Half from curiosity, half from a reluctant
inclination to please his father, Jack had joined the others, and they
came in together, all of them noticeable men, profoundly different,
yet identified as belonging to each other by the touching bond of
family resemblance. After the four gentlemen had taken possession of
their corner, Mr Waters made a somewhat hurried entry, bringing after
him the sullen reluctant figure of Wodehouse, who made an awkward bow
to the assembled potentates, and looked ashamed and vigilant, and very
ill at ease. Mr Waters made a hasty explanation to the Rector before
he sat down by the side of his unlucky client. "I thought it possible
there might be some attempt made to shift the blame upon him,
therefore I thought it best to bring him," said the lawyer. Mr Morgan
gave him a dry little nod without answering. To tell the truth, the
Rector felt anything but comfortable; when he glanced up at the
stranger, who was looking askance at the people in the room as if they
had been so many policemen in disguise, a disagreeable sudden
conviction that this sullen rascal looked a great deal more like the
guilty man than Mr Wentworth did, came into Mr Morgan's mind, and made
him sick with annoyance and embarrassment. If it should turn out so!
if it should become apparent that he, for private prejudices of his
own, had been persecuting his brother! This thought produced an actual
physical effect for the moment upon the Rector, but its immediate
visible consequence was simply to make him look more severe, almost
spiteful, in a kind of unconscious self-vindication. Last of all,
Elsworthy, who began to be frightened too, but whose fears were
mingled with no compunction nor blame of himself, stole in and found
an uncomfortable seat on a stool near the door, where scarcely any one
saw him, by favour of Thomas, and screened by the high back of the
Rector's easy-chair. When all were assembled Mr Morgan spoke.

"We are met this evening, gentlemen, to complete, if there is sufficient
time, the investigation we began this morning," said the Rector. "I have
no doubt I express the sentiments of every one present when I say I
shall be glad--_unfeignedly_ glad," said Mr Morgan, with a defiant
emphasis, which was meant to convince himself, "to find that Mr
Wentworth's witness is of sufficient importance to justify the delay. As
we were interrupted this morning solely on his account, I presume it
will be most satisfactory that