H_. Ah, she cried. Well, sergeant, that will do; you may go.
(_Aside_: The sooner he goes the better. Wouldn't I like to have the
cross-examining of him if he was called on the other side!) Constable
Potlegoff.

[POTLEGOFF _sworn_.

_Mr. H_. Well, constable, did you see the woman take the loaves?

_Potlegoff_. Yes, sir.

_Mr. H_. How did she take them?

_Pot_. Off the counter, sir.

_Mr. H_. Did she go into the shop to take them?

_Pot_. Yes, sir. (_Aside_: I thought I was to say into three shops.)

_Mr. H_. One after another?

_Pot_. Yes, out of one shop one after another. (_Aside_: Now it's
right, I hope.)

_Mr. H_. (_Aside_: Confound him, he's contradicting the other!) (_To_
POT.) Yes, just so; one after the other. And did you see the second
loaf tumble down?

_Pot_. Yes, sir.

_Mr. H_. When was that?

_Pot_. As she took it off the counter.

_Mr. H_. Yes, _after_ she took it off the counter, in the street?

_Pot_. No, sir. (_Catching the_ SERGEANT'S _eye_.) I mean yes, sir,
and she wiped the mud off them; the sergeant saw her--and I saw her.

_A Voice_. Off IT, you liar! 'twas the second loaf, the single loaf, the
other liar said!

[_Confusion. The judge wakes up and splutters, and tries to say
something; the_ USHER _goes through the audience, but finds no one_;
HUNGARY _spreads out his hands to the Jury, appealingly_.

_Mr. H_. Yes, so it was in the street that you saw the loaves fall down?

_Pot_. Yes, sir; it was in the street that I saw it tumble down.

_A Voice_. You mean _them_, you fool! You haven't got the story right
yet!

[_Confusion again. The_ JUDGE _sits up and stares like a man awaked from
a nightmare, then calls out_ Officer! Officer! _very loud. The_ USHER
_goes his errand again, and comes back bootless_.

_Mr. H_. (_very blandly_). It was in the street that you saw the three
loaves fall down?

_Pot_. Yes, it was in the street that I saw the loaf fall down.

_Mr. H_. Yes, in the street; just so, in the street. You may go
(_Aside_: for a damned fool!). Constable Strongithoath.

[CONSTABLE STRONGITHOATH _sworn_,

_Mr. H_. Constable, did you see this robbery?

_Strong_. I saw it.

_Mr. H_. Tell us what you saw.

_Strong_, (_very slowly and stolidly, and as if repeating a lesson_). I
saw her steal them all--all--all from one shop--from three shops--I
followed her--I took her. When she took it up--she let it drop--in the
sho