tion that he could not
have let himself in and out of the house in which he had put himself
to bed on the night of the murder. We now propose to prove that he
had prepared himself with the means of doing so, and had done so
after a fashion which is conclusive as to his having required the key
for some guilty purpose. We assert that your ludship cannot allow the
case to go to the jury without taking cognisance of this telegram;
and we go further, and say that those twelve men, as twelve human
beings with hearts in their bosoms and ordinary intelligence at their
command, cannot ignore the message, even should your ludship insist
upon their doing so with all the energy at your disposal."

Then there was a scene in Court, and it appeared that no less
than four messages had been received from Prague, all to the same
effect. One had been addressed by Madame Goesler to her friend the
Duchess,--and that message had caused the Duke's appearance on the
scene. He had brought his telegram direct to the Old Bailey, and the
Chief Justice now held it in his hand. The lawyer's clerk who had
accompanied Madame Goesler had telegraphed to the Governor of the
gaol, to Mr. Wickerby, and to the Attorney-General. Sir Gregory,
rising with the telegram in his hand, stated that he had received the
same information. "I do not see," said he, "that it at all alters the
evidence as against the prisoner."

"Let your evidence go to the jury, then," said Mr. Chaffanbrass,
"with such observations as his lordship may choose to make on the
telegram. I shall be contented. You have already got your other man
in prison on a charge of bigamy."

"I could not take notice of the message in charging the jury, Mr.
Chaffanbrass," said the judge. "It has come, as far as we know,
from the energy of a warm friend,--from that hearty friendship with
which it seemed yesterday that this gentleman, the prisoner at the
bar, has inspired so many men and women of high character. But it
proves nothing. It is an assertion. And where should we all be, Mr.
Chaffanbrass, if it should appear hereafter that the assertion is
fictitious,--prepared purposely to aid the escape of a criminal?"

"I defy you to ignore it, my lord."

"I can only suggest, Mr. Chaffanbrass," continued the judge, "that
you should obtain the consent of the gentlemen on the other side to a
postponement of my charge."

Then spoke out the foreman of the jury. Was it proposed that they
should be locked up t