and keeping you out of your rights. I never
was glad to set eyes on Charley Dacre before,
but the minute I saw him, I thought what was
on the road, and that we should get the rights of
everything at last. There's hardly an ounce of
flesh on his bones nor yet a decent rag on his
back, and he says he hasn't as much as would
bury him!"

"South," exclaimed Cecil, breathlessly, rising
from her chair, " I do not care to hear that; I
want to hear about my brother's wife; he was
present at the marriage?"

"He was, miss, and at something else too;
only sit down, dear mistress, till I get out
what—May I be forgiven for it, I'm a proud
man to have heard! He was present at the
poor lady's funeral, and, what's more, he saw
the last of the child, which died before its
mother; and the mother never riz her head
after that, nor says Charley Dacre, went into
tantrums nor desperation, but settled into
melancholy madness, and the major put her into a
lunatic asylum, and paid for her handsomely,
though he would never see her after the birth
of the baby, which he disowned. And when she
died she was buried with her child. Oh, Miss
Cecil! sure it's not fainting you are?"

Cecil did not faint. She told South to get
her a glass of water, and not speak again for a
few minutes. When he left the room, her
trembling heart echoed her murmured
thanksgiving:

"Lord, I thank thee that my brother's
memory is purified from the great sin that was
pressing me into my grave!"

In less than two hours Charles Dacre was
beneath the harrow of Mr. Cathcart's
cross-examination, and the same evening the
clear-headed old lawyer journeyed only a few
miles out of London, to the asylum where the
poor lady died, and to the churchyard where
she had been buried in the same grave with her
child. It is one of the unexplained readings of
corrupt nature that the men who are most
zealous and indefatigable in the destruction of
female virtue are always the most violent against
the woman whom they suspect of infidelity to
themselves. Whatever cause produced Major
Middleton's hatred of the woman whom he loved
after his fashion well enough to marry, never
came to light.

Dacre, when questioned on the point, only
answered that Major Middleton was a very
particular gentleman—very particular—
especially when he began to get a little tired of a
lady. But Mrs. Middleton was a foreigner,
and as fond of liberty as the major himself, and
very " wild-like" from first to last. He never
knew who she was or where she came from.
Master seemed to think a great deal of her at
first, and at one time told him their next move
should be to Middleton Lea; but they soon
got to be very unhappy. She was the only
lady his master was ever afraid of. He used
to swear she was mad; and so she was (Dacre
thought) from the very first, off and on. Mr.
Cathcart repeated this to Cecil, who entreated
that no more questions should be asked. All that
was necessary to be known, was known. Her
brother had not deserted either wife or child, and
the past should be buried with them. It was as
dishonourable to pry into the secrets of the
dead as of the living. Dacre should have a sum
of money to enable him to go where he pleased,
and she—they—would take possession of
Middleton Lea after their marriage; that is,
when they returned from their wedding tour.

The worthy lawyer astonished South by rushing
into the dining-room, and shaking him by
the hand; " as cordially," said South, when he
repeated it in the pride of his heart, " as if I
was a gentleman!"

"South," said Mr. Cathcart, " I look upon
a faithful servant, as a family friend, and you
have been in the family twenty years. My
blood boils when I think of the wicked cruelty
that obliged her to see those letters."

"He could not help it, sir," said South,
"no more than a cat can help torturing before
it destroys. To think of them two being children
of the same parents, sir!"

"And to think now of her and her husband's
long-deferred happiness, South. Heaven bless
them both! Nevertheless, a word in your
ear, South." The lawyer's eyes twinkled as
he whispered it. " I hope I shall never have
in my office, as long as I live and stick to
business, another case of Woman's Justice,
South!"

       FAREWELL SERIES OF READINGS
                                  BY
                 MR. CHARLES DICKENS.

MESSRS. CHAPPELL AND Co. beg to announce
that, knowing it to be the determination of MR.
DICKENS finally to retire from Public Reading soon
after his return from America, they (as having been
honoured with his confidence on previous occasions)
made proposals to him while he was still in the
United States achieving his recent brilliant successes
there, for a final FAREWELL SERIES OF READINGS in
this country. Their proposals were at once accepted by
MR. DICKENS, in a manner highly gratifying to them.

The Series will commence in the ensuing autumn,
and will comprehend, besides London, some of the
chief towns in England, Ireland, and Scotland.
It is scarcely necessary for MESSRS. CHAPPELL AND
Co. to add that any announcement made in connexion
with these FAREWELL READINGS will be strictly
adhered to, and considered final; and that on no
consideration whatever will MR. DICKENS be induced to
appoint an extra night in any place in which he shall
have been once announced to read for the last time.

All communications to be addressed to MESSRES.
CHAPPELL AND Co., 50, New Bond-street, London, W.

    Just published, bound in cloth, price 5s. 6d.,
              THE NINETEENTH VOLUME.