A wealthy man, a secret marriage, and a fortune hanging on a single legal thread. In A Terrible Temptation, Charles Reade delivers a gripping sensation novel of bigamy, blackmail, and the merciless machinery of Victorian law. When Richard Bassett succumbs to a forbidden second marriage, he sets in motion a chain of deceit that threatens his estate, his reputation, and the woman he loves. This complete, unabridged edition reproduces the original 1871 text in full, accompanied by a new introduction and reader's notes that illuminate the novel's legal and social context. Reade, a tireless campaigner against injustice, drew on real courtroom practice to craft a story as instructive as it is thrilling. Part of The Founding Texts Library.