y (with a retrospective view of the
well-known case of Gyges and Candaules), the monstrosity of the crime,
and the absurdity of the tribunal and the punishment, were all set forth
in the terrible leading article of the Day.

But when, on the next day, Serjeant Rowland was requested to call
witnesses to prove that connubial happiness which he had depicted so
pathetically, he had none at hand.

Oliver, Q.C., now had his innings. A man, a husband, and a father,
Mr. Oliver could not attempt to defend the conduct of his unfortunate
client; but if there could be any excuse for such conduct, that excuse
he was free to confess the plaintiff had afforded, whose cruelty and
neglect twenty witnesses in court were ready to prove--neglect so
outrageous, cruelty so systematic, that he wondered the plaintiff had
not been better advised than to bring this trial, with all its degrading
particulars, to a public issue. On the very day when the ill-omened
marriage took place, another victim of cruelty had interposed as
vainly--as vainly as Serjeant Rowland himself interposed in Court to
prevent this case being made known--and with piteous outcries, in the
name of outraged neglected woman, of castaway children pleading in vain
for bread, had besought the bride to pause, and the bridegroom to look
upon the wretched beings who owed him life. Why had not Lady Clara
Pulleyn's friends listened to that appeal? And so on, and so on, between
Rowland and Oliver the battle waged fiercely that day. Many witnesses
were mauled and slain. Out of that combat scarce anybody came well,
except the two principal champions, Rowland, Serjeant, and Oliver, Q.C.
The whole country looked on and heard the wretched story, not only of
Barnes's fault and Highgate's fault, but of the private peccadilloes of
their suborned footmen and conspiring housemaids. Mr. Justice C. Sawyer
charged the jury at great length--those men were respectable men and
fathers of families themselves--of course they dealt full measure to
Lord Highgate for his delinquencies; consoled the injured husband with
immense damages, and left him free to pursue the further steps for
releasing himself altogether from the tie which had been bound with
affecting episcopal benediction at St. George's, Hanover Square.

So Lady Clara flies from the custody of her tyrant, but to what a
rescue! The very man who loves her, and gives her asylum, pities and
deplores her. She scarce dares to look out of the windo