that the evidence of this new witness might
stand her in good stead.

There was a sort of stir and commotion in
court now that the moment had arrived for the
examination of this important personage, and
there was even a certain buzz of whispered talk
when the witness entered the box, and stood
there, erect, portly, unembarrassed, ready to tell
his tale.

His appearance was certainly calculated to
inspire confidence in the minds of all who saw
him. There was a certain guilelessness about him,
a certain unworldliness, and a sense of enjoyment
which no one could think—except, of course, the
counsel for the other side—of associating with
treachery or deceit. As he looked from the
witness-box round about him on the assembled
multitude, he seemed, as usual, positively to
beam with good nature and happiness. As soon
as he had been sworn, and had duly answered
to his name, which seemed to make a great
sensation in court, the questioning began, the
examination in chief being conducted by Gilbert
himself. The first question was an inquiry as
to the nature of his occupation:

Witness. I am a herbalist and seedsman.

Mr. Penmore. You also sell drugs, do you
not?

Witness. Drugs, corn-plaisters, horse and
cattle medicines, cough lozenges, and a variety of
other articles of the same nature, such as
blisters, leeches, and galvanic belts.

Mr. Penmore. Do you remember a particular
day in December last, when a lady came to
your shop to make a purchase of laudanum?

Witness. I remember it very well.

Mr. Penmore. That visit was followed by
others, was it not?

Witness. Yes, by several others.

Mr. Penmore. And always with the same
object.

Witness. Yes, invariably.

Mr. Penmore. Did you make any difficulty
about selling her the laudanum.

Witness. Yes, at first I did, and only allowed
her to have a small quantity. She showed me,
however, a doctor's order, addressed to some
country chemist, directing that the bearer should
be supplied with laudanum by him. It was
dated two years back, and the place from which
it was written was some town in the west of
England, some unimportant place, the name of
which I forget.

Mr. Penmore. And, on the strength of that,
you allowed her to have the laudanum?

Witness. On the strength of that, and on her
own representation that she positively required
it as a medicine. She alleged that she was a
great sufferer from neuralgia. She said that
sometimes one of her eyes was seriously affected
by the pain, and described it very particularly
as running down one side of her face, from
the eye to the angle of the jaw, which she said
was part of the disease.

Mr. Penmore. Was it alleged that the
laudanum was required for external use alone?

Witness. Not exclusively. She stated that

it was principally for external application that
she wanted it, but that sometimes, when suffering
very much, she was obliged to take it
internally as well.

Mr. Penmore. And, after that first application,
did the lady come to you again?

Witness. Yes, very soon, and from that time
her visits were frequent

Mr. Penmore. Do you remember the occasion
of her last visit?

Witness. Yes, perfectly. She made an
appointment for another day, which was an
unusual thing with her.

Mr. Penmore. Can you state the exact day
on which she came to you last?

Witness. Yes, I have it down in my book
(producing book). It was on the twenty-sixth
of January, and the appointment she made was
for the next day but one—the twenty-eighth.

Mr. Penmore. And that appointment was not
kept?

Witness. No; I never saw her again.

Mr. Penmore. Did you know the lady's
name?

Witness. No; she would never mention it.

Mr. Penmore. And was it not inscribed in
the doctor's order which you spoke of?

Witness. No; the order alluded to her simply
as " the bearer." There was no name.

Mr. Penmore. Were you sufficiently well
acquainted with the appearance of the lady in
question to be able to identify her personally?

Witness. Unquestionably.

Mr. Penmore. Could you identify her
portrait —her photographic portrait?

Witness. I believe I could do so.

Mr. Penmore (after a slight delay, during
which, amidst the most breathless silence in
the court, a photograph was handed to the
witness). Is that the portrait of the lady to
whom you sold the laudanum?

Witness. IT IS. (The sensation among the
spectators at this moment was marked and
irrepressible. They seemed to breathe again.)

Mr. Penmore. You have no doubt upon the
subject?

Witness. I have no doubt whatever.

[Old Judge (apart to young Judge). "This
invention is becoming an important one in
connexion with criminal jurisprudence."]

Examination resumed.

Mr. Penmore. Is there any other means of
identification which suggests itself to you?

Witness. I should remember the bag or
reticule which the lady used to bring with her.

Mr. Penmore. And how should you know
it?

Witness. By the clasp, which I have often
observed. It has a crest engraved upon it—
a half lion rampant, holding a sword in one of
its paws.

Mr. Penmore. Is that the bag in question?
(A lady's bag, with gilt clasp, was here handed
to the witness, who examined it, and especially
the clasp, attentively.)

Witness. Yes, it is.

The counsel for the defence made a slight