ill somebody should come from Prague, and that
then the trial should be recommenced? The system, said the foreman,
under which Middlesex juries were chosen for service in the City was
known to be most horribly cruel;--but cruelty to jurymen such as this
had never even been heard of. Then a most irregular word was spoken.
One of the jurymen declared that he was quite willing to believe the
telegram. "Every one believes it," said Mr. Chaffanbrass. Then the
Chief Justice scolded the juryman, and Sir Gregory Grogram scolded
Mr. Chaffanbrass. It seemed as though all the rules of the Court
were to be set at defiance. "Will my learned friend say that he
doesn't believe it?" asked Mr. Chaffanbrass. "I neither believe nor
disbelieve it; but it cannot affect the evidence," said Sir Gregory.
"Then send the case to the jury," said Mr. Chaffanbrass. It seemed
that everybody was talking, and Mr. Wickerby, the attorney, tried
to explain it all to the prisoner over the bar of the dock, not in
the lowest possible voice. The Chief Justice became angry, and the
guardian of the silence of the Court bestirred himself energetically.
"My lud," said Mr. Chaffanbrass, "I maintain that it is proper that
the prisoner should be informed of the purport of these telegrams.
Mercy demands it, and justice as well." Phineas Finn, however, did
not understand, as he had known nothing about the latch-key of the
house in Northumberland Street.

Something, however, must be done. The Chief Justice was of opinion
that, although the preparation of a latch-key in Prague could not
really affect the evidence against the prisoner,--although the facts
against the prisoner would not be altered, let the manufacture of
that special key be ever so clearly proved,--nevertheless the jury
were entitled to have before them the facts now tendered in evidence
before they could be called upon to give a verdict, and that
therefore they should submit themselves, in the service of their
country, to the very serious additional inconvenience which they
would be called upon to endure. Sundry of the jury altogether
disagreed with this, and became loud in their anger. They had already
been locked up for a week. "And we are quite prepared to give a
verdict," said one. The judge again scolded him very severely; and
as the Attorney-General did at last assent, and as the unfortunate
jurymen had no power in the matter, so it was at last arranged.
The trial should be postponed till time sh