The Sun.
London, England, 1853-06-13 00:00:00

LITERATU.RFL

Bleak House. No. XVI. By Charles Dickens.
The interest of the story is attaining its highest
pitch,. now that " Bleak House" is rapidly approach-
ing its completion. Suspicions gradually close round
Lady Dedlock as the presumed murdere,s of the
old man of the name of Tulkinghorn. Yet, in spite
of all these suspicions, we continue to cherish a con-
viction that Mademoiselle Hortense, the discarded
waiting-maid, is the actual criminal—and rather
shrewdly calculate that the incident of her walking
through wet grass once upon a time in Chesney
Wold—in her stockings—had something or other
to de with a vow of vengeance. We have not for-
gotten how the assassinated lawyer excited the
fury of the same woman of violent passions one
evening outside the door of his chambers in Lin-
coln's-inn-fields. Neither have we lost a recollection
of Hortense having previously figured, in the same
chambers in the apparel of her former mistress, to
poor Jo's bewilderment. Mr. Bucket is altogether
too shrewd a Detective to be deceived simply by
appearances. Besides which he receives those letters
containing the two words " Lady Dedlock"
letters evidently written by Hortense to rouse his
suspicion against the object and intended victim of
his insatiable thirst of revenge. And, further, we
have not failed to remark the significance of that sen-
tence occurring at page 596, in the present number,
where the author observes of Mr. Bucket that "he.
often sees damaging letters ,produced in evidence,
and has occasion to reflect that it was a green thing
to write them." Besides Mrs. Bucket (described
just before as having " a natural detective genius,"
like her lord and master) is said to be "de-
pendent"—during all the stir of her husband's
researches—" on her lodger (fortunately an ami-
able lady in whom she takes an interest) for
companionship and conversation." During the
excitement, moreover, of the funeral, while the
mourning coaches are standing in Lincoln's-inn-
fields waiting for the corpse of the deceased to be
brought out for conveyance to the place of its in-'
ferment, Mr. Bucket (hidden in one of the closed
carriages, observant of all that is going on outside)
watches his spouse there standing among the spec-
tators by the door-step of the departed lawyer's
residence, and watches her with this soli-
loquy—" There you are my partner, eh ? And
so you are. And so you are ! And very well, in-
deed, you are looking Mrs. Bucket ! There you
are my partner, eh ? And our lodger with you.
I'm taking notice of you, Mrs. Bucket," [and he
might have said of " our lodger" also !] I hope
you are all right in your health, my dear !" Now,
this lodger is surely no other than—Hortense.
The writer of the letters to Mr. Bucket con-
taining the two words "Lady Dedlock." The
murderess of Tulkinghorn. And remember,
in addition to all this, Mr. Bucket is the pink
and pattern of Detectives. So much for our
guesses as to the plot and its denouement.
Throughout the sixteenth number of " Bleak
House," there are touches of humour that could
come from no other hand than that of Charles
Dickens. Who else
,could have thought of de-
scr:bing that " tiny, old-faced mite" of a baby
of the Tt'rveydrops as having "a countenance that
seemed to be scarcely anythingbut cap-border," and
as being so small, and weak, and quiet, and patient,
that " the sole desire of its life seemed to be to He
quiet and think !" Who else would have depicted so
well the discovered marriage of Rick and Ada—
the cool obstinacy of poor George, in regard to de-
fending himself only by the truth, and not by
lawyers—',)est of all, every light and shade (even
the most delicate) in the character of " the old girl"
—the incomparable old girl—the " Colour-Sergeant
of the Nonpareil Battalion ?" Certainly none other
than Boz could ever have dreamt of saying that
" through the placid stream of his (Mr. Bucket's)
lifel there glides an under-current of fore finger I"
And most certainly Boz alone could have penned,
in regard to Mr. Tulkinghorn's funeral, such sen-
tences as these—" The peerage contributes more
four-wheeled affliction than has ever been seen in
that neighbourhood. . . . Such is the
assemblage of armorial bearings on coach pannels,
that the Herald's College might be supposed to have
lost its father and mother at a blow. . . . The
Duke of Poodle sends a splendid pile of dust and
ashes, with silver wheel-boxes, patent axles, and all
the last improvements, and three bereaved worms
six feet high, holding on behind, in a bunch of woe."
Then, again, the notion of Mr. Bucket sitting con-
cealed in one of the inconsolable carriages, " quiet
among the undertakers and the equipages, and the
calves of so many lags all steeped in grief !" But,
above all, commend us to the dialogue between
the Detecive and Mercury, with which the number
is brought to its termination.

