r a moment or two in
silence. He felt that an answer was not only demanded, but almost
enforced; and yet there might be much difficulty in giving it.

"Mr. Toogood," said Mr. Crawley, seeing the attorney's hesitation, "I
declare to you before God, that my only object will be to enable the
jury to know about this sad matter all that I know myself. If I could
open my breast to them I should be satisfied. But then a prisoner can
say nothing; and what he does say is ever accounted false."

"That is why you should have legal assistance."

"We had already come to a conclusion on that matter, as I thought,"
said Mr. Crawley.

Mr. Toogood paused for a another moment or two, and then dashed at his
answer; or rather, dashed at a counter question. "Mr. Crawley, where
did you get the cheque? You must pardon me, you know; or, if you wish
it, I will not press the question. But so much hangs on that, you
know."

"Everything would hang on it,--if I only knew."

"You mean that you forget?"

"Absolutely; totally. I wish, Mr. Toogood, I could explain to you the
toilsome perseverance with which I have cudgelled my poor brains,
endeavouring to extract from them some scintilla of memory that would
aid me."

"Could you have picked it up in the house?"

"No;--no; that I did not do. Dull as I am, I know so much. It was
mine of right, from whatever source it came to me. I know myself as
no one else can know me, in spite of the wise man's motto. Had I
picked up a cheque in my house, or on the road, I should not have
slept till I had taken steps to restore it to the seeming owner. So
much I can say. But, otherwise, I am in such matters so shandy-pated,
that I can trust myself to be sure of nothing. I thought;--I
certainly thought--"

"You thought what?"

"I thought that it had been given to me by my friend the dean. I
remember well that I was in his library at Barchester, and I was
somewhat provoked in spirit. There were lying on the floor hundreds
of volumes, all glittering with gold, and reeking with new leather
from the binders. He asked me to look at his toys. Why should I look
at them? There was a time, but the other day it seemed, when he had
been glad to borrow from me such treasures as I had. And it seemed to
me that he was heartless in showing me these things. Well; I need not
trouble you with all that."

"Go on;--go on. Let me hear it all, and I shall learn something."

"I know now how vain, how vile I was. I always kno