ing among
policemen and magistrates makes you ashamed of yourself. Sir Miles was
very attentive to my father and me and dead against Tom. We sat beside
him and Tom was brought in, Sir Miles told my father that if there was
one thing that showed a low villain it was rick-burning. What do you
think of that. I looked him straight in the face and he said to me he
was doing me a service in getting Tom committed and clearing the country
of such fellows and Rady began laughing. I hate Rady. My father said his
son was not in haste to inherit and have estates of his own to watch and
Sir Miles laughed too. I thought we were discovered at first. Then they
began the examination of Tom. The Tinker was the first witness and he
proved that Tom had spoken against old Blaize and said something about
burning his rick. I wished I had stood in the lane to Bursley with him
alone. Our country lawyer we engaged for Tom cross-questioned him and
then he said he was not ready to swear to the exact words that had
passed between him and Tom. I should think not. Then came another who
swore he had seen Tom lurking about the farmer's grounds that night.
Then came the Bantam and I saw him look at Rady. I was tremendously
excited and my father kept pressing my hand. Just fancy my being brought
to feel that a word from that fellow would make me miserable for life
and he must perjure himself to help me. That comes of giving way to
passion. My father says when we do that we are calling in the devil
as doctor. Well the Bantam was told to state what he had seen and the
moment he began Rady who was close by me began to shake and he was
laughing I knew though his face was as grave as Sir Miles. You never
heard such a rigmarole but I could not laugh. He said he thought he was
certain he had seen somebody by the rick and it was Tom Bakewell who was
the only man he knew who had a grudge against Farmer Blaize and if the
object had been a little bigger he would not mind swearing to Tom and
would swear to him for he was dead certain it was Tom only what he saw
looked smaller and it was pitch-dark at the time. He was asked what time
it was he saw the person steal away from the rick and then he began to
scratch his head and said supper-time. Then they asked what time he had
supper and he said nine o'clock by the clock and we proved that at nine
o'clock Tom was drinking in the ale-house with the Tinker at Bursley and
Sir Miles swore and said he was afraid he could not c