e jury were called upon to try. Then got
up Sir Richard Leatherham, the solicitor-general, and at great length
and with wonderful perspicuity explained all the circumstances of
the case, beginning with the undoubted will left by Sir Joseph Mason,
the will independently of the codicil, and coming down gradually to
the discovery of that document in Mr. Dockwrath's office, which led
to the surmise that the signature of those two witnesses had been
obtained, not to a codicil to a will, but to a deed of another
character. In doing this Sir Richard did not seem to lean very
heavily upon Lady Mason, nor did he say much as to the wrongs
suffered by Mr. Mason of Groby. When he alluded to Mr. Dockwrath and
his part in these transactions, he paid no compliment to the Hamworth
attorney; but in referring to his learned friend on the other side
he protested his conviction that the defence of Lady Mason would be
conducted not only with zeal, but in that spirit of justice and truth
for which the gentlemen opposite to him were so conspicuous in their
profession. All this was wormwood to Joseph Mason; but nevertheless,
though Sir Richard was so moderate as to his own side, and so
courteous to that opposed to him, he made it very clear before he sat
down that if those witnesses were prepared to swear that which he was
instructed they would swear, either they must be utterly unworthy of
credit--a fact which his learned friends opposite were as able to
elicit as any gentlemen who had ever graced the English bar--or else
the prisoner now on her trial must have been guilty of the crime of
perjury now imputed to her.

Of all those in court now attending to the proceedings, none listened
with greater care to the statement made by Sir Richard than Joseph
Mason, Lady Mason herself, and Felix Graham. To Joseph Mason it
appeared that his counsel was betraying him. Sir Richard and Round
were in a boat together and were determined to throw him over
yet once again. Had it been possible he would have stopped the
proceedings, and in this spirit he spoke to Dockwrath. To Joseph
Mason it would have seemed right that Sir Richard should begin by
holding up Lady Mason to the scorn and indignation of the twelve
honest jurymen before him. Mr. Dockwrath, whose intelligence was
keener in such matters, endeavoured to make his patron understand
that he was wrong; but in this he did not succeed. "If he lets her
escape me," said Mason, "I think it will be the death