"This woman is not your slave, man. She is not accountable to you for every moment of her time. She is not," he continued with increasing fervor, but a growing embarrassment,--"she is not--she is not"-- He paused; but the throng of wretched women who crowded the court interpreted the pause aright, and were not likely to forget the lesson. A suppressed titter ran through the court: for every married man knew that the words, "she is not your wife," were those which had sprung naturally to the worthy magistrate's lips; and must have passed them, had not honest shame prevented. The man then attempted to defend himself on the ground of jealousy: but this was instantly set aside; the unmistakable impression left on the mind of the court-room being, that the illegality of the relation was wholly in the woman's favor. Since the war, freed-women at Beaufort, S.C., have refused marriage for this very reason. Women long ago understood this, and literary gossip gives us a late instance in a maiden aunt of Sir Charles Morgan. This woman, descended from Morgan the buccaneer, has more than once turned the scales of an Irish election. When she once arrested a robber on her own premises, and held him fast till the arrival of an officer, the gentlemen of the neighborhood advised her not to prosecute. "It is well known," they argued, "that you refuse to employ a single man on your premises, and you may be marked out for the revenge of the gang." "Justice is justice," she exclaimed in reply; "and the villain shall go hang!" It was quite natural that we should find this woman telling Lady Caroline Lamb that no _man_ should ever have legal rights over her, or her property. A wife's money, jewels, and clothes become absolutely her husband's; and he may dispose of them as he pleases, whether he and his wife live together or not. Her chattels real--that is, estates held for a term of years--and presentations of church livings become absolutely his; but, if she survive him, she may resume them. Under such a common law as this, it is not surprising to find something needed which is called _equity_. Therefore, if a wife, on her marriage, gives all her property to her husband, the said _equity_ (Heaven save the mark!) will, under certain circumstances, oblige him to make a settlement upon her. That is, when the wife has an interest in property which can only be reached by the husband through a court of equity, that court will aid him to enjoy it, _only_ on condition that such part as it thinks proper shall be settled on the wife. The civil courts in England cannot compel a man to support his wife: _that_ is left to the action of the church, and her own parish. A husband has a freehold estate in his wife's lands as long as they both live. Money earned by a married woman belongs absolutely to her husband.