l of his topic. "That man Medjora, the fellow who
poisoned his sweetheart you know, was burned to death trying to escape
the detectives. Served him right, only it is a great case missed by us
lawyers, eh?"

"Why do you say it served him right?" asked Mr. Bliss, quickly. He
still hoped that the Doctor would appear, and it occurred to him
instantly, that he might learn something from the prosecution, thus
taken unawares, supposing the case to be ended.

"Oh, well!" said the old lawyer, careful of speech by habit rather
than because he saw any necessity for caution in the present instance;
"had the case come to trial, we had abundant evidence upon which to
convict, for Medjora certainly murdered the girl."

"Your are mistaken!" said a clear voice behind them, and as the three
men turned and faced Dr. Medjora, the clock struck ten. Without
waiting for them to recover from their surprise the Doctor continued:
"Mr. District Attorney, I am Emanuel Medjora, the man whom you have
just accused of a hideous crime; the murder of a young girl, by making
use of his knowledge of medicine. To my mind there can scarcely be a
murder more fiendish, than where a physician, who has been taught the
use of poisons for beneficent purposes, prostitutes his knowledge to
compass the death of a human being; especially of one who loved him."
He uttered the last words with a touch of pathos which moved his
hearers. Quickly recovering he continued: "Therefore, both as a man,
and as a physician, I must challenge you to prove your slanderous
statement. I have come here to-day, sir, to surrender myself to you as
the law's representative, that I may show my willingness to answer in
person the charges which have been made against me. Messrs. Dudley &
Bliss here, are my counsel."

The District Attorney was very much astonished. Not only was he amazed
to see the man alive, when he had been reported dead, but he was
entirely unprepared to find this suspected criminal to be a man of
cultured refinement, both of speech and of manner. He was thus, for
the moment, more leniently inclined than he would have been, were he
alone considering the mass of evidence which his office had already
collected against the Doctor. Turning to him therefore he said:

"So you are Dr. Medjora! Well, sir, I am delighted to see you. That
you have voluntarily surrendered yourself will certainly tell in your
favor. You must pardon my hasty remark. But I thought that you were
dea