is she?" asked Lizzie, thinking that she would like to see her
own predecessor.

"We have her safe, Lady Eustace. She's not in custody; but as
she can't speak a word of English or French, she finds it more
comfortable to be kept in private. We're afraid it will cost a little
money."

"Will she swear that she is his wife?" asked Mrs. Bonteen.

"Oh, yes; there'll be no difficulty about that. But her swearing
alone mightn't be enough."

"Surely that settles it all," said Lady Eustace.

"For the money that we shall have to pay," said Mr. Camperdown, "we
might probably have got a dozen Bohemian ladies to come and swear
that they were married to Yosef Mealyus at Cracow. The difficulty has
been to bring over documentary evidence which will satisfy a jury
that this is the woman she says she is. But I think we've got it."

"And I shall be free!" said Lady Eustace, clasping her hands
together.

"It will cost a good deal, I fear," said Mr. Camperdown.

"But I shall be free! Oh, Mr. Camperdown, there is not a woman in all
the world who cares so little for money as I do. But I shall be free
from the power of that horrid man who has entangled me in the meshes
of his sinful life." Mr. Camperdown told her that he thought that
she would be free, and went on to say that Yosef Mealyus had already
been arrested, and was again in prison. The unfortunate man had not
therefore long enjoyed that humbler apartment which he had found for
himself in Jellybag Street.

When Mr. Camperdown went, Mrs. Bonteen followed him out to the top of
the stairs. "You have heard about the trial, Mr. Camperdown?" He said
that he knew that it was to take place at the Central Criminal Court
in June. "Yes; I don't know why they have put it off so long. People
know that he did it--eh?" Mr. Camperdown, with funereal sadness,
declared that he had never looked into the matter. "I cannot
understand that everybody should not know it," said Mrs. Bonteen.

CHAPTER LX

Two Days Before the Trial

There was a scene in the private room of Mr. Wickerby, the attorney
in Hatton Garden, which was very distressing indeed to the feelings
of Lord Fawn, and which induced his lordship to think that he was
being treated without that respect which was due to him as a peer
and a member of the Government. There were present at this scene Mr.
Chaffanbrass, the old barrister, Mr. Wickerby himself, Mr. Wickerby's
confidential clerk, Lord Fawn, Lord Fawn's solicitor,--t