f any one. Now I ask you again, Caroline
Brattle, whether you are not one of the unfortunates?"

This attempt of the burly barrister was to a certain extent
successful. The juryman who had daughters of his own had been put
down, and the barrister had given, at any rate, an answer to the
attack that had been silently made on him by the feeling of the
court. Let a man be ready with a reply, be it ever so bad a reply,
and any attack is parried. But Carry had given no answer to the
question, and those who looked at her thought it very improbable that
she would be able to do so. She had clutched the arm of the man who
stood by her, and in the midst of her sobs was looking round with
snatched, quick, half-completed glances for protection to the spot on
which her father and brother were standing. The old man had moaned
once; but after that he uttered no sound. He stood leaning on his
stick with his eyes fixed upon the ground, quite motionless. Sam was
standing with his hands grasping the woodwork before him and his bold
gaze fastened on the barrister's face, as though he were about to fly
at him. The burly barrister saw it all and perceived that more was to
be gained by sparing than by persecuting his witness, and resolved to
let her go.

"I believe that will do," he said. "Your silence tells all that I
wish the jury to know. You may go down." Then the man who had acted
as mouthpiece led Carry away, delivered her up to her father, and
guided them both out of court.

They went back to the room in which they had before been seated, and
there they waited for Sam, who was called into the witness-box as
they left the court.

"Oh, father," said Carry, as soon as the old man was again placed
upon the bench. And she stood over him, and put her hand upon his
neck.

"We've won through it, girl, and let that be enough," said the
miller. Then she sat down close by his side, and not another word was
spoken by them till Sam returned.

Sam's evidence was, in fact, but of little use. He had had dealings
with Acorn, who had introduced him to Burrows, and had known the two
men at the old woman's cottage on the Common. When he was asked, what
these dealings had been, he said they were honest dealings.

"About your sister's marriage?" suggested the crown lawyer.

"Well,--yes," said Sam. And then he stated that the men had come over
to Bullhampton and that he had accompanied them as they walked round
Farmer Trumbull's house. He had take