ring
the trial. Crinkett made a great effort to be admitted as an additional
witness against his comrade, but, having failed in that, pleaded guilty
at last. He felt that there was no hope for him with such a weight of
evidence against him, and calculated that his punishment might thus be
lighter, and that he would save himself the cost of an expensive
defence. In the former hope he was deceived as the two were condemned to
the same term of imprisonment. When the woman heard that she was to be
confined for three years with hard labour her spirit was almost broken.
But she made no outward sign; and as she was led away out of the dock
she looked round for Caldigate, to wither him with the last glance of
her reproach. But Caldigate, who had not beheld her misery without some
pang at his heart, had already left the court.

Judge Bramber never opened his mouth upon the matter to a single human
being. He was a man who, in the bosom of his family, did not say much
about the daily work of his life, and who had but few friends
sufficiently intimate to be trusted with his judicial feelings. The
Secretary of State was enabled to triumph in the correctness of his
decision, but it may be a question whether Judge Bramber enjoyed the
triumph. The matter had gone luckily for the Secretary; but how would it
have been had Crinkett and the woman been acquitted?--how would it have
been had Caldigate broken down in his evidence, and been forced to admit
that there had been a marriage of some kind? No doubt the accusation had
been false. No doubt the verdict had been erroneous. But the man had
brought it upon himself by his own egregious folly, and would have had
no just cause for complaint had he been kept in prison till the second
case had been tried. It was thus that Judge Bramber regarded the
matter;--but he said not a word about it to any one.

When the second trial was over, Caldigate and his wife started for
Paris, but stayed a few days on their way with William Bolton in London.
He and his wife were quite ready to receive Hester and her husband with
open arms. 'I tell you fairly,' said he to Caldigate, 'that when there
was a doubt, I thought it better that you and Hester should be apart.
You would have thought the same had she been your sister. Now I am only
too happy to congratulate both of you that the truth has been brought to
light.'

On their return Mrs. Robert Bolton was very friendly,--and Robert Bolton
himself was at last