Curiosities of Legal Experience. 499 



the courts for relief. From all the previous circumstances, and also 

 from the notoriously bad character of S., who had latterly become 

 more degraded than ever, considerable hopes of success were en- 

 tertained. 



For the purposes of this suit, as well as to obtain more efficient 

 protection from any forcible attempt that might be made, Mrs. 

 Sherborne came up to town, and accepted an invitation to make my 

 house her home. She soon found herself at ease in our little circle, 

 and her two children were the admiration of the whole family. Mrs. 

 D. was loud in praise of Ernest, a fine rosy-faced, jolly little man, 

 all life and animation ; while I was as loud, or nearly so, in behalf of 

 Ella, whose childish beauty I still think the most perfect I ever saw. 

 To see her listening with eager wonder to a fairy tale, or, with a 

 look of simple seriousness, asking some strange question about the 

 ** better world," how it put to shame those libellers of heaven 

 who make dumpling faces to represent the celestial cherubim, while 

 this gross earth has beings of a beauty so far beyond. 



Nov. 16. Every thing goes on well. We shall come on for hear- 

 ing in about three months, and counsel are sanguine of success. 

 Let us only get a decree that Mrs. S. is to be sole guardian of the 

 children, and we can make our own terms with the scoundrel. 



Dec. 5. Went to Reading on business with town-clerk. 



Dec. 8. Letter from Mrs. D. Eh ? what, " return instantly 

 Mrs. S. gone mad, or something dreadful happened." Good gra- 

 cious ! what does this mean ? Mrs. D. must be mad herself; " The 

 children," S. has carried them off no doubt; eh, eh : no " the child- 

 ren are quite well, but pray come home INSTANTLY," with three 

 dashes. O ! I must go of course. The mail passes at two in the 

 morning ; if there is room for one, I can be home by eight o'clock 

 to-morrow. " Come home instantly." What can it be ? 



Dec. 9. A bitter cold night: I had to wait for a coach, and did not 

 drive up to the door until past nine. Mrs. D. had some hot coffee 

 ready, and while I took off my great-coat and comfortable, sipped 

 my coffee, arid got a warming by the fire, she began a history of 

 what had happened. Mrs. D. is not a Tacitus in style, and before 

 I had got much notion of the matter, peal went the bell, ring, ring, 

 ring Mrs. Sherborne wishes to see Mr. D. immediately. Confound 

 the hot coffee, I have burned my throat in trying to swallow it down. 

 What is the use of hurrying this way ? Really women think there 

 is nothing to do, but to follow their vagaries. * * * 



If I entered Mrs. Sherborne's room in bad humour, her appear- 

 ance put an end to all selfish considerations. Her eyes were dry and 

 blood-shot, and her look painfully eager, like that of a sick man 

 trying to read his fate in the physician's features. She shut the 

 door when I had entered, bolted it, and, without saying a word, put 

 a letter into my hand. A glance round the room showed me both 

 children in bed; there seemed nothing to account for this extreme 

 agitation, and it was not without some misgivings that I sat down to 

 read. She took a seat opposite, snuffed the candle, pushed it towards 

 me, watched me take out my spectacles with evident impatience, 

 and showed every symptom of ungovernable restlessness. With a 



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