he
jurymen. As far as he could judge, they were of the same
calibre--unimaginative, commonplace, and, to a large extent,
self-satisfied men. He thought, however, that they looked toward him
with an expression of sympathy which he had not noted before. Perhaps
they, too, had been influenced by the happenings of the previous trial.

Then Mr. Bakewell rose and said, "I am for the prosecution, my lord."

"Who is for the defence?" asked the judge.

And again there was deathly silence.

"Have you not engaged anyone to defend you?" said Judge Branscombe,
turning to Paul.

"No one," replied Paul. "I wish to defend myself."

The judge uttered an exclamation of surprise. It might seem as though
he knew nothing of the previous trial. He was a lawyer of the very
strictest class. What had been was nothing to him. He was there to
begin the trial at the beginning, and he would act as though nothing
had taken place and as though he were utterly ignorant of what had been
discussed throughout the whole land.

"I strongly advise you to accept the service of someone to undertake
your defence," he said; and he mentioned one or two names of those whom
he felt sure would be willing to act for him. To Paul this seemed like
a repetition of a formula. It was all artificial, unreal.

"No, my lord," he replied. "I intend to defend myself."

"Then you will know," said the judge, "that you have the right to
cross-examine the witnesses."

"Thank you, my lord."

Again Mr. Bakewell rose for the prosecution. His speech was very
nearly a repetition of the one he had delivered on the previous
occasion, but for some reason or another it did not have the same
effect as during its first deliverance. The jury were acquainted with
the facts that had been discussed a hundred times in a hundred
different ways during the last few days. Still, there could be no
doubt about it, the case looked very black for Paul when it concluded.
The long feud which was known to exist between Paul and the murdered
man; the many threats which had been uttered; the quarrel which had
taken place on the night when Paul was elected member for Brunford; the
open insults which the murdered man had hurled at the prisoner; the
scene which had taken place on the night before the murder, and the
threat he had made to avenge the injury. Mr. Bakewell also dwelt upon
the excited state in which Paul was when he returned to the house, as
would be proved by the eviden