But, as the event proved, the poor lady’s withdrawal was the most fortunate circumstance that could have occurred, in her own interests.  After condemning the husband’s conduct with unsparing severity, the Lord President surprised most of the persons present by speaking of the wife in these terms: 

“Grievously as Mrs. Linley has been injured, the evidence shows that she was herself by no means free from blame.  She has been guilty, to say the least of it, of acts of indiscretion.  When the criminal attachment which had grown up between Mr. Herbert Linley and Miss Westerfield had been confessed to her, she appears to have most unreasonably overrated whatever merit there might have been in their resistance to the final temptation.  She was indeed so impulsively ready to forgive (without waiting to see if the event justified the exercise of mercy) that she owns to having given her hand to Miss Westerfield, at parting, not half an hour after that young person’s shameless forgetfulness of the claims of modesty, duty and gratitude had been first communicated to her.  To say that this was the act of an inconsiderate woman, culpably indiscreet and, I had almost added, culpably indelicate, is only to say what she has deserved.  On the next occasion to which I feel bound to advert, her conduct was even more deserving of censure.  She herself appears to have placed the temptation under which he fell in her husband’s way, and so (in some degree at least) to have provoked the catastrophe which has brought her before this court.  I allude, it is needless to say, to her having invited the governess—­then out of harm’s way; then employed elsewhere—­to return to her house, and to risk (what actually occurred) a meeting with Mr. Herbert Linley when no third person happened to be present.  I know that the maternal motive which animated Mrs. Linley is considered, by many persons, to excuse and even to justify that most regrettable act; and I have myself allowed (I fear weakly allowed) more than due weight to this consideration in pronouncing for the Divorce.  Let me express the earnest hope that Mrs. Linley will take warning by what has happened; and, if she finds herself hereafter placed in other circumstances of difficulty, let me advise her to exercise more control over impulses which one might expect perhaps to find in a young girl, but which are neither natural nor excusable in a woman of her age.”

His lordship then decreed the Divorce in the customary form, giving the custody of the child to the mother.

* * * * *

As fast as a hired carriage could take him, Mr. Sarrazin drove from the court to Mrs. Linley’s lodgings, to tell her that the one great object of securing her right to her child had been achieved.

At the door he was met by Mrs. Presty.  She was accompanied by a stranger, whose medical services had been required.  Interested professionally in hearing the result of the trial, this gentleman volunteered to communicate the good news to his patient.  He had been waiting to administer a composing draught, until the suspense from which Mrs. Linley was suffering might be relieved, and a reasonable hope be entertained that the medicine would produce the right effect.  With that explanation he left the room.