month since, Mr. Axworthy had exclaimed that if ever he wanted
a thing to be done, he must set Ward about it. Saving this speech, made
in irritation at some omission on Sam's part, nothing was adduced to
show that Leonard was likely to have been employed without his cousin's
knowledge; though Hardy volunteered the addition that Mr. Ward was
always respectful and attentive, and that his uncle had lately thought
much more of him than at first.

Rebekah Giles gave her account of the scene in the sitting-room. She
had been in the service of the deceased for the last four years, and
before in that of his sister-in-law, Mr. Samuel's mother. She had
herself closed the passage window at seven o'clock in the evening, as
usual. She had several times previously found it partly open in the
morning, after having thus shut it over-night; but never before, Mr.
Ward's bed unslept in. Her last interview with Mr. Axworthy was then
narrated, with his words--an imprecation against rifle practice, as an
excuse for idle young rascals to be always out of the way. Then
followed her communication to the prisoner at half-past nine, when she
saw him go into the parlour, in his volunteer uniform, rifle in hand,
heard him turn the lock of the sitting-room door, and then herself
retired to bed.

Cross-examination did not do much with her, only showing that, when she
brought in the supper, one window had been open, and the blinds, common
calico ones, drawn down, thus rendering it possible for a person to
lurk unseen in the court, and enter by the window. Her master had
assigned no reason for sending for Mr. Ward. She did not know whether
Mr. Axworthy had any memorandum-book; she had seen none on the table,
nor found any when she undressed the body, though his purse, watch, and
seals were on his person.

Mr. Rankin's medical evidence came next, both as to the cause of death,
the probable instrument, and the nature of the stains on the desk and
rifle.

When cross-examined, he declared that he had looked at the volunteer
uniform without finding any mark of blood, but from the nature of the
injury it was not likely that there would be any. He had attended Mr.
Axworthy for several years, and had been visiting him professionally
during a fit of the gout in the last fortnight of June, when he had
observed that the prisoner was very attentive to his uncle. Mr.
Axworthy was always unwilling to be waited on, but was unusually
tolerant of this ne