take it for granted that she

  is guilty? False to her dead husband's confidence in her, a breaker of

  seals, a stealer of poisons--what an accusation against a defenseless

  woman! Oh, my poor dear Minna! how she must feel it; she doesn't possess

  her mother's strength of mind. I shall fly to Wurzburg to comfort her. My

  father may say what he pleases; I can't leave these two persecuted women

  without a friend. Suppose the legal decision goes against the widow? How

  do I know that judgment has not been pronounced already? The suspense is

  intolerable. Do you mean to tell me I am bound to obey my father, when

  his conduct is neither just nor reasonable?"

  "Gently, Fritz--gently!"

  "I tell you, David, I can prove what I say. Just listen to this. My

  father has never even seen Minna's mother; he blindly believes the

  scandals afloat about her--he denies that any woman can be generally

  disliked and distrusted among her neighbors without some good reason for

  it. I assure you, on my honor, he has no better excuse for forbidding me

  to marry Minna than that. Is it just, is it reasonable, to condemn a

  woman without first hearing what she has to say in her own defense? Ah,

  now indeed I feel the loss of my own dear mother! If she had been alive

  she would have exerted her influence, and have made my father ashamed of

  his own narrow prejudices. My position is maddening; my head whirls when

  I think of it. If I go to Wurzburg, my father will never speak to me

  again. If I stay here, I shall cut my throat."

  There was still a little beer left in the bottom of the second bottle.

  Fritz poured it out, with a gloomy resolution to absorb it to the last

  drop.

  I took advantage of this momentary pause of silence to recommend the

  virtue of patience to the consideration of my friend. News from Wurzburg,

  I reminded him, might be obtained in our immediate neighborhood by

  consulting a file of German journals, kept at a foreign coffee-house. By

  way of strengthening the good influence of this suggestion, I informed

  Fritz that I expected to be shortly sent to Frankfort, as the bearer of a

  business communication addressed to Mr. Keller by my aunt; and I offered

  privately to make inquiries, and (if possible) even to take messages to

  Wurzburg--if he would only engage to wait patiently for the brighter

  prospects that might show themselves in the time to come.

  I had barely succeeded in tranquilizing Fritz, when my attention was

  claimed by the more serious and pressing subject of the liberation of

  Jack Straw. My aunt sent to say that she wished to see me.

  I found her at her writing-table, with the head-clerk established at the

  desk opposite.

  Mr. Hartrey was quite as strongly opposed as the lawyer to any meddling

  with the treatment of mad people on the part of my aunt. But he placed

  his duty to his employer before all other considerations; and he

  rendered, under respectful protest, such services as were required of