evious warning, and the door of the
cottage being open, I felt privileged to walk in. I saw the girl down
on her knees, before the mother, who held her by the hair with one
hand, whilst she struck her in the face with the other."

"Did you interfere?"

"I was much enraged at the cruel exhibition, and I took the girl from
her mother forcibly. After that I went to the house oftener, and we
became more closely attached to one another. The mother never spoke
civilly to me after that occurrence."

"Mrs. Sloane testified that she had had a quarrel with her daughter,
shortly after which she disappeared. What do you know of that?"

"Mabel wrote to me that her mother had again undertaken to beat her. I
use the word advisedly, because it was not a chastisement such as a
parent may be privileged to indulge in. Mrs. Sloane would strike her
daughter with her fists, bruising her face, neck, and body. Besides,
Mabel was no longer a child. When I heard this, I sent a message
instructing Mabel to meet me in Newark. There we were married."

"Now, Doctor, we will go back to Dr. Meredith. Will you explain how it
happened that, although you and he were enemies, he should have been
called into the case?"

"When the attack of diphtheria presented, I undertook to treat it at
first. Two days later I became ill myself, and called in Dr. Fisher. I
did not tell him that Mabel was my wife, but let him think, with those
in the house, that she was merely my _fiancee_. I gave the case
entirely into his care. During my sickness Dr. Fisher became alarmed,
and called in Dr. Meredith, of course not suspecting that there
existed any ill feeling between him and me. That Dr. Meredith should
have accepted the call under the circumstances, was contrary to
medical etiquette, but he did so, and I found him attending my wife
when I recovered. I could not interfere very well, without creating a
scandal, and, besides, though I despise him as a man, I know him to be
one of the best specialists in the city." Dr. Medjora accorded this
praise to his rival with every appearance of honest candor, and it was
evident that his doing so was a wise course, causing the jury to
receive his other statements with more credulity. If he was playing a
part he did so with marvellous tact and judgment.

"Between the time of your return from Europe, and this attack of
diphtheria, do you know whether your wife took any morphine?"

"Upon my return I did not question her at all.