aches ▁and ▁thre ats ▁against ▁his ▁life ; ▁his ▁crime ▁having ▁been ▁dis closed ▁to ▁her ▁through ▁the ▁real ▁Le ic ester , ▁and ▁her ▁ma id ▁Caroline ▁Ry der . ▁Griff ith ▁disapp ears ; ▁a ▁few ▁days ▁after , ▁a ▁body ▁that ▁is ▁discovered ▁in ▁the ▁mere ▁near ▁the ▁house ▁is ▁identified ▁as ▁his . ▁Mrs . ▁Ga unt ▁is ▁ind icted ▁for ▁his ▁murder , ▁and ▁ple ads ▁her ▁own ▁cause . ▁The ▁trial ▁is ▁going ▁against ▁her , ▁when ▁Mer cy ▁appears ▁and ▁proves ▁that ▁Griff ith ▁is ▁alive , ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁body ▁is ▁that ▁of ▁Le ic ester . ▁Griff ith ▁and ▁C ath ar ine ▁are ▁again ▁recon ci led , ▁and ▁Mer cy ▁mar ries ▁C ath ar ine ' s ▁former ▁lo ver , ▁Sir ▁George ▁Ne ville . ▁The ▁scene ▁is ▁laid ▁in ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century . ▁ ▁Ada pt ations ▁The ▁novel ▁was ▁quickly ▁adapted ▁for ▁the ▁stage ▁by ▁August in ▁Dal y ▁to ▁capital ize ▁on ▁the ▁book ' s ▁success . ▁The ▁book ▁form ▁of ▁the ▁novel ▁was ▁released ▁in ▁October ▁ 1 8 6 6 ▁– ▁Dal y ▁wrote ▁the ▁play ▁in ▁four ▁days , ▁and ▁it ▁received ▁its ▁first ▁performance ▁on ▁ 7 ▁November ▁ 1 8 6 6 ▁at ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Theatre ▁with ▁John ▁K . ▁Mort imer ▁and ▁Rose ▁E y ting e ▁in ▁the ▁lead ▁roles . ▁It ▁ran ▁for ▁six ▁weeks . ▁A ▁second ▁adaptation ▁also ▁quickly