inations of the former
Mrs. Mealyus, if such really had been the fortune of the unfortunate
Mr. Pratt. For he had been quite as busy at Prague as his successor
in the work. He had found out much, though not everything. It
certainly had been believed that Yosef Mealyus was a married man,
but he had brought the woman with him to Prague, and had certainly
not married her in the city. She was believed to have come from
Cracow, and Mr. Bonteen's zeal on behalf of his friend had not been
sufficient to carry him so far East. But he had learned from various
sources that the man and woman had been supposed to be married,--that
she had borne the man's name, and that he had taken upon himself
authority as her husband. There had been written communications with
Cracow, and information was received that a man of the name of Yosef
Mealyus had been married to a Jewess in that town. But this had
been twenty years ago, and Mr. Emilius professed himself to be only
thirty-five years old, and had in his possession a document from his
synagogue professing to give a record of his birth, proving such to
be his age. It was also ascertained that Mealyus was a name common
at Cracow, and that there were very many of the family in Galicia.
Altogether the case was full of difficulty, but it was thought that
Mr. Bonteen's evidence would be sufficient to save the property from
the hands of the cormorant, at any rate till such time as better
evidence of the first marriage could be obtained. It had been hoped
that when the man went away he would not return; but he had returned,
and it was now resolved that no terms should be kept with him and no
payment offered to him. The house at Portray was kept barred, and the
servants were ordered not to admit him. No money was to be paid to
him, and he was to be left to take any proceedings at law which he
might please,--while his adversaries were proceeding against him with
all the weapons at their disposal. In the meantime his chapel was of
course deserted, and the unfortunate man was left penniless in the
world.

Various opinions prevailed as to Mr. Bonteen's conduct in the matter.
Some people remembered that during the last autumn he and his wife
had stayed three months at Portray Castle, and declared that the
friendship between them and Lady Eustace had been very useful. Of
these malicious people it seemed to be, moreover, the opinion that
the connection might become even more useful if Mr. Emilius could be