TOPICS OF THE DAY.

(From the "Star's" Special Correspondent. ) A REMARKABLE LAW CASE: THE ADVENTURES OF MISS "GIDDY" SCOTT. THE THEATRES. ARCHER'S WILL, AND FUNERAL. London, Nov. 19. the sebright nullity suit — an unpkecedbnted cask, truth stranger than fiction. The adventures of the appropriately named Miss " Giddy " Scott," as revealed during the hearing of the now notorious Sebright nullity suit, are of a far more extraordinary character than anything one ever read in fiction. The novelist who ventured to depict such a mean and cowardly young ruffian as Mr Arthur Saun- j derß Sebright, and to represent him as a welcome guest in society, would indeed be accused of gross cynicism. Nor was Mr Sebright by any means the only person who showtd up in an unfavourable light during the two days' trial. The foolish girl's action in putting her name to bills in order to help her lover in hia pecuniary difficulties is comprehensible enough, and so ia the terror she showed subsequently when threatened with judgment summonses, bankruptcy, and all sorts of mv serious legal processes. One cannot, however, understand altogether why Miss Giddy never sought relief by telling her mother, nor how it was that lady failed to get at the bottom of the mystery when she recognised — as she swears she did — that some Becret was driving her daughter almost crazy. THE SCENE IN COURT. The scene at the Registrar's office sounds like a bit of melodrama. On the one hand wa can picture Sebright^ cold, handsome, and determined ; on the other, poor little Mies Scott, furious at being trapped, yet not liking to make a scandal ; and thirdly the mysterious Italian Count guarding the door lest the irate heireßs should make a b.lt of it. The Registrar says Miss Scott seemed out of temper, but that she offered no objection to the ceremony. The worthy man had not the least suspicion of there being anything wrong ; no, not even when the bride tore the wedding ring from her finger, and with a gesture of shuddering horror, flung it into a corner. It is a pity the Registrar didn't witness the parting between the newly-married pair five minutes later Perhaps he would have felt less comfortable if he had heard the wife's openly expressed feelings of contempt and loa.hing for her husband, and that husband's brutal rejoinder, " You can go where you like now, I've got all I wanted out of you." Some of the witnesses were most surprising people. Words fail to express what one feels about " the dear old friend of the family," Mr Guedalla. To this gentleman the unfortunate girl in her direst necessity appealed for assistance. He had always posed as her elderly admirer and protector, her preux chevalier, and Bhe fully believed he would help her. Nor was Guedalla found wanting. The substantial financial help which could alone get the girl out of * trouble he certainly emphatically rf fu^d, but m his capHCity of a " f»>_r 1< ♦ri«-n»» of the ia._u.i_y " he rebuked 2_.io_ Uiddy iv. getting into debt and gave her — mark the generosity—" excellent advice." Lady Scott and her two daughters occupied seats in Court during the early part of the trial but withdrew on Saturday when the judge observed that unless a certain passage in the plaintiff's pleadings, to which neither side had referred, were cleared up he should (in event of a decree nt*. being given) have to advise the Que6n's Proctor to enquire into it. This bore reference to a threat of Sebright's, who, it was alleged, had told Miss Soott he would swear in every drawing-room in London that he had seduced her, unless she married him.

