d how matters stood between Gladys
and Hamar.

The barrister--whose name was Sevenning--H.V. Sevenning, of T.C.D. and
Cheltenham College renown--was keenly interested. It was not only that
his sense of chivalry was stirred, but he saw sport. Consequently, the
foregoing conversation resulted in a prosecution which, taking place
some four weeks later, was reported in the London Herald as follows--

EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE HEARD AT THE OLD BAILEY.

REVIVAL OF AN ANCIENT STATUTE.

Yesterday, at the Old Bailey, before His Honour Judge Rosher, Leon
Hamar, Edward Curtis and Matthew Kelson, of the Modern Sorcery
Company Ltd., were indicted under the 23rd of Henry the Fifth, C.
15, which makes it a capital offence to practise and administer
spells. The case for the prosecution promises to be a lengthy one.
An enormous number of witnesses, who are most anxious to make
statements, will be called; and it is anticipated that much of
their evidence will be of a most extraordinary nature.

The accused are cited with having worked spells to the
injury--which injury, in many instances, has been fatal--of a vast
number of people, representative of every rank in life.

Hilda, Countess of Ramsgate, who appeared in heavy mourning, was
the first witness called. In her evidence she stated, that it was
owing to an advertisement she had seen in the _Ladies' Meadow_,
that she had consulted the Modern Sorcery Company Ltd., with the
object of buying a spell to prevent her Pekingese pet, Brutus,
catching colds on his liver. She had hoped to see Mr. Kelson, as
she had heard that he was more sympathetic, where ladies were
concerned, than either Mr. Hamar or Mr. Curtis, but as Mr. Kelson
was engaged, she had consulted Mr. Edward Curtis instead. The
latter had given her a spell which he had assured her would have
the desired effect, but directly she got home, her adored Brutus
developed melancholia, and died raving mad, after having bitten
her child, who, by the way, had died, too.

For the defence, Gerald Kirby, K.C., declared that the spell his
client had given the Countess was perfectly harmless; that it
could not possibly have produced either melancholia or madness.
"Can any dependence," he said, "be placed on a woman, who
obviously thinks more of her dog's death than that of her child!"

The Court was adjourned till