oes, not being in a position to answer the question by reason of
their tongues being glued to the roofs of their mouths, remained silent,
and tried as best they could to appear absorbed in the shape of their
own boots.

"If such a thing occurs again," persisted the clerk, "their worships
will take very serious notice of it."

"Their worships," who had not a ghost of an idea what the clerk was
talking about, said "very serious," and asked that the case might
proceed.

It proceeded, and under its cover our agitated heroes gradually raised
their countenances from their boots, and felt their hearts, which had
just now stood still, beating once more in their honest bosoms.

For any one not personally interested, the case was prosy enough.

A solicitor got up and said he appeared for Tom's three partners, who
charged him with pledging the _Martha_ and appropriating the money,
whereas the _Martha_ belonged to the four of them, and Tom had no right
to raise money on her except by mutual consent.

The three partners and the pawnbroker were put into the witness-box, and
gave their evidence in a lame sort of way.

Tom was invited to ask any questions he desired of the witnesses, and
said "Thank'ee, sir," to each offer. He had nothing that he "knowed of
to ask them. He was an unfortunate labouring man that had lost his
living, and he hoped gentlemen would remember him."

He accompanied this last appeal with a knowing look and grin at the
occupants of the front public bench, who immediately blushed like turkey
cocks, and again dropped their heads towards their boots.

"Have you anything to say about the disappearance of the boat?" said the
clerk, shuffling his notes.

"Only, your worship," said the solicitor, "that on the 4th of June last
the _Martha_ disappeared from her berth on the beach, and, as White
disappeared at the same time and refuses to give an account of himself
at that particular time, the prosecutors are convinced he removed the
boat himself."

In support of this very vague charge a policeman was called, who gave a
graphic account of the beauties of the moonlight on the night in
question, and of how he had seen, from his beat on the Parade, a figure
move stealthily across the sands to the place where White's boat was
supposed to be. He couldn't quite, swear that the figure was White or
that the boat was the _Martha_ but he didn't know who either could be if
they were not. The figure might have been a