# Mrs. Beauly — The Law and the Lady character guide

> Mrs. Beauly in The Law and the Lady by Wilkie Collins.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Even Mrs. Beauly, Beauly, Mrs. Borgia - Beauly, Helena Beauly, Helena

**First appearance:** 0033-xxx-the-indictment-of-mrs-beauly

## Snapshot

A beautiful widow whose name keeps surfacing in the Macallan poisoning case, though no witness can quite say why she matters.

## Who they are

Mrs. Beauly drifts through the trial testimony as the woman Eustace Macallan was rumored to admire, a suspicion the servants and the prosecution nurse without ever proving. Her beauty makes her useful to scandal and useless to certainty: witnesses insist the prisoner's attentions to her were innocent, yet the whisper of her name is enough to stain a marriage. She matters because she is the shape jealousy takes when no evidence will hold still — the reason Valeria cannot simply trust her husband's silence.

## In the story

### [The Search](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_law_and_the_lady_se/chapters/x-the-search)

Mrs. Beauly is mentioned as a potential rival; Valeria's jealousy is inflamed by the photograph of Eustace with another woman.

### [XVI: First Question—Did the Woman Die Poisoned?](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_law_and_the_lady_se/chapters/xvi-first-question-did-the-woman-die-poisoned)

A young widow and cousin of Eustace, whose presence at Gleninch provoked Mrs. Macallan's jealousy.

### [XVIII: Third Question—What Was His Motive?](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_law_and_the_lady_se/chapters/xviii-third-question-what-was-his-motive)

Referred to as Helena in the diary, she is the object of Eustace's love; the gardener testifies to overhearing a conversation between her and Eustace.

### [XIX: The Evidence for the Defense](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_law_and_the_lady_se/chapters/xix-the-evidence-for-the-defense)

Appears as a witness, denying any improper relationship with the prisoner and recounting the deceased's questions about cosmetics.

### [XX: The End of the Trial](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_law_and_the_lady_se/chapters/xx-the-end-of-the-trial)

Referenced in testimony; Miserrimus Dexter speaks of her rudely, implying distrust.

### [XXI: I See My Way](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_law_and_the_lady_se/chapters/xxi-i-see-my-way)

Valeria suspects her of poisoning Eustace's first wife, based on evidence from the trial.

### [XXIX: In the Light](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_law_and_the_lady_se/chapters/xxix-in-the-light)

Valeria and Dexter both suspect Mrs. Beauly of poisoning Eustace's first wife; Dexter states there is no doubt.

### [The Indictment of Mrs. Beauly](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_law_and_the_lady_se/chapters/xxx-the-indictment-of-mrs-beauly)

Accused by Dexter of poisoning Mrs. Eustace Macallan; described as cunning and guarded, and the target of Valeria's investigation.

### [The Defense of Mrs. Beauly](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_law_and_the_lady_se/chapters/xxxi-the-defense-of-mrs-beauly)

Discussed as being abroad at Hungarian baths; her maid Phoebe recounts her adventure at Gleninch involving a masked ball.

### [A Specimen of My Folly](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_law_and_the_lady_se/chapters/xxxiii-a-specimen-of-my-folly)

Previously suspected by Valeria, but Mr. Playmore dismisses this suspicion, redirecting focus to Dexter.

### [Gleninch](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_law_and_the_lady_se/chapters/xxxiv-gleninch)

Mentioned as a subject of Valeria's jealousy; Mr. Playmore warns Valeria against being manipulated by Dexter's claims about her.

### [XLVII: The Wife's Confession](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_law_and_the_lady_se/chapters/xlvii-the-wife-s-confession)

The woman Eustace truly loves, according to his diary; Sara's jealousy is directed at her.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_law_and_the_lady_se/characters/mrs_beauly
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_law_and_the_lady_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_law_and_the_lady_se/characters