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Show 140 "If it hadn't been for your father, she probably would have died in the Clink with that scoundrel husband of hers." The guard took a bite and chewed slowly--too slowly for Benny who was anxious for the whole story. "Tell us more about her scoundrel husband," Benny said . The guard looked at the eyes upon him, shrugged as though the story were common knowledge and proceeded to disclose the little known history of Elise. From the guard they learned that Elise had been a member of their father's parish when he had been the Perpetual Curate in the Egerton, Kent parish of the prominent Canterbury Diocese. When the man she had married took- to a life of crime, he had implicated her as an accomplice and the two of them had ended up in prison. "Elise would never do anything dishonest!" insisted Joseph. "I suppose your father believed that too," said the guard. "It was his testimony as a character witness on her behalf that got her released. "What happened to her husband?" asked Benny. "He died of the jail fever before he could go to trial...." "That's sad," said Benny. "Not really. If he had lived long enough to stand trial, that knave is likely to have borne false witness |