n there had been the quarrel."

"My lord, is not that begging the question? Mr. Bonteen quarrelled
with Mr. Finn. Mr. Bonteen was murdered by a man,--as we all
believe,--whom you saw at a certain spot. Therefore you identified
the man whom you saw as Mr. Finn. Was that so?"

"I didn't identify him."

"At any rate you do not do so now? Putting aside the grey coat there
is nothing to make you now think that that man and Mr. Finn were one
and the same? Come, my lord, on behalf of that man's life, which is
in great jeopardy,--is in great jeopardy because of the evidence
given by you before the magistrate,--do not be ashamed to speak the
truth openly, though it be at variance with what you may have said
before with ill-advised haste."

"My lord, is it proper that I should be treated in this way?" said
the witness, appealing to the Bench.

"Mr. Chaffanbrass," said the judge, again looking at the barrister
over his spectacles, "I think you are stretching the privilege of
your position too far."

"I shall have to stretch it further yet, my lord. His lordship in his
evidence before the magistrate gave on his oath a decided opinion
that the man he saw was Mr. Finn;--and on that evidence Mr. Finn was
committed for murder. Let him say openly, now, to the jury,--when Mr.
Finn is on his trial for his life before the Court, and for all his
hopes in life before the country,--whether he thinks as then he
thought, and on what grounds he thinks so."

"I think so because of the quarrel, and because of the grey coat."

"For no other reasons?"

"No;--for no other reasons."

"Your only ground for suggesting identity is the grey coat?"

"And the quarrel," said Lord Fawn.

"My lord, in giving evidence as to identity, I fear that you do not
understand the meaning of the word." Lord Fawn looked up at the
judge, but the judge on this occasion said nothing. "At any rate we
have it from you at present that there was nothing in the appearance
of the man you saw like to that of Mr. Finn except the colour of the
coat."

"I don't think there was," said Lord Fawn, slowly.

Then there occurred a scene in the Court which no doubt was
gratifying to the spectators, and may in part have repaid them for
the weariness of the whole proceeding. Mr. Chaffanbrass, while Lord
Fawn was still in the witness-box, requested permission for a certain
man to stand forward, and put on the coat which was lying on the
table before him,--this coat being in t