e first witness as he came in--which Elsworthy did, carrying his hat
before him like a kind of shield, and polishing it carefully round and
round. The Rector was far from having any intention of discouraging
the witness, who was indeed his mainstay; but the anxiety of his
peculiar position, as being at once counsel for the prosecution, and
chief magistrate of the bed of justice, gave an unusual sternness to
his face.

"Your name is George Elsworthy," said the Rector, filling his pen with
ink, and looking penetratingly in the witness's face.

"George Appleby Elsworthy," said Rosa's uncle, a little alarmed; "not
as I often signs in full; for you see, sir, it's a long name, and
life's short, and it aint necessary in the way of business--"

"Stationer and newsmonger in Carlingford," interrupted the Rector; "I
should say in Upper Grange Lane, Carlingford; aged--?"

"But it doesn't appear to me that newsmonger is a correct expression,"
said old Mr Western, who was very conversational; "newsmonger means a
gossip, not a tradesman; not that there is any reason why a tradesman
should not be a gossip, but--"

"Aged?" said Mr Morgan, holding his pen suspended in the air. "I will
say newsvendor if that will be better--one cannot be too
particular--Aged--?"

"He is come to years of discretion," said Dr Marjoribanks, "that's all
we need; don't keep us all day waiting, man, but tell your story about
this elopement of your niece. When did it take place, and what are the
facts? Never mind your hat, but say out what you have got to say."

"You are much too summary, Doctor," said Mr Morgan, with a little
offence; but the sense of the assembly was clearly with Dr
Marjoribanks--so that the Rector dashed in 45 as the probable age of
the witness, and waited his further statement.

After this there was silence, and Elsworthy began his story. He
narrated all the facts of Rosa's disappearance, with an intention and
bias which made his true tale a wonderful tacit accusation. Rage,
revenge, a sense of wrong, worked what in an indifferent narrator only
the highest skill could have wrought. He did not mention the Curate's
name, but arranged all his facts in lines like so many trains of
artillery. How Rosa was in the habit of going to Mrs Hadwin's (it was
contrary to Elsworthy's instinct to bring in at this moment any
reference to Mr Wentworth) every night with the newspaper--"not as I
sent her of errands for common--keeping two boys for the