s house, and you also know, I have no doubt, that no
direct news of him has reached your mistress up to this time?"

I bowed to him and said I knew of the circumstances so far.

"Do you remember," he went on, "taking a letter to your mistress five
days ago?"

"Yes, sir," I replied; "a letter which seemed to distress and alarm her
very seriously."

"I will read you that letter before we say any more," continued the
lawyer. "I warn you beforehand that it contains a terrible charge
against your master, which, however, is not attested by the writer's
signature. I have already told your mistress that she must not attach
too much importance to an anonymous letter; and I now tell you the same
thing."

Saying that, he took up a letter from the table and read it aloud. I had
a copy of it given to me afterward, which I looked at often enough to
fix the contents of the letter in my memory. I can now repeat them, I
think, word for word.

"MADAM--I cannot reconcile it to my conscience to leave you in total
ignorance of your husband 's atrocious conduct toward you. If you have
ever been disposed to regret his absence do so no longer. Hope and pray,
rather, that you and he may never meet face to face again in this world.
I write in great haste and in great fear of being observed. Time fails
me to prepare you as you ought to be prepared for what I have now to
disclose. I must tell you plainly, with much respect for you and sorrow
for your misfortune, that your husband _has married another wife_. I saw
the ceremony performed, unknown to him. If I could not have spoken of
this infamous act as an eye-witness, I would not have spoken of it at
all.

"I dare not acknowledge who I am, for I believe Mr. James Smith
would stick at no crime to revenge himself on me if he ever came to a
knowledge of the step I am now taking, and of the means by which I got
my information; neither have I time to enter into particulars. I simply
warn you of what has happened, and leave you to act on that warning as
you please. You may disbelieve this letter, because it is not signed by
any name. In that case, if Mr. James Smith should ever venture into your
presence, I recommend you to ask him suddenly what he has done with his
_new wife,_ and to see if his countenance does not immediately testify
that the truth has been spoken by

"YOUR UNKNOWN FRIEND."

Poor as my opinion was of my master, I had never believed him to be
capable of such villainy as t