occasions. The
magistrate (an ill-tempered man, with a sour enjoyment in the exercise
of his own power) inquired if any one on or near the road had witnessed
the assault, and, greatly to my surprise, the complainant admitted the
presence of the labourer in the field. I was enlightened, however, as
to the object of the admission by the magistrate's next words. He
remanded me at once for the production of the witness, expressing, at
the same time, his willingness to take bail for my reappearance if I
could produce one responsible surety to offer it. If I had been known
in the town he would have liberated me on my own recognisances, but as
I was a total stranger it was necessary that I should find responsible
bail.

The whole object of the stratagem was now disclosed to me. It had been
so managed as to make a remand necessary in a town where I was a
perfect stranger, and where I could not hope to get my liberty on bail.
The remand merely extended over three days, until the next sitting of
the magistrate. But in that time, while I was in confinement, Sir
Percival might use any means he pleased to embarrass my future
proceedings--perhaps to screen himself from detection
altogether--without the slightest fear of any hindrance on my part. At
the end of the three days the charge would, no doubt, be withdrawn, and
the attendance of the witness would be perfectly useless.

My indignation, I may almost say, my despair, at this mischievous check
to all further progress--so base and trifling in itself, and yet so
disheartening and so serious in its probable results--quite unfitted me
at first to reflect on the best means of extricating myself from the
dilemma in which I now stood. I had the folly to call for writing
materials, and to think of privately communicating my real position to
the magistrate. The hopelessness and the imprudence of this proceeding
failed to strike me before I had actually written the opening lines of
the letter. It was not till I had pushed the paper away--not till, I
am ashamed to say, I had almost allowed the vexation of my helpless
position to conquer me--that a course of action suddenly occurred to my
mind, which Sir Percival had probably not anticipated, and which might
set me free again in a few hours. I determined to communicate the
situation in which I was placed to Mr. Dawson, of Oak Lodge.

I had visited this gentleman's house, it may be remembered, at the time
of my first inquiries