with a horror which at any rate was not
affected. The Serjeant, almost with tears in his eyes, implored her
to put an end to the lawsuit. Even the Solicitor-General sent her
tender messages,--expressing his great hope that she might enable
them to have this matter adjusted early in November. All the details
of the case as it now stood had been explained to her over and over
again. If, when the day fixed for the trial should come round, it
could be said that she and the young Earl were engaged to each
other, the Earl would altogether abandon his claim,--and no further
statement would be made. The fact of the marriage in Cumberland would
then be proved,--the circumstances of the trial for bigamy would be
given in evidence,--and all the persons concerned would be together
anxious that the demands of the two ladies should be admitted in
full. It was the opinion of the united lawyers that were this done,
the rank of the Countess would be allowed, and that the property left
behind him by the old lord would be at once given up to those who
would inherit it under the order of things as thus established. The
Countess would receive that to which she would be entitled as widow,
the daughter would be the heir-at-law to the bulk of the personal
property, and the Earl would merely claim any real estate, if,--as
was very doubtful,--any real estate had been left in question. In
this case the disposition of the property would be just what they
would all desire, and the question of rank would be settled for
ever. But if the young lady should not have then agreed to this very
pleasant compromise, the Earl indeed would make no further endeavours
to invalidate the Cumberland marriage, and would retire from the
suit. But it would then be stated that there was a claimant in
Sicily,--or at least evidence in Italy, which if sifted might
possibly bar the claim of the Countess. The Solicitor-General did
not hesitate to say that he believed the living woman to be a weak
impostor, who had been first used by the Earl and had then put
forward a falsehood to get an income out of the property; but he was
by no means convinced that the other foreign woman, whom the Earl had
undoubtedly made his first wife, might not have been alive when the
second marriage was contracted. If it were so, the Countess would
be no Countess, Anna Lovel would simply be Anna Murray, penniless,
baseborn, and a fit wife for the tailor, should the tailor think fit
to take her. "