Mr.
Mason of Groby; "there's no screw loose that I can find."

"And will that man be able to speak?" Mr. Mason was alluding to John
Kenneby.

"I think he will, as corroborating the woman Bolster. That's all we
shall want. We shall put up the woman first; that is, after I have
done. I don't think they'll make much of her, Mr. Mason."

"They can't make her say that she signed two deeds if she is willing
to tell the truth. There's no danger, you think, that she's been
tampered with,--that she has taken money."

"No, no; there's been nothing of that."

"They'd do anything, you know," said Mr. Mason. "Think of such a man
as Solomon Aram! He's been used to it all his life, you know."

"They could not do it, Mr. Mason; I've been too sharp on them. And
I tell you what,--they know it now. There isn't one of them that
doesn't know we shall get a verdict." And then for a few minutes
there was silence between the two friends.

"I'll tell you what, Dockwrath," said Mr. Mason, after a while; "I've
so set my heart upon this--upon getting justice at last--that I do
think it would kill me if I were to be beaten. I do, indeed. I've
known this, you know, all my life; and think what I've felt! For
twenty-two years, Dockwrath! By ----! in all that I have read I don't
think I ever heard of such a hardship! That she should have robbed
me for two-and-twenty years!--And now they say that she will be
imprisoned for twelve months!"

"She'll get more than that, Mr. Mason."

"I know what would have been done to her thirty years ago, when
the country was in earnest about such matters. What did they do to
Fauntleroy?"

"Things are changed since then, ain't they?" said Dockwrath, with
a laugh. And then he went to look up his flock, and take them into
court. "I'll meet you in the hall, Mr. Mason, in twenty minutes from
this time."

And so the play was beginning on each side.

CHAPTER LXVIII

THE FIRST DAY OF THE TRIAL

And now the judge was there on the bench, the barristers and the
attorneys were collected, the prisoner was seated in their presence,
and the trial was begun. As is usual in cases of much public moment,
when a person of mark is put upon his purgation, or the offence is
one which has attracted notice, a considerable amount of time was
spent in preliminaries. But we, who are not bound by the necessities
under which the court laboured, will pass over these somewhat
rapidly. The prisoner was arraigned on the charg