The Young Heiress. By Mrs. Trollope. 3 vols.
Hurst and Blackett.
__ _

This work will be read with interest ; it attracts
attention from the vigour of its descriptions, the
power of its style, and V. 3 originality of its cha-
racter. Yet, 01 the otl it hand, there is a mixes'
feeling produced by its perusal ; for while it un-
doubtedly lays claim to regard from its merit, it
certainly is marked by several peculiarities not of
the most pleasinc; kind. For instance, there is
something painLi to the feelings in the circum-
stances attending the scenes at the Warren House
which requires all the skill of the authoress to
render tolerable. If departures are desirable from
the established title in fiction, they should not be
of the nature here resorted to. The position of
Sarah Lambert is irreconcileablo with taste and
sentiment, yet it is impossible to avoid being
deeply affected with the good qualities displayed in
scenes of trial, in which few more favoured women
would have shone. Notwithstanding this draw-
back in the narrative in point of tone, there is
much to win approval in other respects. Helen
Beauchamp is admirably depicted : she is a
natural character ; her faults and fancies are seen.
Her idea of her own position, and the influence it
gives her, is very ably described. In this there is
much to admire ; for generally heiresses are held
up as paragons, only thinking of others, and ready
to resign all pretensions to their rights for the
benefit of any of their friends. Yet this heroine
was not selfish—far from it. Her love for her un-
foitunate brother was a proof of her innate good•
ness of heart ; and her refusal of Harrington
showed her high sense of honour—unwilling to use
her influence to induce another to sin against con-
viction. The greatest interest is felt towards the
conclusion, and it is well sustained by the skilful
denouement. On the whole, none can deny the
existence of superior talent in the composition of
this work, if they do not altogether, perhaps, like
the sphere it chooses for its display ; and this ad-
vantage will obtain for it many admirers.

EXTRAORDINARY SUICIDE IN VICTORIA PARK THIS
DAY.—This morning, at an early hour, considerable ex-
citement prevailed among the quiet inhabitants of South
Hackney and Bethnall-green, in consequence of the body
of a gentleman being discovered suspended to one of the
upper branches of a lofty tree in the enclosure of Vic-
toria-park near the eastern lodge gate. It appears that,
shortly after six o'clock, when Michael Bryan, a park-
keeper, was proceeding along the gravel walk towards
the principal entrance of the park, he had his attention
attracted to something on one of the trees, and upon
making a closer inspection of the tree, he was much
alarmed at finding a male person hanging to one of the
branches directly ever his head. The officer could not
reach the body, but ran for the assistance of another
constable, and gave an immediate alarm. A lad-
der was procured, and with considerable difficult/
the deceased was cut down, but the body was
warm. Mr. Alfred Bether, the surgeon of South
Hackney, was soon in attendance and rendered
every aid. but all efforts to restore animation were frui-
less as the vital spark had fled. The deceased was re-
spectably dressed, and was suspended by a silk pocket
handkerchief. In his pockets were found two keys,
eleven duplicates, a purse, black-lead pencil, a pen-knife,
and two-pence in coppers. Mr. Vaughan, the coroner's
officer for Bethnal-green, subsequently took charge of
the body, which was conveyed to the Victoria public-
house, and f:om inquiry since made by the constable, he
ascertained the deceased's name was William Trimlett,
aged 35 years, whose frienis reside at No. 29, New-
street, Philpott-street, Mile-end Old Town. The cause
of the rash act could not be ascertained.
MELANCHOLY AND DETERMINED SUICIDE OF THE WIFE
OF CAPTAIN HARDING.—On Saturday evening Mr. W.
Carter, the coroner for East Surrey, held an inquest, at
the Hampton Court Palace, Francis-street, Newington,
on the body of Mrs. Tryphena Harding, aged 36, the
wle of a naval officer, residing at No. 7, Marlborough-
terrace, Walworth-road.—Eliza Roberts, a servant, de
posed that upon Thursday morning last, upon going
into the garden, she perceived the lid of the water-butt
lying on the ground, and upon looking into the butt
discovered deceased in the water. Captain Harding,
the husband of deceased, had been absent, on a voyage
to Australia, about two months, during which period
the deceased had been in a most desponding condi-
tion.—Mr. J. A. Ellis deposed that Captain Harding
had resided in his house for upwards of six years. The
butt only being partially filled with water, the deceased
deliberately sat down at the bottom, but there still
being not sufficient water to accomplish her purpose,
she bent her head downwards between her knees, in the
position in which she was found. The deceased was a
lady of great accomplishments and sensitiveness, and
upon every occasion that Captain Harding was at sea
displayed the utmost distress of mind. On one occasion
witness, having missed her for some time, upon strict
inquiry, found that she had Taken a special train, and
started for Plymouth, to make inquiries about her hus-
band. To make this case of 'a more melancholy cha-
racter the unfortunate lady was near her accouchement,
and has left two children to deplore their loss. Some
further evidence of an unimportant character having
been adduced, the coroner summed up in a most feeling
and impressive manner, and the jury, without hesitation,
returned a verdict of " Temporary.inennitY•