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Originally shared as "The Duel in Herne Solid wood" in The Spirit of the Times, 22 Dec 1877. Captain Stanwick and Lionel Varleigh are old friends, but after falling out over their attentions to Bertha Laroche, they battle an unlawful duel in Herne Solid wood. Stanwick wrongly feels he has killed Varleigh and goes mad, eliminating himself with a razor when his expected victim returns like an apparition from the deceased. Varleigh is acquitted of murder and marries Bertha. William Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) was a very popular Victorian novelist and a good friend and collaborator of Charles Dickens. Collins was a prolific writer, posting not only books, but many takes on, short reports, and works of nonfiction. Collins sold his first short storyline at 19, and his first book at 24. Collins got a very successful job as a expert of suspense with a distinct narrative voice, filled with interpersonal commentary. Wilkie Collins never actually employed law, but his knowledge profoundly impacted his writing and he is considered one of the godfathers of the detective book.
