Pecuniary Difficulties and Resources--Choice of a Profession-- Shelley walking a Hospital--Dropt by Acquaintances--Birth of Mary Godwin’s first Child--Sir Bysshe Shelley’s Death-- Differences and Tiffs between Mary and Claire--Characteristics of the Sisters--Trip to South Devon--At Work on _Alastor_-- Publication of the Poem--_Essay on Christianity_--Life at Bishopgate--Shelley’s Idolatry of Byron--Birth of Mary Godwin’s first-born Son--Claire and Byron--Second Trip to Switzerland--Shelley’s Pretext for leaving England--Strange Scene between Shelley and Peacock--Semi-Delusions--Another Hallucination. CHAPTER X. THE GENEVESE EPISODE 287 Shelley’s Arrival at Geneva--Byron and Polidori--At the Sécheron Hotel--Union of the two Parties--Tattle of the Coteries--The Genevese Scandal--Its Fruit in _Manfred_ and _Cain_--Its Fruit in _Laon and Cythna_--The Shelleys’ Return to England--Their Stay at Bath--Their Choice of a House at Great Marlow--Fanny Imlay’s Suicide--Her pitiable Story-- Harriett’s Suicide--Review of Shelley’s Treatment of her--His Responsibility for her Depravation and Ruin--Witnesses to Character and Conduct--Shelley’s Grief for Harriett--His wild Speech about her--His Marriage with Mary Godwin--Birth of Allegra. CHAPTER XI. THE CHANCERY SUIT 304 Mr. Westbrook’s Petition to the Court of Chancery--Date of Hearing--The _Edinburgh_ Reviewer’s Strange Misrepresentation--Lord Eldon’s Decree--Arrangements for Harriett’s Children--Lady Shelley’s strange Mistake touching those Arrangements--Lord Eldon’s Justification--Mrs. Shelley’s Regard for Social Opinion--Shelley’s keen Annoyance at the Chancellor’s Decree--Delusive Egotisms of _The Billows of the Beach_--Shelley’s Pretexts for going to Italy--His real Reasons for withdrawing from England. CHAPTER XII. GREAT MARLOW 317 The Misleading Tablet--House and Garden--Claire at Marlow-- Shelley’s Delight in Claire’s Voice--_To Constantia Singing_--Source of the Name--Trips to London--_The Marlow Pamphlets_--_Rosalind and Helen_--Other Literary Work at Marlow--Mary’s Treatment and Opinion of Claire--Shelley makes his Will--Date of Probate--The Will’s various Legacies-- Significant Legacies to Claire--Object of the Second Legacy of £6000--Did Shelley mean to leave Claire so much as £12,000?--Mr. Froude’s Indiscretion--His Ignorance of the Will. CHAPTER XIII. LAON AND CYTHNA 329