Page:The achievements of Luther Trant - Balmer and MacHarg - 1910.djvu/129

Rh the direction of the car line, so to Miss Hendricks 'it was evident that she had just descended from a car.' The woman was hurrying, so 'she was late for an appointment.' 'As soon as she caught sight of the woman' Mrs. Eldredge lifted Edward to the ground. And so on through a dozen things which showed the highest susceptibility to suggestion. You told me that before telling her story to you she had told it to Mrs. Murray. Miss Hendricks had rushed to her at once: the bias and suggestions which made her testimony apparently so damning against your wife could only have come from Mrs. Murray."

Eldredge's glance shot to his mother-in-law. But Trant ran on rapidly. "I took up your wife's evidence; and though apparently entirely at variance with the others, I saw at once that it really corroborated the testimony of the nurse and the chauffeur."

"Her evidence confirmed?" Eldredge demanded, brusquely.

"Yes," Trant replied; "to the psychologist, who understood Mrs. Eldredge's mental condition, her evidence was the same as theirs. I had already seen for myself, by the aid of what you had told me, Mrs. Eldredge's position in this household, after leaving your office to become your wife. On entering your house, she was brought face to face with a woman already in control here—a strong and dominant woman, who had immense influence over you. Everything told of a struggle between these women—slights, obstructions, merciless criticisms, of which your wife could not complain, which had brought her close to nervous prostration. You remember that