A case in the Divorce Court, interesting from the immense
wealth of one of the parties, came to a sudden conclusion on Saturday last. Lady Howard de Walden sought a decree of judicial separation from her husband, who is the ultimate heir to the vast Portland Estate in London, now worth, it was stated in Court, 2150,000 a year, on the ground of cruelty. His Lordship retorted by accusing his wife of unfaithfulness. The evidence showed habitual drinking and occasional brutality on the part of the husband, who, it should be men- tioned, as the one fact to his credit, abstained in the witness- box from the direct denials too common in such cases ; while the case against Lady Howard de Walden had nothing in it. That is to say, she denied the charges in a way which con- vinced the jury that she was speaking the truth ; while the only two important witnesses against her raised such a pre- sumption of falsehood in the minds of the Court that the jury, with the Judge's fullest assent, stopped the case, and declared the husband guilty of cruelty, and the wife not guilty of any- thing. Society, it is evident, confirms the decision. It is vain to say, as will be said, that in a lower grade the first verdict might have been different. There are two civilisations in England, and juries, like everybody else, have to weigh the fitting conduct for each of them.
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