dress, and I am not a
little puffed with pride to be proceeded against by a plaintiff of such
a stylish and elegant appearance.

[Illustration: WITHERINGTON, Q.C.]

10.25 A.M.--After all, WITHERINGTON, Q.C., has paid me the marked
compliment of turning up to personally conduct my cross-examination. At
which SMARTLE, Esq., becomes lugubrious, averring that he is capable of
turning my inside out in no time unless I am preciously careful. But,
knowing that such inhuman barbarities are not feasible in civilised
regions, I enter the box with a serene and smiling countenance....

_Later._--I am unspeakably delighted with the urbanity (on the whole)
with which I have been cross-examined. For, to my wonderment,
WITHERINGTON, Q.C., commenced with displaying a respectful and
sympathetic interest in my career, &c., which rendered me completely at
my ease, and though on occasions he did suddenly manifest inquisitorial
severity, I soon discovered that his anger was mere wind from a tea-pot,
and that he was in secret highly gratified by the nature of my replies.
And for the most part he had the great condescension to treat me with a
kind and facetious familiarity.

I had privately commissioned a shorthanded acquaintance of mine with
instructions to take down nothing but my answers, but with inconceivable
doltishness he has done the exact converse, and transcribed merely the
utterances of Mister WITHERINGTON! However, as I do not accurately
recall my responses, I am to insert the report here _pro tanto_,
trusting to the ingenuity of the public to read between the lines.

HERE FOLLOWS THE REPORT.

_Mr Witherington, Q.C._ Well, Mr JABBERJEE, so it seems that it is all a
mistake about your being a Prince, eh?... And, however such an idea may
have originated, _you_ never represented yourself as a Rajah, or
anything of the kind?... I was sure you would say so. You have such a
high regard for truth, and such a deep sense of the obligation of an
oath, that you are incapable of a deliberate falsehood at any time--may
I take that for granted?... Very glad to hear it. And of course, Mr
JABBERJEE, it was no fault of yours if people chose to assume, from a
certain magnificence in your appearance and way of living and so on,
that you must be of high rank in your own country?... But, though you
don't set up to be a Prince, you are, I believe, a recent acquisition to
the honourable profession of which we are both members?... And also a