uffering his own leanings to repartee, nor the badgering
allusions of his questioner, to draw him for a moment away from the
great object he had set before him; resisting every line, every bait,
the cunning lawyer threw out to seduce him into that land of fancy
so congenial to an Irishman's temperament, he was firm against
all temptation, and even endured that severest of all tests to the
forbearance of his country,--he suffered the laugh more than once to be
raised at his expense, without an effort to retort on his adversary.

The examination lasted three hours; and at its conclusion, every fact
I stated had received confirmation from Darby's testimony, down to the
moment when we left the barrack together.

"Now, M'Keown," said the lawyer, "I am about to call your recollection,
which is so wonderfully accurate that it can give you no trouble in
remembering, to a circumstance which immediately followed the affair."

As he got thus far, Crofts leaned over and drew the counsel towards
him while he whispered some words rapidly in his ear. A brief dialogue
ensued between them; at the conclusion of which the lawyer turned round,
and addressing Darby, said,--

"You may go down, sir; I 've done with you." "Wait a moment," said the
young barrister on my side, who quickly perceived that the interruption
had its secret object. "My learned friend was about to ask you
concerning something which happened after you left the barrack; and
although he has changed his mind on the subject, we on this side would
be glad to hear what you have to say."

Darby's eyes flashed with unwonted brilliancy; and I thought I caught
a glance of triumphant meaning towards Crofts, as he began his recital,
which was in substance nothing more than what the reader already knows.
When he came to the mention of Fortescue's name, however, Crofts, whose
excitement was increasing at each moment, lost all command over himself,
and cried out,--

"It's false! every word untrue! The man was dead at the time."

The court rebuked the interruption, and Darby went on.

"No, my lord; he was alive. But Mr. Crofts is not to blame, for he
believed he was dead; and, more than that, he thought he took the sure
way to make him so."

These words produced the greatest excitement throughout the court;
and an animated discussion ensued, how far the testimony could go to
inculpate a party not accused. It was ruled, at last, the evidence
should be heard, as touching the ca