A unique grasp of a tangled skein was recently exhibited by a judge of the Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division of the High Court of Justice, when a woman who, it was shown, had misconducted herself, was nevertheless granted an absolute decree of divorce against her husband.[3] It appeared that the woman, who petitioned, had passed a very dreadful life, which began by her seduction by her father’s groom. The groom became her husband; she ultimately took divorce proceedings against the man, but lapsed herself before obtaining the final decree. The judge took a magnanimous view of the facts, sympathised with the petitioner in her unfortunate life, and granted her what she sought. The whole course was novel, but it left people with the impression that greater justice had been done in this way than would have been done had the judge refused the divorce. The case is not without interest as a precedent. It savours of benignity and commonsense, coupled with a sufficient disregard for inadequate conventional methods. The prospect of lifting a fallen woman, from a sordid atmosphere to a plane of respectability, no doubt chiefly actuated the judge in his decision. His summing up, indeed, made this perfectly clear. The existence of the peasant is not, perhaps, intellectually interesting, as a rule, but his predicament, were he minded to take divorce proceedings, would contain some instructive matter. In the first place, his method of attacking such a question would be to petition _in formâ pauperis_. This is more easily said than done, for a tough and wide-awake solicitor must first be convinced that he is justified in giving credit to the would-be litigant. Giving such credit really means that he must be confident that it will be satisfied in due course by the authorities. He therefore considers the facts of the case with more than ordinary self-interest. The influence most likely to induce him to take up the case is the reasonable certainty of success. The anxious divorce candidate must perforce be capable of making his facts very clear and speaking, if he wishes to secure the services of the solicitor. When this feat has been accomplished, he is in a fair way to proceed _in formâ pauperis_.