Ihave，asIsaidbefore，learnedtheEnglishlawpiecemeal，bysufferingunderit。Myhusbandisalawyer；andhehastaughtitme，byexercisingovermytormentedandrestlesslife，everyquirkandnibbleofitstyranny；ofitsacknowledgedtyranny；——acknowledged，againIsay，notbywailing，angry，despairingwomen，butbyChancellors，ex-Chancellors，legalreformers，andmembersofbothHousesofParliament。Andyetnothingisdone!indeed，whentheSolicitor-General，May10th，inthissession，informedtheHousethatthedelayedMarriageBillwouldbebroughtforward\"assoonastheHousehadexpressedanopinionontheTestamentaryJurisdictionBill，\"therewasagood-humouredlaughattheveryvagueprospectheldout，——butnobodymurmured；forPage146
nobodygreatlycaredwhenitshouldcomeon；orwhetheritevercameonatall。
Nevertheless，solongashumannatureiswhatitis，somemarriagesmustbeunhappymarriages，insteadoffollowingthattheoryofintimateandsacredunionwhichtheyoughttofulfil:andthequestionis，therefore，whatistobetherelationofpersonslivinginastateofalienation，insteadofastateofunion，——alltheexistingrulesfortheirsocialpositionbeingbasedonthefirstalternative，——namely，thattheyareinastateofunion，——andonthesuppositionthatmarriageisindissoluble，thoughParliamenthasnowdecidedthatitisacivilcontract?Divorcedorundivorced，itisabsolutelynecessarythatthelawshouldstepin，toarrangethatwhichisdisarrangedbythismostunnaturalcondition。Itbecomesperfectlyabsurdthatthelawwhichappointsthehusbandlegalprotectorofthewoman，shouldnotfailinghimwhohasceasedtobeaprotector，andhasbecomeaverypowerfulfoeitselfundertakeherprotection。Shestandstowardsthelaw，byanillustrationwhichI
haverepeatedlymadeuseof，——inthelightofanill-usedinferior；andsheistheonlyinferiorinEnglandwhocannotclaimtobesoprotected。
Thosewomenwhodesiretolearn，inamorePage147