and Another" was to be set at rest for ever by
the marriage of "Lovel" with "Another," and by the acceptance by
"Lovel" of "Murray" as his mother-in-law. But the quidnuncs would
not accept this solution. No doubt Lord Lovel might marry the second
party in the defence, and it was admitted on all hands that he
probably would do so;--but that would not stop the case. If there
were an Italian widow living, that widow was the heir to the
property. Another Lovel would take the place of Lord Lovel,--and the
cause of Lovel v. Murray must still be continued. The first marriage
could not be annulled, simply by the fact that it would suit the
young Earl that it should be annulled. Then, while this dispute was
in progress, it was told at all the clubs that there was to be no
marriage,--that the girl had got herself engaged to a tailor, and
that the tailor's mastery over her was so strong that she did not
dare to shake him off. Dreadful things were told about the tailor and
poor Lady Anna. There had been a secret marriage; there was going to
be a child;--the latter fact was known as a certain fact to a great
many men at the clubs;--the tailor had made everything safe in twenty
different ways. He was powerful over the girl equally by love, by
fear, and by written bond. The Countess had repelled her daughter
from her house by turning her out into the street by night, and had
threatened both murder and suicide. Half the fortune had been offered
to the tailor, in vain. The romance of the story had increased
greatly during the last few days preceding the trial,--but it was
admitted by all that the trial as a trial would be nothing. There
would probably be simply an adjournment.

It would be hard to say how the story of the tailor leaked out, and
became at last public and notorious. It had been agreed among all the
lawyers that it should be kept secret,--but it may perhaps have been
from some one attached to them that it was first told abroad. No
doubt all Norton and Flick knew it, and all Goffe and Goffe. Mr.
Mainsail and his clerk, Mr. Hardy and his clerk, Serjeant Bluestone
and his clerk, all knew it; but they had all promised secrecy. The
clerk of the Solicitor-General was of course beyond suspicion. The
two Miss Bluestones had known the story, but they had solemnly
undertaken to be silent as the grave. Mrs. Bluestone was a lady with
most intimately confidential friends,--but she was sworn to secrecy.
It might have come from Sarah,