phew's exertions on his behalf, and had seemed of
late to place much reliance on him.

Doctor Richard May was the next witness called. The sound of that name
caused the first visible change in the prisoner's demeanour, if that
could be called change, which was only a slight relaxation of the firm
closing of the lips, and one sparkle of the dark eyes, ere they were
again bent down as before, though not without a quiver of the lids.

Dr. May had brought tone, look, and manner to the grave impartiality
which even the most sensitive man is drilled into assuming in public;
but he durst not cast one glance in the direction of the prisoner.

In answer to the counsel for the prosecution, he stated that he was at
the Vintry Mill at seven o'clock on the morning of the 6th of July, not
professionally, but as taking interest in the Ward family. He had seen
the body of the deceased, and considered death to have been occasioned
by fracture of the skull, from a blow with a blunt heavy instrument.
The superintendent had shown him a rifle, which he considered, from the
marks on it, as well as from the appearance of the body, to have
produced the injury. The rifle was the one shown to him; it was the
property of Leonard Ward. He recognized it by the crest and cipher H.
E. It had belonged to his son-in-law, Hector Ernescliffe, by whom it
had been given to Leonard Ward.

Poor Doctor! That was a cruel piece of evidence; and his son and
daughters opposite wondered how he could utter it in that steady
matter-of-fact way; but they knew him to be sustained by hopes of the
cross-examination; and he soon had the opportunity of declaring that he
had known Leonard Ward from infancy, without being aware of any
imputation against him; but had always seen him highly principled and
trustworthy, truthful and honourable, kind-hearted and humane--the last
person to injure the infirm or aged.

Perhaps the good Doctor, less afraid of the sound of his own voice, and
not so much in awe as some of the other witnesses, here in his
eagerness overstepped the bounds of prudence. His words indeed brought
a tremulous flicker of grateful emotion over the prisoner's face; but
by carrying the inquiry into the region of character and opinion, he
opened the door to a dangerous re-examination by the Crown lawyer, who
required the exact meaning of his unqualified commendation, especially
in the matter of humanity, demanding whether he had never known of any
act