oulder interest give way, nor would the Smiley. But two hundred a
year was a great stake, and at last the thing was arranged, very much
in accordance with the original Smiley view. And now at this most
trying period of his life, poor Kenneby had upon his mind all the
cares of a lover as well as the cares of a witness.

"I shall do my best," said John. "I shall do my best and then throw
myself upon Providence."

"And take a little drop of something comfortable in your pocket,"
said his sister, "so as to sperrit you up a little when your name's
called."

"Sperrit him up!" said Moulder; "why I suppose he'll be standing in
that box the best part of a day. I knowed a man was a witness; it was
a case of horse-stealing; and the man who was the witness was the man
who'd took the horse."

"And he was witness against hisself!" said Mrs. Smiley.

"No; he'd paid for it. That is to say, either he had or he hadn't.
That was what they wanted to get out of him, and I'm blessed if he
didn't take 'em till the judge wouldn't set there any longer. And
then they hadn't got it out of him."

"But John Kenneby ain't one of that sort," said Mrs. Smiley.

"I suppose that man did not want to unbosom himself," said Kenneby.

"Well; no. The likes of him seldom do like to unbosom themselves,"
said Moulder.

"But that will be my desire. If they will only allow me to speak
freely whatever I know about this matter, I will give them no
trouble."

"You mean to act honest, John," said his sister.

"I always did, Mary Anne."

"Well now, I'll tell you what it is," said Moulder. "As Mrs. Smiley
don't like it I won't say anything more about gammon;--not just at
present, that is."

"I've no objection to gammon, Mr. Moulder, when properly used," said
Mrs. Smiley, "but I look on it as disrespectful; and seeing the
position which I hold as regards John Kenneby, anything disrespectful
to him is hurtful to my feelings."

"All right," said Moulder. "And now, John, I'll just tell you what
it is. You've no more chance of being allowed to speak freely there
than--than--than--no more than if you was in church. What are them
fellows paid for if you're to say whatever you pleases out in your
own way?"

"He only wants to say the truth, M.," said Mrs. Moulder, who probably
knew less than her husband of the general usages of courts of law.

"Truth be ----," said Moulder.

"Mr. Moulder!" said Mrs. Smiley. "There's ladies by, if you'll please
to remembe