onfidence which is the surest guarantee of lasting
happiness between man and wife--but to have raised such obstacles to the
fulfilment of the original contract as reasonably warrant the accusation
of _mala fides?_"

Well, the jury held that he could; for without troubling to leave the
box they gave their verdict for the plaintiff, and assessed the damages
at one hundred pounds.

Towards the close of the case we all felt ashamed of Pretyman.
His defence had been weak; it struck us as almost derisory; and Mr.
Hansombody agreed with me in a whisper that under similar circumstances
he or I could have made a better fight for it. The fellow had shown no
sport. We blushed for our town.

But Troy has a knack of winning its races on the post. Judgment, as the
phrase goes, was on the point of being entered accordingly, when the
defendant looked up towards the Bench with a sudden, happy smile.

"Here, wait a minute!" he said. "I have a question to put to his
lordship."

"Eh?" said the Judge. "Certainly. What is it?"

"I want to know, my lord, if I can claim the benefit of the First
Offenders Act?"

The train on the return journey was worse crowded than ever; but nobody
minded. For we had managed to give plaintiff and defendant a
compartment to themselves.

THE BRIDALS OF YSSELMONDE.

When the Grand Duke Ferdinand of Carinthia travelled in state to wed the
Princess Sophia of Ysselmonde, he did so by land, and for two reasons;
the first being that this was the shortest way, and the second that he
possessed no ships. These, at any rate, were the reasons alleged by his
Chancellor, to whom he left all arrangements. For himself, he took very
little interest in the marriage beyond inquiring the age of his bride.
"Six years," was the answer, and this seemed to him very young, for he
had already passed his tenth birthday.

The Pope, however, had contrived and blessed the match; so Ferdinand
raised no serious objection, but in due course came to Ysselmonde with
his bodyguard of the famous Green Carinthian Archers, and two hundred
halberdiers and twelve waggons--four to carry his wardrobe, and the
remaining eight piled with wedding presents. On the way, while
Ferdinand looked for birds' nests, the Chancellor sang the praises of
the Princess Sophia, who (he declared) was more beautiful than the day.
"But you have never seen her," objected Ferdinand. "No, your Highness,
and that is why I contented myself with a