epared him for the very
difficult ordeal of a first appearance as a witness. Having answered
the customary inquiries, he was so painfully agitated in describing Mrs.
Farnaby's sufferings, that the coroner suspended the examination for a
few minutes, to give him time to control himself. He failed, however, to
recover his composure, until the narrative part of his evidence had come
to an end. When the critical questions, bearing on his relations with
Mrs. Farnaby, began, the audience noticed that he lifted his head,
and looked and spoke, for the first time, like a man with a settled
resolution in him, sure of himself.

The questions proceeded:

Was he in Mrs. Farnaby's confidence, on the subject of her domestic
differences with her husband? Did those differences lead to her
withdrawing herself from her husband's roof? Did Mrs. Farnaby inform
him of the place of her retreat? To these three questions the witness,
speaking quite readily in each case, answered Yes. Asked next, what the
nature of the 'domestic differences' had been; whether they were likely
to affect Mrs. Farnaby's mind seriously; why she had passed under an
assumed name, and why she had confided the troubles of her married life
to a young man like himself, only introduced to her a few months since,
the witness simply declined to reply to the inquiries addressed to him.
"The confidence Mrs. Farnaby placed in me," he said to the coroner, "was
a confidence which I gave her my word of honour to respect. When I have
said that, I hope the jury will understand that I owe it to the memory
of the dead to say no more."

There was a murmur of approval among the audience, instantly checked by
the coroner. The foreman of the jury rose, and remarked that scruples
of honour were out of place at a serious inquiry of that sort. Hearing
this, the lawyer saw his opportunity, and got on his legs. "I represent
the husband of the deceased lady," he said. "Mr. Goldenheart has
appealed to the law of honour to justify him in keeping silence. I am
astonished that there is a man to be found in this assembly who fails to
sympathize with him. But as there appears to be such a person present,
I ask permission, sir, to put a question to the witness. It may, or may
not, satisfy the foreman of the jury; but it will certainly assist the
object of the present inquiry."

The coroner, after a glance at Mr. Melton, permitted the lawyer to put
his question in these terms:--

"Did your knowle