contrary, if his doubts were sound, and the witness were confounding
the fancies of her late delirium with the actual incidents of this fatal
night, then would he gain rather than lose by allowing her to proceed
until her testimony fell of its own weight, or succumbed before the fire
of his cross-examination.

Modifying his manner, he steadied himself for either exigency, and, in
steadying himself, steadied his colleagues also.

Mr. Moffat, who saw everything, smiled slightly as he spoke encouragingly
to his witness, and propounded his next question:

"Miss Cumberland, was your sister with you when you went to the
club-house?"

"No; we went separately"

"How? Will you explain?"

"I drove there. I don't know how Adelaide went."

"You drove there?"

"Yes. I had Arthur harness up his horse for me and I drove there."

A moment of silence; then a slow awakening--on the part of judge, jury,
and prosecution--to the fact that the case was taking a turn for which
they were ill-prepared. To Mr. Moffat, it was a moment of intense
self-congratulation, and something of the gratification he felt crept
into his voice as he said:

"Miss Cumberland, will you describe this horse?"

"It was a grey horse. It has a large black spot on its left shoulder."

"To what vehicle was it attached?"

"To a cutter--my brother's cutter."

"Was that brother with you? Did he accompany you in your ride to The
Whispering Pines?"

"No, I went quite alone."

Entrancement had now seized upon every mind. Even if her testimony were
not true, but merely the wanderings of a mind not fully restored, the
interest of it was intense. Mr. Fox, glancing at the jury, saw there
would be small use in questioning at this time the mental capacity of the
witness. This was a story which all wished to hear. Perhaps he wished to
hear it, too.

Mr. Moffat rose to more than his accustomed height. The light which
sometimes visited his face when feeling, or a sense of power, was
strongest in him, shone from his eye and irradiated his whole aspect as
he inquired tellingly:

"And how did you return? With whom, and by what means, did you regain
your own house?"

The answer came, with simple directness:

"In the same way I went. I drove back in my brother's cutter and being
all alone just as before, I put the horse away myself, and went into my
empty home and up to Adelaide's room, where I lost consciousness."

The excitement, which had been seething, broke