The Tainted Witness 

by Andrew Forrester, Jr.

In the month of May, 1859, a lady and gentleman (man and wife), seated in their home in Devonshire, entered into a familiar conversation about their worldly affairs. They were an affectionate couple, and tolerably well provided against the ordinary casualties of life. The wife had an ample settlement, and the husband was believed to be in possession of a fair estate, comprising chiefly money in the funds, railway and insurance companies’ shares. They had been married more than eight years, and perhaps the only drawback upon their felicity was the absence of children. There had been no issue of the marriage. 

Since their marriage this lady and gentleman, who may as well be known, for the convenience of narrative, as Mr. and Mrs. Tomlinson, had lived principally on the Continent, in a moderate and unostentatious style. The husband was accustomed to state, to such persons as he deemed it necessary to offer explanations, that he desired to reverse the usual mode of young persons in their circumstances. He was resolved to live far within his means; at all events, until the demands of a rising family—perhaps the necessity for advancing their interests—made it necessary to set up a luxurious establishment. The wife cared nothing whether she dwelt in England or on the Continent, whether in decent respectability or sumptuousness, as long as she felt conscious, as she had always done, that her husband admired and loved her. At length, after thus enjoying a protracted Continental tour, Mr. and Mrs. Tomlinson returned to England, and took up their residence at H—, near the pretty town of B—, in South Devon.

As to the means of the parties, the reader may be informed that the trustees of Mrs. Tomlinson’s settlement were accustomed to remit each half-year the sum of £200, for her sole and separate use, and… Read More