arded with very lively sympathy the defendants of a
couple of cases that had the precedence of "Dodson _v._ Lloyd."

Feeling quite sure that the unhappy individuals who were called upon to
defend themselves were in a very evil plight, he was surprised and
shocked at the callous levity of the lawyers, and even of the
magistrate, a small-sized man, to whom a full grey beard, a pair of
gold-bowed spectacles, and a deep voice imparted an air of dignity he
would not otherwise have possessed. That they should crack jokes with
each other over such serious matters was something he could not
understand, as with eyes and ears that missed nothing he observed all
that went on around him.

At length, after an hour or more of waiting, the case of "Dodson _v._
Lloyd" was called, and Bert, now to his deep concern, beheld his father
in the same position as had been the persons whom he was just pitying;
for the magistrate, looking, as Bert thought, very stern, called upon
him to answer to the complaint of Thomas Dodson, who alleged, &c., &c.,
&c.

Mr. Lloyd pleaded his own cause, and it was not a very heavy
undertaking, for the simple reason that he made no defence beyond
stating that the dog had been poisoned by his servant without his
knowledge or approval, and asking that Bert's injuries might be taken
into account in mitigation of damages. The magistrate accordingly asked
Bert to go into the witness-box, and the clerk administered the oath,
Bert kissing the greasy, old Bible that had in its time been touched by
many a perjured lip, with an unsophisticated fervour that brought out a
smile upon the countenances of the spectators.

He was then asked to give his version of the affair. Naturally enough,
he hesitated a little at first, but encouraged by his father's smiles,
he soon got over his nervousness, and told a very plain, straightforward
story. Mr. Dodson's lawyer, a short, thick man with a nose like a
paroquet's, bushy, black whiskers, and a very obtrusive pair of
spectacles, then proceeded, in a rough, hard voice, to try his best to
draw Bert into admitting that he had been accustomed to tease the dog,
and to throw stones at him. But although he asked a number of questions
beginning with a "Now, sir, did you not?" or, "Now, sir, can you deny
that?" &c., uttered in very awe-inspiring tones, he did not succeed in
shaking Bert's testimony in the slightest degree, or in entrapping him
into any disadvantageous admission.

At fir