ents perhaps
more picturesque than strictly accurate.

The next thing that Mr. Larmer had to do was to retain counsel, and he
determined to secure as big a man as possible to conduct the defence.
The case had assumed greater importance than would attach to an ordinary
assault upon a wife by her husband. It was magnified by the surrounding
circumstances, so that the interest felt in it was legitimate enough,
apart from the spurious notoriety which had been added to it. Alan's
literary fame had grown considerably within the last year, and his
friends had been terribly shocked by the first bald statement that he
had stabbed his unfortunate wife in a fit of rage.

They had begun by refusing to believe it, then they trusted that he
would be able to prove his innocence, but by this time many of his
warmest admirers were assuring each other that, "after all, the artistic
merit of a poem never did and never would depend upon the moral
character of the poet." They hoped for the best, but were quite prepared
for the worst, and thus they looked forward to the trial with an anxiety
not unmingled with curious anticipation.

The indirect connection of Lettice Campion with a case of this kind was
another intelligible reason for the concern of the respectable public.
Lettice's name was in everybody's mouth, as that of the young novelist
who had made such a brilliant success at the outset of her career, and
all who happened to know how she had been mixed up at an earlier stage
in the quarrel between Walcott and his wife, were wondering if she would
put in an appearance, willingly or unwillingly, at the Central Criminal
Court.

Mr. Larmer clearly saw that the business was sufficiently important to
justify the intervention of the most eminent counsel. As he was running
over the list and balancing the virtues of different men for an occasion
of this sort, his eye fell on the name of Sydney Campion. He started,
and sank back in his chair to meditate.

The idea of having Mr. Campion to defend a man with whom his sister's
name had been unjustly associated was a bold one, and it had not
occurred to him before. Was there any reason against it? What more
natural than that this rising pleader should come into court for the
special purpose of safeguarding the interests of Miss Campion? The
prosecution would not hesitate to introduce her name if they thought it
would do them any good--especially as they would have the contingency of
the divor