. Only once was his
attention dimly aroused. It was at the evidence of a boy--a ragged
youth of some fifteen years, who gave his name as Bob Dawson.

"He had been out late on that 'ere night. It was between ten and
eleven that he was a-dodgin' round near the stone terrace. Then he
sees a lady a-waitin', which the moon was shining on her face, and he
knowed my lady herself. He dodged more than hever at the sight, and
peeked round a tree. Just then came along a tall gent in a cloak, like
Sir Everard wears, and my lady screeches out at sight of him. Sir
Everard, he spoke in a deep, 'orrid voice, and the words were so
hawful, he--Bob Dawson--remembered them from that day to this.

"'I swore by the Lord who made me I would murder you if you ever met
that man again. False wife, accursed traitoress, meet your doom!'

"And then my lady screeches out again and says to him--she says:

"'Have mercy! I am innocent, Heverard! Oh, for God's sake, do not
murder me!'

"And Sir Heverard, he says, fierce and 'orrid:

"'Wretch, die! You are not fit to pollute the hearth! Go to your
grave with my 'ate and my cuss!'

"And then," cried Bob Dawson, trembling all over as he told it, "I see
him lift that there knife, gentlemen, and stab her with all his might,
and she fell back with a sort of groan, and he lifts her up and pitches
of her over hinto the sea. And then he cuts, he does, and I--I was
frightened most hawful, and I cut, too."

"Why did you not tell this before?" the judge asked.

"'Cos I was scared--I was," Bob replied, in tears. "I didn't know but
that they might took and hang me for seeing it. I told mammy the other
night, and mammy she came and told the gent there," pointing one finger
at the counsel for the crown, "and he said I must come and tell it
here; and that's all I've got to tell, and I'm werry sorry as hever I
seed it, and it's all true, s'help me!"

Sybilla Silver's eyes fairly blazed with triumphant fire. Her master,
the arch-fiend, seemed visibly coming to her aid; and the most
miserable baronet pressed his hand to his throbbing head.

There was the summing up of the evidence--one damning mass against the
prisoner. There was the judge's charge to the jury. Sir Everard heard
no words--saw nothing. He fell into a stunned stupor that was indeed
like madness.

The jury retired--vaguely he saw them go. They returned. Was it
minutes or hours they had been gone? His dulled eyes looked at t