ears were ever flowing, but that her heart had never
yet for a moment ceased to feel that its misery was incapable of
alleviation. No utterances concerning her husband could make her more
wretched than she was. She took the letter and read it through. "I
daresay he is a bad man," said Mrs. Bonteen.

"Indeed he is," said the bad man's wife.

"But he was not guilty of this crime."

"Oh, no;--I am sure of that," said Lady Eustace, feeling certain at
the same time that Mr. Bonteen had fallen by her husband's hands.

"And therefore I am glad they have given him up. There can be no
doubt now about it."

"Everybody knows who did it now," said Lady Eustace.

"Infamous ruffian! My poor dear lost one always knew what he was. Oh
that such a creature should have been allowed to come among us."

"Of course he'll be hung, Mrs. Bonteen."

"Hung! I should think so! What other end would be fit for him? Oh,
yes; they must hang him. But it makes one think that the world is too
hard a place to live in, when such a one as he can cause so great a
ruin."

"It has been very terrible."

"Think what the country has lost! They tell me that the Duke of
Omnium is to take my husband's place; but the Duke cannot do what
he did. Every one knows that for real work there was no one like
him. Nothing was more certain than that he would have been Prime
Minister,--oh, very soon. They ought to pinch him to death with
red-hot tweezers."

But Lady Eustace was anxious at the present moment to talk about her
own troubles. "Of course, Mr. Emilius did not commit the murder."

"Phineas Finn committed it," said the half-maddened woman, rising
from her chair. "And Phineas Finn shall hang by his neck till he is
dead."

"But Emilius has certainly got another wife in Prague."

"I suppose you know. He said it was so, and he was always right."

"I am sure of it,--just as you are sure of this horrid Mr. Finn."

"The two things can't be named together, Lady Eustace."

"Certainly not. I wouldn't think of being so unfeeling. But he has
written me this letter, and what must I do? It is very dreadful about
the money, you know."

"He cannot touch your money. My dear one always said that he could
not touch it."

"But he prevents me from touching it. What they give me only comes
by a sort of favour from the lawyer. I almost wish that I had
compromised."

"You would not be rid of him that way."

"No;--not quite rid of him. You see I never had to take th