Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-12-14
SCAN. MAG. AGAIN.


nish Us with q story which, If not quite 90 pi-
quaint a. the plot Of French novel, leaves still
greater scope for the imagin atisn, and has the
advantage Of resting on q substratum ef hard
facts. The Master Of the Rolls has Just deci-
ded case Of this kind, and though, perhaps,
1t was not strictly necessary for the ends Of
law, has considerably recapitulated for our
benefit its more striking features. In the ro-
mances OF law courts love is apt to play q sub
ordinate part to money; but in this case the
two agencies seem to have been pretty evenly
balanced, and predominste alternately. A
young English lady falls in love with young
French gentleman, by name De Ponies, in
1893; tender vows are lightly exchanged and
lightly broken. Before the year Is out the
lady's friends make match for her-probsbly
s@1rrsags de sconceyanre-uith " an English
gentleman named Dolphin, Of considerable
fortune and Iestatss in the county Of Glouces-
ter" So far there is nothing in the tale much
at variance with the common experience of
human life.
Presently Mr.. Dolphin falls into extravagsnt
habits, squanders his estate, and reduces
himself and wife to comparative indigenee and
distress" This, too, Is not without precedent;
but it Is not easy to understand on what prin.
clple the husband, on receiving some assistance
from Mrs. Dolphin's relatives, was induced to
settle most Of his property on Mrs. Dolphin for
life, with power of appointment and disposal
by will. Nevertheless, this was done, and
the point Of law submitted to the Master of the
Rohs arose. Whether she was actually sepa-
rated from her husband from 1889 to 1853 does
not appear, but during that period she is
described as having led Ca very wretched
life, such as is sometimes found to predispose
married ladies to the indulgence of forbidden
sentiments
Some strange fate took her to Paris, and
"uhile in Paris she learned that the French
gentleman to whom she had avowed eternal
hdelity IN 1923 had risen from q eubsltern
RANK In the army to position Of considerable
eminence, and that he was at that time com.
manding as General division of the French
army In the department Of the Lower Cha
rente, in France" Above all, he was stiII .
oaeneior This discovery, like the rich upele's
death In the popular negro ditty, seems to
nsye revived all her forgotten feelings of at.
tachment she lost no time in opening an ANA
tory correspondence, and before long reduced
une oasnfui General to surrender, not, indeed,
at discretion, bat Vpon the sole condition thai
enc should take steps 10 disengage herself from
the prior union 70 Mr.. Dolphin 1t was
in the days before the Divorce Court was estab-
ilshed; but the ecclesiastical tribunals were not
less jealous than Sir Cressweu CressvelI of
granting divorces a ctneUk0 fer reasons with
IN the power of either party to create at will
Accordingly Mrs. Dolphin thoughts turned.
rs those OF so many unhappy lovers have be-
tore, to the land where single act suffses to
III.
eventually advised that such divorce might
be obtained in Scotland If Mr.. and Mrs Dol
phln would reside in that country for forty
days, 30 as to obtain domicile, and if it could
be proved that Mr.. Dolphin had been guilty
OF adultery during that time. It Is really
very fortunate that the breach Of some other
Commandment than the seventh, such az the
sixth or eighth, by Mr.. Dolphin was not pre-
soribed by the lawyers as a necessary preiim-
mary, for this pliable gentleman submitted,
nothing 10th. to be passive instrument in the
hands Of his wife, and, for aught that appears,
would have done whatever he was told The
golden shower which found its way into Dane's
chamber was equally eficaeious in overcoming
the virtue and fidelity Of Mr.. Dolphin He
was induced, for considerable sum of money
paid down, and an income secured to him of
paramour with him"
Into the further difficulties which arose in
satisfying the requirements Of Scotch Matri-
monlal Lawvs need not enter; suffice il to saw
that all scruples and obstacles were overcome
that the necessary afidavits were made out,
and that decree was duly obtained from the
Divorce Courts Of Scotland in July. 1884
MeanWhile the lady, impatient of delay, and
burning to prove the reality of her Affection by
some outward mark Of confidence, had made
her will in Gen. De Ponies favor The next
question was the marriage settlements, and
here another set Of flawyers-this time French
came IN, and suggested that, after all, the
divorce, "under the circumstances of ceIlu-
sion by which il was obtained" :" would not be
valid in England. How this could affect the
validity of the will we cannot pretend to saw
However, Mrs Dolphin was recommended to
Tall back on the power Of appointment, which
must, We suppose, have been general in its
terms and to settle her property absolutely
on her intended husband by an ordinary CON
yeyance, subject, Of course, to the danger of
his changing bis mind. Accordingly this was
done, In reliance on the Generals honor, and
ne parties were formally married, not once
only, but again, in consequence of Mrs. Dol.
phin becoming Roman Catholic
At last the lady died, and two question arose
respecting the disposition of her property
first, whether the will, valid in itself, had not
been revoked by the subsequent deeds of sp-
pointment; and, secondly, whether, supposing
the will TO have been 50 revoked, these deeds
were themselves valid. To an uninitated
mind there is no slight difficulty in under
standing how one document could possibly
have validity enough to defeat another, and
yet not validity enough TO stand by itself
However, this point was disposed Of by the
decision Of the court that the will was good,
Whatever the validity of the deeds More
over, inasmuch as the benefit Of the latter was
waived by General De Ponies, the Judge was
relieved from determining how far they were
yitiated By the alleged eonsiderstion-yis:
that the General should 20 through the mar.
o.
phin during the lifetime Of her husband, not
yet legally divorced from her
The sequel and moral of the tale are added
By the Master Of the Rolls for the benefit Of
too sympathetic readers. The second marri-
age was as unhappy as the frst-a separation
ensued, and the heroine died, as heroines
should, in q convent two years Afterwards.
Perhaps the caution was not unnecessary,
yet We should be sorry to think that such
career could possess dangerous fascination
for any but the weakest Of vomankind II
requires q combination Of circumstances and
character 50 peculiar as TO defy imitation.
What is rather to be feared is that the occasion
al revelation Of social scandals like this may
excite exaggerated suspicious Of the evils GO
ing on around rs. There Is q certain class of
minds to which ID Is satisfactory to believe
that society Is honsycombed with intrigue and
secret guilt, and that mystery Of passion and
deception undsrlies the fair surface of domestic
life. Nothing, We are persuaded, can be
greater mistake. II Is not one In . hundred
families that has a aksletou In the house