The fourth in the dreadful list comprised the deceptions, wrongs and
persecutions practised upon Madame Eugene Le Noir, and the final false
imprisonment of that lady under the charge of insanity, in the private
madhouse kept by Doctor Pierre St. Jean, in East Feliciana.
In conclusion, he spoke of the wrongs done to Clara Day, whose pardon,
with that of others, he begged. And he prayed that in consideration of
his son, as little publicity as was possible might be given to these
crimes.
During the reading of this confession, the eyes of Traverse Rocke were
fixed in wonder and half incredulity upon the face of Herbert, and at
its conclusion he said: "What a mass of crime! But that we may not dare to question the mercy
of the Lord, I should ask if these were sins that he would ever pardon!
Herbert, it appalls me to think of it!"
Then, after deep thought, he added: "This, then, was the secret of my dear mother's long unhappiness. She
was Major Warfield's forsaken wife. Herbert, I feel as though I never,
never could forgive my father!"
"Traverse, if Major Warfield had wilfully and wantonly forsaken your
mother, I should say that your resentment was natural and right. Who
should be an honorable woman's champion if not her own son? But Major
Warfield, as well as his wife, was more sinned against than sinning.
Your parents were both victims of a cruel conspiracy, and he suffered
as much in his way as she did in hers," said Herbert.
"I always thought, somehow, that my dear mother was a forsaken wife.
She never told me so, but there was something about her circumstances
and manners, her retired life, her condition, so much below her
deserts, her never speaking of her husband's death, which would have
been natural for her to do, had she been a widow--all, somehow, went to
give me the impression that my father had abandoned us. Lately I had
suspected Major Warfield had something to do with the sad affair,
though I never once suspected him to be my father. So much for natural
instincts," said Traverse, with a melancholy smile.
"Traverse," said Herbert, with the design of drawing him off from sad
remembrances of his mother's early trials. "Traverse, this confession,
signed and witnessed as it is, will wonderfully simplify your course of
action in regard to the deliverance of Madame Le Noir."
"Yes; so it will," said Traverse, with animation. "There will be no
need now of applying to law, especially if you will come down with me
to East Feliciana and bring the confession with you."