500 Curiosities of Legal Experience. 



view of escaping her searching glance, and concealing the first im- 

 pression a perusal might create, I managed to hold the letters be- 

 tween us as if to get a better light. I suppose she detected the 

 manoeuvre, for after a few minutes she started up and drew aside my 

 screen. I was taken by surprise ; she read alarm and blank conster- 

 nation in my look, and, turning away with a bitter smile, she walked 

 straight to her children's bed, and buried her face in the pillow 

 between them. 



The letter was from an attorney. It announced with cold for- 

 mality, that he was instructed by Mr. S. to commence proceedings in 

 the ecclesiastical court for a divorce, upon trie grounds specified in 

 the statement enclosed ; and then followed a most extraordinary 

 narrative: " That Mr. S.'s first wife, a Mrs. Clayton, to whom he 

 had been married in Philadelphia, was in reality the widow of 

 Thomas Hickson. A copy of Mr. Hickson's certificate of marriage 

 was subjoined, from which it appeared that he was married about 

 eighteen years ago to Caroline Winston, eldest daughter of John 



Winston, Esq., of Hall, shire, that three years afterwards 



they had emigrated to America, and settled in Louisiana, that Mr. 

 Hickson's affairs had prospered greatly for some years, when he 

 died, and his widow, after losing her only child and suffering 

 greatly in her own health, finally disposed of the plantation, and 

 removed to the northern states. At New York, where she resided 

 some time, she had assumed the name of Clayton, probably with a 

 view to prevent any possible recognition by her English relatives ; 

 and it was under this name, on her subsequently settling at Philadel- 

 phia, that Mr. S. became acquainted with and married her. Mrs. 

 Sherborne was therefore sister to her husband's first wife, and the 

 marriage being within the prohibited degrees of affinity, was conse- 

 quently void." 



Jan. 3. I have had a harassing month of it. What with journeys, 

 and searches, and examinations of all sorts, mine has been any thing 

 but a merry Christmas. All to no purpose too ; every thing con- 

 firms the melancholy fact that Mrs. Clayton was really the sister 

 who went to America. 



Jan. 5. Saw Mr. S.'s attorney. Very civil indeed, happy to 

 show any letters or papers, unfortunate business, suggests an arrange- 

 ment, &c. The sharping rascal ! a partner, no doubt, in the con- 

 spiracy, and looks for a share in the plunder. " Those letters of 

 Mrs. Clayton's," he says, "only came to Mr. S.'s knowledge lately, 

 quite by accident. For the honour of human nature I hope this is 

 true. If S. knew of the relation when he married, God forgive him ! 



Jan. 12. Ever since this fatal disclosure poor Mrs. Sherborne is 

 quite a different being. Thin and pale, she looks the ghost of her 

 former self; her once easy manner is now either abrupt or absent, 

 and her gentleness of temper has given way to a nervous sensibility. 

 Even to her children she will sometimes speak so harshly, that the poor 

 things colour up to the eyes and do not know what to make of their 

 mamma ; then again she will sit for hours watching them at their 

 child's play in the drawing-room with the tears trembling on her 

 dark eye-lashes. Mrs. D. told me that yesterday our Fanny, happen- 



