her husband, and her unlucky disregard of
appearances in keeping up her intercourse with Mr. Meeke, all tell dead
against us--and the justice has no alternative, in a legal point of
view, but to remand you both, as he has now done, for the production of
further evidence."

"But how, then, in Heaven's name, is our innocence to be proved, sir?" I
asked.

"In the first place," said the lawyer, "by finding Mr. James Smith;
and, in the second place, by persuading him, when he is found, to come
forward and declare himself."

"Do you really believe, sir," said I, "that he would hesitate to do
that, when he knows the horrible charge to which his disappearance has
exposed his wife? He is a heartless villain, I know; but surely--"

"I don't suppose," said the lawyer, cutting me short, "that he is quite
scoundrel enough to decline coming forward, supposing he ran no risk by
doing so. But remember that he has placed himself in a position to be
tried for bigamy, and that he believes your mistress will put the law in
force against him."

I had forgotten that circumstance. My heart sank within me when it was
recalled to my memory, and I could say nothing more.

"It is a very serious thing," the lawyer went on--"it is a downright
offense against the law of the land to make any private offer of a
compromise to this man. Knowing what we know, our duty as good citizens
is to give such information as may bring him to trial. I tell you
plainly that, if I did not stand toward your mistress in the position
of a relation as well as a legal adviser, I should think twice about
running the risk--the very serious risk--on which I am now about to
venture for her sake. As it is, I have taken the right measures to
assure Mr. James Smith that he will not be treated according to his
deserts. When he knows what the circumstances are, he will trust
us--supposing always that we can find him. The search about this
neighborhood has been quite useless. I have sent private instructions
by to-day's post to Mr. Dark in London, and with them a carefully-worded
form of advertisement for the public newspapers. You may rest assured
that every human means of tracing him will be tried forthwith. In the
meantime, I have an important question to put to you about Josephine.
She may know more than we think she does; she may have surprised the
secret of the second marriage, and may be keeping it in reserve to use
against us. If this should turn out to be the case,