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Minister。 This seems to indicate； but too surely； a change for
the worse。
Helena has been away all the evening at the Girls' School。 She
left a little note； informing me of her wishes： 〃I shall expect
to be favored with your decision to…morrow morning； in my
housekeeping room。〃
At breakfast time； the report of the poor Minister was still
discouraging。 I noticed that Helena was absent from the table。
Miss Jillgall suspected that the cause was bad news from Mr。
Philip Dunboyne； arriving by that morning's post。 〃If you will
excuse the use of strong language by a lady；〃 she said； 〃Helena
looked perfectly devilish when she opened the letter。 She rushed
away； and locked herself up in her own shabby room。 A serious
obstacle； as I suspect； in the way of her marriage。 Cheering；
isn't it？〃 As usual； good Selina expressed her sentiments without
reserve。
I had to keep my appointment； and the sooner Helena Gracedieu and
I understood each other the better。
I knocked at the door。 It was loudly unlocked； and violently
thrown open。 Helena's temper had risen to boiling heat； she
stammered with rage when she spoke to me。
〃I mean to come to the point at once；〃 she said。
〃I am glad to hear it； Miss Helena。〃
〃May I count on your influence to help me？ I want a positive
answer。〃
I gave her what she wanted。 I said： 〃Certainly not。〃
She took a crumpled letter from her pocket； opened it； and
smoothed it out on the table with a blow of her open hand。
〃Look at that；〃 she said。
I looked。 It was the letter addressed to Mr。 Dunboyne the elder；
which I had written for Mr。 Gracedieuwith the one object of
preventing Helena's marriage。
〃Of course； I can depend on you to tell me the truth？〃 she
continued。
〃Without fear or favor；〃 I answered； 〃you may depend on _that。_〃
〃The signature to the letter； Mr。 Governor； is written by my
father。 But the letter itself is in a different hand。 Do you； by
any chance； recognize the writing？〃
〃I do。〃
〃Whose writing is it？〃
〃Mine。〃
CHAPTER XLIV。
THE RESURRECTION OF THE PAST。
AFTER having identified my handwriting； I waited with some
curiosity to see whether Helena would let her anger honestly show
itself； or whether she would keep it down。 She kept it down。
〃Allow me to return good for evil。〃 （The evil was uppermost；
nevertheless； when Miss Gracedieu expressed herself in these
self…denying terms。） 〃You are no doubt anxious to know if
Philip's father has been won over to serve your purpose。 Here is
Philip's own account of it： the last of his letters that I shall
trouble you to read。〃
I looked it over。 The memorandum follows which I made for my own
use：
An eccentric philosopher is as capable as the most commonplace
human being in existence of behaving like an honorable man。 Mr。
Dunboyne read the letter which bore the Minister's signature； and
handed it to his son。 〃Can you answer that？〃 was all he said。
Philip's silence confessed that he was unable to answer itand
Philip himself； I may add； rose accordingly in my estimation。 His
father pointed to the writing…desk。 〃I must spare my cramped
hand；〃 the philosopher resumed； 〃and I must answer Mr。
Gracedieu's letter。 Write； and leave a place for my signature。〃
He began to dictate his reply。 〃SirMy son Philip has seen your
letter； and has no defense to make。 In this respect he has set an
example of candor which I propose to follow。 There is no excuse
for him。 What I can do to show that I feel for you； and agree
with you； shall be done。 At the age which this young man has
reached； the laws of England abolish the authority of his father。
If he is sufficiently infatuated to place his honor and his
happiness at the mercy of a lady； who has behaved to her sister
as your daughter has behaved to Miss Eunice； I warn the married
couple not to expect a farthing of my money； either during my
lifetime or after my death。 Your faithful servant； DUNBOYNE；
SENIOR。〃 Having performed his duty as secretary； Philip received
his dismissal： 〃You may send my reply to the post；〃 his father
said； 〃and you may keep Mr。 Gracedieu's letter。 Morally speaking；
I regard that last document as a species of mirror； in which a
young gentleman like yourself may see how ugly he looks。〃 This；
Philip declared； was his father's form of farewell。
I handed back the letter to Helena。 Not a word passed between us。
In sinister silence she opened the door and left me alone in the
room。
That Mrs。 Gracedieu and I had met in the bygone time； andthis
was the only serious part of ithad met in secret； would now be
made known to the Minister。 Was I to blame for having shrunk from
distressing my good friend； by telling him that his wife had
privately consulted me on the means of removing his adopted child
from his house？ And； even if I had been cruel enough to do this；
would he have believed my statement against the positive denial
with which the woman whom he loved and trusted would have
certainly met it？ No！ let the consequences of the coming
disclosure be what they might； I failed to see any valid reason
for regretting my conduct in the past time。
I found Miss Jillgall waiting in the passage to see me come out。
Before I could tell her what had happened； there was a ring at
the house…bell。 The visitor proved to be Mr。 Wellwood； the
doctor。 I was anxious to speak to him on the subject of Mr。
Gracedieu's health。 Miss Jillgall introduced me； as an old and
dear friend of the Minister； and left us together in the
dining…room。
〃What do I think of Mr。 Gracedieu？〃 he said； repeating the first
question that I put。 〃Well； sir； I think badly of him。〃
Entering into details； after that ominous reply； Mr。 Wellwood did
not hesitate to say that his patient's nerves were completely
shattered。 Disease of the brain had； as he feared； been already
set up。 〃As to the causes which have produced this lamentable
break…down；〃 the doctor continued； 〃Mr。 Gracedieu has been in the
habit of preaching extempore twice a day on Sundays； and
sometimes in the week as welland has uniformly refused to spare
himself when he was in most urgent need of rest。 If you have ever
attended his chapel； you have seen a man in a state of fiery
enthusiasm； feeling intensely every word that he utters。 Think of
such exhaustion as that implies going on for years together； and
accumulating its wasting influences on a sensitively organized
constitution。 Add that he is tormented by personal anxieties；
which he confesses to no one； not even to his own children and
the sum of it all is that a worse case of its kind； I am grieved
to say； has never occurred in my experience。〃
Before the doctor left me to go to his patient； I asked leave to
occupy a minute more of his time。 My object was； of course； to
speak about Eunice。
The change of subject seemed to be agreeable to Mr。 Wellwood。 He
smiled good…humoredly。
〃You need feel no alarm about the health of that interesting
girl；〃 he said。 〃When she complained to meat her age！of not
being able to sleep； I should have taken it more seriously if I
had been told that she too had her troubles； poor little soul。
Love…troubles； most likelybut don't forget that my profes