d, by the production of his professional diary, that the discovery
of the attempt to poison his patient had taken place before the day of
Eunice's departure from the farm, and that the first improvement in
Mr. Philip Dunboyne's state of health had shown itself after that young
lady's arrival to perform the duties of a nurse. To the wise precautions
which she had taken--perverted by Helena to the purpose of a false
accusation--the doctor attributed the preservation of the young man's
life.

Having produced the worst possible impression on the minds of the
magistrates, Helena was remanded. Her legal adviser had predicted
this result; but the vindictive obstinacy of his client had set both
experience and remonstrance at defiance.

At the renewed examination, the line of defense adopted by the
prisoner's lawyer proved to be--mistaken identity.

It was asserted that she had never entered the chemist's shop; also,
that the assistant had wrongly identified some other lady as Miss Helena
Gracedieu; also, that there was not an atom of evidence to connect her
with the stealing of the doctor's prescription-paper and the forgery of
his writing. Other assertions to the same purpose followed, on which
it is needless to dwell. The case for the prosecution was, happily, in
competent hands. With the exception of one witness, cross-examination
afforded no material help to the evidence for the defense.

The chemist swore positively to the personal appearance of Helena,
as being the personal appearance of the lady who had presented the
prescription. His assistant, pressed on the question of identity, broke
down under cross-examination--purposely, as it was whispered, serving
the interests of the prisoner. But the victory, so far gained by
the defense, was successfully contested by the statement of the next
witness, a respectable tradesman in the town. He had seen the newspaper
report of the first examination, and had volunteered to present himself
as a witness. A member of Mr. Gracedieu's congregation, his pew in the
chapel was so situated as to give him a view of the minister's daughters
occupying their pew. He had seen the prisoner on every Sunday, for years
past; and he swore that he was passing the door of the chemist's shop,
at the moment when she stepped out into the street, having a bottle
covered with the customary white paper in her hand. The doctor and
his servant were the next witnesses called. They were severely
cross-exami