few
words. He was voluble; I was reticent. I felt obliged to hide from him
the true cause of the deep agitation under which I was labouring.
Attached as he was to me, keenly as he must have felt my anomalous
position, he was too full of Moffat's unwarrantable introduction of
testimony damaging to his client, to think or talk of anything else.

"He has laid him open to attack on every side. Fox has but to follow his
lead, and the thing is done. Poor Arthur may be guilty, but he certainly
should have every chance a careful lawyer could give him. You can see--he
makes it very evident--that he has no further use for Moffat. I wonder
under whose advice he chose him for his counsel. I have never thought
much of Moffat, myself. He wins his cases but--"

"He will win this," I muttered.

Clifton started; looked at me very closely for a minute, paled a
little--I fear that I was very pale myself--but did not ask the question
rising to his lips.

"There is method in the madness of a man like that," I pursued with a
gloom I could not entirely conceal. "He has come upon some evidence which
he has not even communicated to his client. At least, I fear so. We must
be prepared for any untoward event." Then, noticing Clifton's alarm and
wishing to confine it within safe bounds, I added: "I feel that I am
almost as much on trial as Arthur himself. Naturally I am anxious at the
appearance of anything I do not understand."

Clifton frowned. We were quite alone. Leaning forward, he touched my arm.

"Elwood," said he, "you've not been quite open with me."

I smiled. If half the bitterness and sorrow in my heart went into that
smile, it must have been a sad and bitter one indeed.

"You have a right to reproach me," said I, "but not wholly. I did not
deceive you in essentials. You may still believe me as guiltless of
Adelaide's violent death as a man can be who drove her and hers into
misery which death alone could end."

"I will believe it," he muttered, "I must." And he dropped the subject,
as he made me see, forever.

I drew a deep breath of relief. I had come very near to revealing
my secret.

When we returned to the court-room, we found it already packed with a
very subdued and breathless crowd. It differed somewhat from the one
which had faced us in the morning; but Ella and her parents were
there and many others of the acknowledged friends of the accused and
of his family.

He, himself, wore the heavy and dogged air which b