n that she had seen the three witnesses sign the codicil, and
no one had then thrown discredit on her. The upshot of all was this,
that the prosecuting side proved satisfactorily that such and such
things had been sworn by Lady Mason; and Felix Graham on the side of
the defence proved that, when she had so sworn, her word had been
considered worthy of credence by the judge and by the jury, and had
hardly been doubted even by the counsel opposed to her. All this
really had been so, and Felix Graham used his utmost ingenuity in
making clear to the court how high and unassailed had been the
position which his client then held.

All this occupied the court till nearly four o'clock, and then as
the case was over on the part of the prosecution, the question arose
whether or no Mr. Furnival should address the jury on that evening,
or wait till the following day. "If your lordship will sit till seven
o'clock," said Mr. Furnival, "I think I can undertake to finish
what remarks I shall have to make by that time." "I should not mind
sitting till nine for the pleasure of hearing Mr. Furnival," said the
judge, who was very anxious to escape from Alston on the day but one
following. And thus it was decided that Mr. Furnival should commence
his speech.

I have said that in spite of some previous hesitation his old fire
had returned to him when he began his work in court on behalf of
his client. If this had been so when that work consisted in the
cross-examination of a witness, it was much more so with him now when
he had to exhibit his own powers of forensic eloquence. When a man
knows that he can speak with ease and energy, and that he will be
listened to with attentive ears, it is all but impossible that he
should fail to be enthusiastic, even though his cause be a bad one.
It was so with him now. All his old fire came back upon him, and
before he had done he had almost brought himself again to believe
Lady Mason to be that victim of persecution as which he did not
hesitate to represent her to the jury.

"Gentlemen of the jury," he said, "I never rose to plead a client's
cause with more confidence than I now feel in pleading that of my
friend Lady Mason. Twenty years ago I was engaged in defending her
rights in this matter, and I then succeeded. I little thought at that
time that I should be called on after so long an interval to renew
my work. I little thought that the pertinacity of her opponent would
hold out for such a perio