were subsiding, Darby dropped his head, and placed
his hand above his ear. "There it is, by gorra; there's no mistaking
that laugh, anyhow," cried he; "there's a screech in it might plaze an
owl." And with that he turned abruptly round and faced the bench where
Crofts was seated. "I heard it a while ago, but I couldn't say where.
That's the man," said he, pointing with his finger to Crofts, who seemed
actually to cower beneath his piercing glance.

"Remember, sir, you are on your solemn oath. Will you swear that the
gentleman there is Sir Montague Crofts?"

"I know nothing about Sir Montague," said Darby, composedly, while
rising he walked over towards the edge of the table where Crofts was
sitting, "but I'll swear that's the same Captain Crofts that I knocked
down while he was shortening his sword to run it through Master Burke;
and by the same token, he has a cut in the skull where he fell on the
fender." And before the other could prevent it, he stretched out his
hand, and placed it on the back of the crown of Crofts's head. "There it
is, just as I tould you."

The sensation these words created in the court was most striking,
and even the old lawyer appeared overwhelmed at the united craft and
consistency of the piper. The examination was resumed; but Darby's
evidence tallied so accurately with my statement that its continuance
only weakened the case for the prosecution.

As the sudden flash of the lightning will sometimes disclose what in the
long blaze of noonday has escaped the beholder, so will conviction
break unexpectedly upon the human mind from some slight but striking
circumstance which comes with the irresistible force of unpremeditated
truthfulness. From that moment it was clear the jury to a man were with
Darby. They paid implicit attention to all he said, and made notes of
every trivial fact he mentioned; while he, as if divining the impression
he had made, became rigorously cautious that not a particle of his
evidence could be shaken, nor the effect of his testimony weakened by
even a passing phrase of exaggeration. It was, indeed, a phenomenon
worth studying, to see this fellow, whose natural disposition was the
irrepressible love of drollery and recklessness,--whose whole heart
seemed bent on the indulgence of his wayward, careless humor,--suddenly
throw off every eccentricity of his character, and become a steady and
accurate witness, delivering his evidence carefully and cautiously,
and never s