g unfeeling, and Sir Allan's silence
and non-expression of any sympathy toward Bernard Maddison annoyed him
not a little.

"Yes, he's gone," he answered shortly. "I can't believe that there's
the slightest vestige of truth in that ridiculous charge. The man is
innocent; I'm sure of it."

Sir Allan shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't believe he's guilty myself," he answered; "but one never
knows."

CHAPTER XXXV

COMMITTED FOR TRIAL

Early on the following morning Mr. Thurwell ordered his dog cart, and
drove into Mallory. The arrest of Bernard Maddison had been kept quite
secret, and nothing was known as yet of the news which was soon to throw
the little town into a state of great excitement. But in the immediate
vicinity of the courthouse there was already some stir. The lord
lieutenant's carriage was drawn up outside, and there was an unusual
muster of magistrates. As a rule the cases brought before their
jurisdiction were trivial in the extreme, consisting chiefly of
drunkenness, varied by an occasional petty assault. There was scarcely
one of them who remembered having sat upon so serious a charge. Lord
Lathon came over to Mr. Thurwell directly he entered the retiring room.

"You have heard of this matter, I suppose?" he inquired, as they shook
hands.

"Yes," Mr. Thurwell answered gravely. "He was arrested at my house last
night."

"I can't believe the thing possible," Lord Lathon continued. "Still,
from what I hear, we shall certainly have to send it for trial."

"I am afraid you will," Mr. Thurwell answered. "I shall not sit myself;
I am prejudiced."

"In his favor or the reverse?" his lordship inquired.

"In his favor, decidedly," Mr. Thurwell answered, passing out behind the
others, and taking a seat in the body of the room.

The general impatience was doomed to be aggravated. The first prisoner
was an old man charged with assaulting his wife. The bench listened for
a few minutes to her garrulous tale, and managed to gather from it that
a caution from their worships was what she chiefly desired. Having
arrived at this point, Lord Lathon ruthlessly stopped her, and dismissed
the case, with a few stern words to the elderly reprobate, who departed
muttering threats against his better half which, for her bodily comfort,
it is to be hoped that he did not put into execution.

Then there was a few minutes' expectation, at the conclusion of which
Bernard Maddison was brought in between two policem