LET me confess another weakness, on my part, before I begin the Story of the Trial. I cannot prevail upon myself to copy, for the second time, the horrible title-page which holds up to public ignominy my husband's name. I have copied it once in my tenth chapter. Let once be enough.
       Turning to the second page of the Trial, I found a Note, assuring the reader of the absolute correctness of the Report of the Proceedings. The compiler described himself as having enjoyed certain special privileges. Thus, the presiding Judge had himself revised his charge to the jury. And, again, the chief lawyers for the prosecution and the defense, following the Judge's example, had revised their speeches for and against the prisoner. Lastly, particular care had been taken to secure a literally correct report of the evidence given by the various witnesses. It was some relief to me to discover this Note, and to be satisfied at the outset that the Story of the Trial was, in every particular, fully and truly given.
       The next page interested me more nearly still. It enumerated the actors in the Judicial Drama--the men who held in their hands my husband's honor and my husband's life. Here is the List:
       THE LORD JUSTICE CLERK,} LORD DRUMFENNICK, }Judges on the Bench. LORD NOBLEKIRK, } THE LORD ADVOCATE (Mintlaw), } DONALD DREW, Esquire (Advocate-Depute).} Counsel for the Crown. MR. JAMES ARLISS, W. S., Agent for the Crown. THE DEAN OF FACULTY (Farmichael), } Counsel for the Panel ALEXANDER CROCKET, Esquire (Advocate),} (otherwise the Prisoner) MR. THORNIEBANK, W. S.,} MR. PLAYMORE, W. S., } Agents for the Panel.
       The Indictment against the prisoner then followed. I shall not copy the uncouth language, full of needless repetitions (and, if I know anything of the subject, not guiltless of bad grammar as well), in which my innocent husband was solemnly and falsely accused of poisoning his first wife. The less there is of that false and hateful Indictment on this page, the better and truer the page will look, to my eyes.
       To be brief, then, Eustace Macallan was "indicted and accused, at the instance of David Mintlaw, Esquire, Her Majesty's Advocate, for Her Majesty's interest," of the Murder of his Wife by poison, at his residence called Gleninch, in the county of Mid-Lothian. The poison was alleged to have been wickedly and feloniously given by the prisoner to his wife Sara, on two occasions, in the form of arsenic, administered in tea, medicine, "or other article or articles of food or drink, to the prosecutor unknown." It was further declared that the prisoner's wife had died of the poison thus administered b y her husband, on one or other, or both, of the stated occasions; and that she was thus murdered by her husband. The next paragraph asserted that the said Eustace Macallan, taken before John Daviot, Esquire, advocate, Sheriff-Substitute of Mid-Lothian, did in his presence at Edinburgh (on a given date, viz., the 29th of October), subscribe a Declaration stating his innocence of the alleged crime: this Declaration being reserved in the Indictment--together with certain documents, papers and articles, enumerated in an Inventory--to be used in evidence against the prisoner. The Indictment concluded by declaring that, in the event of the offense charged against the prisoner being found proven by the Verdict, he, the said Eustace Macallan, "ought to be punished with the pains of the law, to deter others from committing like crimes in all time coming."
       So much for the Indictment! I have done with it--and I am rejoiced to be done with it.
       An Inventory of papers, documents, and articles followed at great length on the next three pages. This, in its turn, was succeeded by the list of the witnesses, and by the names of the jurors (fifteen in number) balloted for to try the case. And then, at last, the Report of the Trial began. It resolved itself, to my mind, into three great Questions. As it appeared to me at the time, so let me present it here.

part i. paradise lost
   Chapter I. The Bride's Mistake.
   Chapter II. The Bride's Thoughts.
   Chapter III. Ramsgate Sands.
   Chapter IV. On the Way Home.
   Chapter V. The Landlady's Discovery.
   Chapter VI. My Own Discovery.
   Chapter VII. On the Way to the Major.
   Chapter VIII. The Friend of the Women.
   Chapter IX. The Defeat of the Major.
   Chapter X. The Search.
   Chapter XI. The Return to Life.
   Chapter XII. The Scotch Verdict.
   Chapter XIII. The Man's Decision.
   Chapter XIV. The Woman's Answer.
part ii. paradise regained
   Chapter XV. The Story of the Trial. The Preliminaries.
   Chapter XVI. First Question--Did the Woman Die Poisoned?
   Chapter XVII. Second Question--Who Poisoned Her?.
   Chapter XVIII. Third QUestion--What was His Motive?
   Chapter XIX. The Evidence for the Defense.
   Chapter XX. The End of the Trial.
   Chapter XXI. I See My Way.
   Chapter XXII. The Major Makes Difficulties.
   Chapter XXIII. My Mother-in-Law Surprises Me.
   Chapter XXIV. Miserrimus Dexter--First View.
   Chapter XXV. Miserrimus Dexter--Second View
   Chapter XXVI. More of My Obstinacy.
   Chapter XXVII. Mr. Dexter at Home.
   Chapter XXVIII. In the Dark.
   Chapter XXIX. In the Light.
   Chapter XXX. The Indictment of Mrs. Beauly.
   Chapter XXXI. The Defense of Mrs. Beauly.
   Chapter XXXII. A Specimen of My Wisdom.
   Chapter XXXIII. A Specimen of My Folly.
   Chapter XXXIV. Gleninch.
   Chapter XXXV. Mr. Playmore's Prophecy.
   Chapter XXXVI. Ariel.
   Chapter XXXVII. At The Bedside.
   Chapter XXXVIII. On the Journey Back.
   Chapter XXXIX. On the Way to Dexter.
   Chapter XL. Nemesis at Last.
   Chapter XLI. Mr. Playmore in a New Character.
   Chapter XLII. More Surprises.
   Chapter XLIII. At Last!
   Chapter XLIV. Our New Honeymoon.
   Chapter XLV. The Dust-Heap Disturbed.
   Chapter XLVI. The Crisis Deferred.
   Chapter XLVII. The Wife's Confession.
   Chapter XLVIII. What Else Could I Do?
   Chapter XLIX. Past and Future.
   Chapter L. The Last of the Story.