The Law and the Lady

Not Proven

Wilkie Collins, Cordelia J. Winthrop

• Publisher: Aeneas Press
• Year: 2026
• Topic: Literature
• eBook ISBN:
  9785486636271
• Subtopic: Classics
• Index: Literature

A woman learns on her honeymoon that her husband has been tried for murdering his first wife and let go on a Scotch verdict of Not Proven — and decides that a wife may investigate what a court would not. Collins gave the detective work to a woman in 1875, when fictional detectives were almost all men, and gave her a legless, malicious, brilliant informant nobody forgets. Fifty-six plates of painting, among them William Holman Hunt and William Powell Frith, carry the shadow of death, a bloodhound, a bride's health and a bride of Lammermoor through a tale of suspicion and Scottish verdicts.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Copyright
• 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
• 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
• 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
• About the Author