The Law and the Lady
1875
Collins's 1875 novel, in which Valeria Woodville learns days after her wedding that her husband was tried in Scotland for poisoning his first wife and left with a verdict of Not Proven. He forbids her to reopen it, and she sets out to do so anyway, which makes her one of the first women detectives in English fiction.
- Note
- Part I Paradise Lost.
- Chapter I The Bride’s Mistake.
- Chapter II The Bride’s Thoughts.
- Chapter III Ramsgate Sands.
- Chapter IV On the Way Home.
- Chapter V The Landlady’s Discovery.
- Chapter VI My Own Discovery.
- Chapter VII On the Way to the Major.
- Chapter VIII The Friend of the Women.
- Chapter IX The Defeat of the Major.
- Chapter X The Search.
- Chapter XI The Return to Life.
- Chapter XII The Scotch Verdict.
- Chapter XIII The Man’s Decision.
- Chapter XIV The Woman’s Answer.
- Part II Paradise Regained.
- Chapter XV The Story of the Trial. The Preliminaries.
- Chapter XVI First Question—DID the Woman Die Poisoned?
- Chapter XVII Second Question—Who Poisoned Her?
- Chapter XVIII Third Question—What Was His Motive?
- Chapter XIX The Evidence for the Defense.
- Chapter XX The End of the Trial.
- Chapter XXI I See My Way.
- Chapter XXII The Major Makes Difficulties.
- Chapter XXIII
- Chapter XXIV Miserrimus Dexter—First View.
- Chapter XXV Miserrimus Dexter—Second View
- Chapter XXVI More of My Obstinacy.
- Chapter XXVII Mr. Dexter at Home.
- Chapter XXVIII In the Dark.
- Chapter XXIX In the Light.
- Chapter XXX The Indictment of Mrs. Beauly.
- Chapter XXXI The Defense of Mrs. Beauly.
- Chapter XXXII A Specimen of My Wisdom.
- Chapter XXXIII A Specimen of My Folly.
- Chapter XXXIV Gleninch.
- Chapter XXXV Mr. Playmore’s Prophecy.
- Chapter XXXVI Ariel.
- Chapter XXXVII At the Bedside.
- Chapter XXXVIII On the Journey Back.
- Chapter XXXIX On the Way to Dexter.
- Chapter XL Nemesis at Last.
- Chapter XLI Mr. Playmore in a New Character.
- Chapter XLII More Surprises.
- Chapter XLIII At Last!
- Chapter XLIV Our New Honeymoon.
- Chapter XLV The Dust-Heap Disturbed.
- Chapter XLVI The Crisis Deferred.
- Chapter XLVII The Wife’s Confession.
- Chapter XLVIII What Else Could I Do?
- Chapter XLIX Past and Future.
- Chapter L.