the subject. But yet neither of them had ever
said that she was guilty. Aram, in discussing with his clerks the
work which it was necessary that they should do in the matter, had
never expressed such an opinion; nor had Chaffanbrass done so in the
consultations which he had held with Aram. As to the verdict they
had very often expressed an opinion--differing considerably. Mr.
Aram was strongly of opinion that Lady Mason would be acquitted,
resting that opinion mainly on his great confidence in the powers
of Mr. Chaffanbrass. But Mr. Chaffanbrass would shake his head, and
sometimes say that things were not now as they used to be.

"That may be so in the City," said Mr. Aram. "But you won't find a
City jury down at Alston."

"It's not the juries, Aram. It's the judges. It usedn't to be so,
but it is now. When a man has the last word, and will take the
trouble to use it, that's everything. If I were asked what point I'd
best like to have in my favour I'd say, a deaf judge. Or if not that,
one regularly tired out. I've sometimes thought I'd like to be a
judge myself, merely to have the last word."

"That wouldn't suit you at all, Mr. Chaffanbrass, for you'd be sick
of it in a week."

"At any rate I'm not fit for it," said the great man meekly. "I'll
tell you what, Aram, I can look back on life and think that I've done
a deal of good in my way. I've prevented unnecessary bloodshed. I've
saved the country thousands of pounds in the maintenance of men
who've shown themselves well able to maintain themselves. And I've
made the Crown lawyers very careful as to what sort of evidence they
would send up to the Old Bailey. But my chances of life have been
such that they haven't made me fit to be a judge. I know that."

"I wish I might see you on the bench to-morrow;--only that we
shouldn't know what to do without you," said the civil attorney. It
was no more than the fair every-day flattery of the world, for the
practice of Mr. Solomon Aram in his profession was quite as surely
attained as was that of Mr. Chaffanbrass. And it could hardly be
called flattery, for Mr. Solomon Aram much valued the services of
Mr. Chaffanbrass, and greatly appreciated the peculiar turn of that
gentleman's mind.

The above conversation took place in Mr. Solomon Aram's private room
in Bucklersbury. In that much-noted city thoroughfare Mr. Aram rented
the first floor of a house over an eating establishment. He had no
great paraphernalia of books an