AT THE BAR.

BY THE AUTHOR OF "A CRUISE UPON WHEELS," &c. &c.

CHAPTER XXXII. THE SCALE TURNS THIS WAY
AND THAT.

IT has been seen already that Gilbert Penmore
had not approached the arduous task which he
had set himself, without seeking and obtaining
such assistance as he felt might really be of use
to him. It has already been mentioned that
during the time that he had been in the habit of
attending court, Gilbert had made some acquaintances
among his brethren of the robe. One of
these, a man older than Penmore, and of some
considerable experience, had volunteered, on first
hearing of the projected defence, to assist him in
any way in his power, and to him Gilbert had
confided the task of cross-examining such
witnesses as it might be deemed advisable to subject
to that ordeal. So when the examination in chief
of Jane Cantanker had come to an end, this
gentleman, whose name, as the reader perhaps
remembers, was Steel, rose in his place, and begging
her to remain in the witness-box a few minutes
longer, proceeded to ask her certain questions,
somewhat to the following purpose:

"You remarked just now," he said, " that the
deceased seemed very drowsy and sleepy when
you went up-stairs to assist her in going to
bed."

"Yes, sir, I did."

"Now, will you tell me whether you have not
sometimes observed this before?"

The witness hesitated a little here, and seemed
inclined to avoid the question.

"Well," she said at last, " I suppose everybody
shows a little drowsiness now and then, just at
bedtime."

"Yes, but at other times— not at bedtime.
Have you not sometimes observed this tendency
to drowsiness in your mistress?"

At this question Serjeant Probyn and Mr. Pry
were observed to whisper together a good deal.
It had just begun to dawn upon them in what
direction the defence would turn.

The witness hesitated a good deal in her
answers. "N-n-no, she did not know that
she had observed anything of the sort—nothing
out of the way."

"Nothing out of the way, eh? But still you
have observed such a thing now and then?"

"Her mistress was sleepy sometimes," the
witness said. " Most people were."

What can we gather of the nature of evidence,
as given in court, from the reports which appear
of the different trials. The manner, nay, the
look even, of a witness is sometimes, as far as the
convincing of the jury goes, a form of evidence of
the greatest importance, and many decisions
which astonish us on paper would surprise us
not at all if we had been present in court while
the case in question was being tried. The
impression left on the minds of those before whom
Jane Cantanker spoke, was that she was very
much understating the truth in her answers.
The next question was what the schoolmen call
a " crucial" one:

"Have you ever known your mistress take
anything to make her sleepy?"

"I don't know what you mean, sir."

"Don't you? Well, I will put it more plainly,
then," said Mr. Steel. " Did you ever know your
mistress to take laudanum, or any other form of
opium?"

The witness waited a moment. " No, sir,
certainly not," she said, with something of indignation.
But Mr. Steel had not done yet.

" Did you ever know your mistress to have
laudanum, or any other form of opium, in her
possession?" This question after a suggestion
by Gilbert.

Again that pause, which invested the answer,
when it came, with so much of insincerity. " I
suppose every one has had something of the sort
in the house at some time or other."

"Yes, yes, no doubt: but I want to know if
your mistress ever had it?"

"She had some once—a little," said the woman,
sullenly.

"Oh, she had some once. How did you come
to be aware of that fact?"

"I saw some on the chimney-piece in her
bedroom, when I went to call her one morning."

"And how much may there have been?"

"I can't say, certainly. It was a small bottle
and about half full."

"Was your mistress particularly difficult to
arouse that morning?"

"She was always rather heavy in the morning.
It's some people's nature."

"And on this particular morning she was not
especially so?"