fiendish designs and after a long
trial he was sentenced to be hanged at Stafford gaol.

Palmer boasted of his racing transactions with the aristocracy, and if
Lord George was one of his victims seven years before 1856, the
miscreant had had plenty of time to harden his conscience in working his
foul plots against others whom it was his sordid interest to destroy.

Another wild theory was that there had been a quarrel between the
Marquis of Titchfield and Lord George.

One reason for the dispute was alleged to be that Lord George had been a
heavy loser instead of a gainer by his gigantic gambling operations,
that he was in want of money, either from his brother the Marquis, or
his father, the Duke.

To allege that he was in debt is not consistent with the belief that he
had won large sums by backing horses of which he was so keen a judge.

Again it was surmised that the reason for the quarrel--if there was
one--was Miss A.M. Berkeley, with whom they were reputed to be both
enamoured.

The origin of this lady gives a glimpse of another romance. Her mother
was an exceedingly beautiful lady, the daughter of a tradesman, and she
became the wife of the Earl of Berkeley.

Fanny Kemble writes of the Countess in terms of admiration; but alludes
to the marriage with the addition of the phrase ("by courtesy") and how,
on being presented at Court she was frowned at by Queen Charlotte,
though George III. did not share the unfavourable sentiments entertained
by his wife.

The marriage with the Earl was the subject of a _cause celebre_ before
the House of Lords, with the result that the ceremony was held to be
illegal, which thus affected the position of Miss A.M. Berkeley.

Mrs. Margaret Jane Louise Hamilton, a widow lady, the daughter of Mr.
Robert Lennox Stuart, made a startling statement which was widely
reported in the newspapers at the time that the Druce case assumed a
new aspect in 1903. She said that she had been told the details of the
death of Lord George Bentinck by her father, who was an eye-witness of
the quarrel--if quarrel there was.

Her father was a playmate of the Duke's when they were boys, and she
herself was a god-daughter of the fourth Duke.

Not only was Mr. Stuart an eye-witness, but she said Mr. Sergeant,
another gentleman, was too.

Lord George was violent in manner towards the Marquis (whom Mrs.
Hamilton identified as Mr. Druce) using threatening language towards him
and striking him repeat