rrible tidings were
brought home. Mr. Bonteen was so often late at the House or at his
club that his wife rarely sat up for him; and when the servants were
disturbed between six and seven o'clock in the morning, no surprise
had as yet been felt at his absence. The sergeant of police who had
brought the news sent for the maid of the unfortunate lady, and the
maid, in her panic, told her story to Lady Eustace before daring to
communicate it to her mistress. Lizzie Eustace, who in former days
had known something of policemen, saw the man, and learned from him
all that there was to learn. Then, while the sergeant remained on the
landing place, outside, to support her, if necessary, with the maid
by her side to help her, kneeling by the bed, she told the wretched
woman what had happened. We need not witness the paroxysms of the
widow's misery, but we may understand that Lizzie Eustace was from
that moment more strongly fixed than ever in her friendship with Mrs.
Bonteen.

When the first three or four days of agony and despair had passed
by, and the mind of the bereaved woman was able to turn itself from
the loss to the cause of the loss, Mrs. Bonteen became fixed in her
certainty that Phineas Finn had murdered her husband, and seemed
to think that it was the first and paramount duty of the present
Government to have the murderer hung,--almost without a trial.
When she found that, at the best, the execution of the man she so
vehemently hated could not take place for two months after the doing
of the deed, even if then, she became almost frantic in her anger.
Surely they would not let him escape! What more proof could be
needed? Had not the miscreant quarrelled with her husband, and
behaved abominably to him but a few minutes before the murder? Had he
not been on the spot with the murderous instrument in his pocket? Had
he not been seen by Lord Fawn hastening on the steps of her dear and
doomed husband? Mrs. Bonteen, as she sat enveloped in her new weeds,
thirsting for blood, could not understand that further evidence
should be needed, or that a rational doubt should remain in the mind
of any one who knew the circumstances. It was to her as though she
had seen the dastard blow struck, and with such conviction as this on
her mind did she insist on talking of the coming trial to her inmate,
Lady Eustace. But Lizzie had her own opinion, though she was forced
to leave it unexpressed in the presence of Mrs. Bonteen. She knew the