Sebright was now put in the witness-box and asked whether it was true he had Beduced Miss Scott. He replied very emphatically, " No . there is not a word of truth in the story." The young man, I may remark, is very nice-looking, and has always borne the best of characters with his family and friends, who are thunderstruck at recent disclosures. He says himself that Miss Scott has grossly exaggerated the facts, but that itwaß impossible he should contradict her. THE DECISION — GREAT ENTHUSIASM. The Judge's decision on Tuesday nullifying the marriage and mulcting Sebright in costs was received with loud and continued cheering, which the ushers found it impossible to (suppress. The beat thing Sebright can do is drown himself, as no gentleman will ever again recognise him. Mies " Giddy " Scott was in Court again on Tuesday with her mother, and listened to the Judge's decision with marked attention, her face lighting and clearing wonderfully as he progressed. THE WITCHES' KITCHEN SCENE IN " FAUST." The long-promised, weird, and thrilling scene of the Witches' Kitchen was introduced into the Lyceum "Faust" on Monday evening. You know it is here Faust drinks the potion that renews his youth. A cauldron stands on the fire, watched by a gibbering she-ape, and about the floor crawl loathsome creeping things; Mephistopheles and Faust arrive on the scene and summon the Witch. The cauldron boils over, and the cloud of steam and flame masks the entrance of the crone, who bounds in with in unearthly shriek. The Gestalten 6een in the steam of the cauldron are lizards, toads, snakes, &c, which mount to the roof by means of invisible cords. The witch has some difficulty in recognising Mephistopheles in his scarlet bravery, and without horns and hoof, &c, but he explains that in matters of diablerie Every barbarism ia now abolished Amongst the rest the Devils polished. The magic portion is produced and drunk by Faust amongst flashings of lightning and rolling thunder. With this the scene practically ends. Mephistopheles shakes Faust presumably to aid him in shaking off old age, but as the stage darkens the exact method of his rejuvenescence remains obscure. THEATRICAL NOTES. Patti sailed for America last week. She is to receive £30,000 for six months' work, and all expenses paid. Her travelling-cars are practically a furnished house on wheels, consisting of music-room, diningroom, bathroom, bedroom?, and servants' accommodation. Two cooks join the party in New York. " Our Diva " (Josephine Vendue par Sea Scaurs) is, notwithstanding its emasculation, proving a big " draw " at the Opera Comique. You are sure now to hear it in Australasia shortly. Mrs Bernard Baere is said to be contemplating a tour of the world a la Genevieve Ward. If she carries out her present plans Mr E. H. Brookfleld will manage the Company, and " Masks and Faces " and "Jim the Penman" be the pieces de resistance. The successful comic opera " Rhoda," recently produced at Croydon, has been transferred to the Comedy Theatre, your old friends Dean Brande and Kate Chard retaining their original parts. Miss Lingard is playing a short season at the Grand Theatre, Islington. DEATH OP PRINCE CHARLIE. The death is announced of Prince Charlie, probably the speediest animal at five furlongs, that ever trod the turf. Prince Charlie won the Middlepark Plate of 1871, and the Two Thoußand of 1872. In the latter he defeated Cremorne, who, however, turned the tables at Epsom. The colt was a roarer, and could only run a bad second to Wenlock for the Leger, but the following year over short courses he proved invincible. A sensational match with Peut Etre, who had just won the Cambridgeshire, woundup Prince Charlie's turf career in triumph. Unfortunately, he proved a failure at the stud. archer's will and funeral, &c. Poor Archer seems to have saved far lees than rumour credited him with. The truth is, I bear, he betted heavily on his own mounts, and of late had dropped a good deal. His losing account on Cambridgeshire week alone was close upon £4000. The Liverpool Cup proved even more disastrous to the great body of backers than the two great handicaps at Newmarket. After Melton's display in the Jockey Club Cup, when he was only juat able to beat Eurasian at even weights, and finished many lengths behind St Gatien, it seemed madness to trust to him at Liverpool with such an impost as 9dt 31b. Nevertheless, Watts brought the Derby winner of '85 away at the distance, nnd won in a canter by two lengths from Kilcreene and Candlemas, neither of whom were in the least fancied by the public. Of the seven animals in the race backed for ton. of money (for the nearer it geta to the end of the Beason the greater the plunging"), only two, Oberon and Bird o' Freedom even momentarily flattered their supporters. The former started a redhot favourite mt the odds of 7 to 2 (in a field of eighteen), and like Carlton, in the Cambridgeshire, was considered a certainty. He ran fourth, George B.irrett, on the despised Candlemas (who started at 40 to 1 offered), just managing to beat him by a head for the third money. Melton's price on Thursday morning was 20 to 1. but on his being seen in the paddock the odds contracted to 100 to 8. Kilcreene started at 20 to 1. The conduct of Captain Machell and Robert Peck, in absenting themselves from poor Archer's funeral, has very properly been severely commented upon. For no two men on the turf did the deceased jockey do more valuable work. Captain Machell absolutely had the execrable taste Ito run a horse at Liverpool at the very hour the said ceremony was taking pi ice at ! Newmarket.