Transcriber’s note Variable spelling and hyphenation have been retained. Minor punctuation inconsistencies have been silently repaired. A list of the changes made can be found at the end of the book. Formatting and special characters are indicated as follows: _italic_ AN OPEN VERDICT A Novel BY THE AUTHOR OF ‘LADY AUDLEY’S SECRET’ ETC. ETC. ETC. IN THREE VOLUMES VOL. I. [Illustration] LONDON: JOHN MAXWELL AND CO. 4, SHOE LANE, FLEET STREET, 1878 [_All rights reserved._] CONTENTS TO VOL. I. CHAP. PAGE I. MRS. DULCIMER HAS HER VIEWS 1 II. SWORD AND GOWN 18 III. IN THE PARISH CHURCH 31 IV. ‘DOWER’D WITH OUR CURSE, AND STRANGER’D WITH OUR OATH’ 54 V. HIS ITALIAN WIFE 73 VI. CHRISTIAN HAREFIELD’S ANSWER 101 VII. MRS. DULCIMER MEANS BUSINESS 120 VIII. THE SCRATCHELLS AT HOME 133 IX. A FLINTY-HEARTED FATHER 153 X. TWO LOVE LETTERS 166 XI. BELLA IN SEARCH OF A MISSION 180 XII. ‘OH, THINK’ST THOU WE SHALL EVER MEET AGAIN?’ 197 XIII. SIR KENRICK’S ANCESTRAL HOME 210 XIV. BELLA OVERHEARS A CONVERSATION 219 XV. MR. NAMBY’S PRESCRIPTION 245 XVI. BELLA GOES ON A VISIT 262 XVII. MRS. PIPER’S TROUBLES 272 XVIII. A WITNESS FROM THE GRAVE 299 AN OPEN VERDICT. CHAPTER I. MRS. DULCIMER HAS HER VIEWS. ‘SIR KENRICK would be a splendid match for her’, said the Vicar’s wife. ‘As poor as Job, and as proud as Lucifer,’ retorted the Vicar, without lifting his eyes from a volume of his favourite Bishop Berkeley.