opriggs together. Next, Mrs. Inchbare and Mr. Bishopriggs
separately."

"Well?"

"Well, Sir, the result is unfavorable, I am sorry to say."

"What do you mean?"

"Neither the one nor the other of them, Mr. Delamayn, can give the
evidence we want. I have made sure of that."

"Made sure of that? You have made an infernal mess of it! You don't
understand the case!"

The mulatto lawyer smiled. The rudeness of his client appeared only to
amuse him.

"Don't I?" he said. "Suppose you tell me where I am wrong about it? Here
it is in outline only. On the fourteenth of August last your wife was
at an inn in Scotland. A gentleman named Arnold Brinkworth joined her
there. He represented himself to be her husband, and he staid with her
till the next morning. Starting from those facts, the object you have
in view is to sue for a Divorce from your wife. You make Mr. Arnold
Brinkworth the co-respondent. And you produce in evidence the waiter and
the landlady of the inn. Any thing wrong, Sir, so far?"

Nothing wrong. At one cowardly stroke to cast Anne disgraced on the
world, and to set himself free--there, plainly and truly stated, was
the scheme which he had devised, when he had turned back on the way to
Fulham to consult Mr. Moy.

"So much for the case," resumed the lawyer. "Now for what I have done on
receiving your instructions. I have examined the witnesses; and I have
had an interview (not a very pleasant one) with Mr. Moy. The result of
those two proceedings is briefly this. First discovery: In assuming the
character of the lady's husband Mr. Brinkworth was acting under your
directions--which tells dead against _you._ Second discovery: Not the
slightest impropriety of conduct, not an approach even to harmless
familiarity, was detected by either of the witnesses, while the lady and
gentleman were together at the inn. There is literally no evidence to
produce against them, except that they _were_ together--in two rooms.
How are you to assume a guilty purpose, when you can't prove an approach
to a guilty act? You can no more take such a case as that into Court
than you can jump over the roof of this cottage."

He looked hard at his client, expecting to receive a violent reply. His
client agreeably disappointed him. A very strange impression appeared
to have been produced on this reckless and headstrong man. He got up
quietly; he spoke with perfect outward composure of face and manner when
he said his next words.

"Ha