leman leaned forward and asked her if she
knew what an oath was, repeating his solemn warning. Then came the
question, "What is your name?"

"Please, sir, I don't know," Elsie faltered, bursting into tears.

"The child is just dazed, your honour!" cried a voice from the crowd,
which rang strangely in Elsie's ears, but the venturesome individual was
silenced immediately.

"You told us the other day," the old gentleman said kindly. "You have
only to tell the truth, then you need not be frightened."

"I'm afraid it was a story," Elsie exclaimed. And the "fairy mother"
looked round anxiously. "I don't know whether my name is Elsie
MacDougall or Elsie Grosvenor, because I am not sure whether Mrs.
MacDougall was our mother or whether Aunt Nannie was."

Again a voice cried out something from the crowd, but Elsie did not
catch the words. The person was warned that she would be removed if she
interrupted again, and the gentleman continued.

"We will take your name as Elsie MacDougall. Is it true that you ran
away from your home on a certain Wednesday?"

Elsie replied that she had done so, and then she was asked a great many
questions, first about herself, then about the companions she had
travelled with, which it would take far too much room to write down. She
was terrified almost beyond measure at answering such inquiries with the
terrible "fairy mother" standing close by, especially when other
gentlemen began to ask her questions too in a sharp way that confused
and bewildered her. Every particular of her acquaintance with these
people was drawn from her, and a great deal of interest displayed in her
account of how she was separated from Duncan, and the description of
"Uncle William's" sudden change into "Grandpapa Donaldson."

"Now look well at this person. Have you ever seen him before?" the
magistrate asked, pointing to the man standing near Mrs. Donaldson.

Elsie replied that she had not but he seemed to remind her a little of
some one she had seen.

One of the gentlemen then held up a black wig, and whiskers, beard, and
moustache.

Elsie recognised them at once. "I know what that is like!" she
exclaimed, in great astonishment. "He had hair like that when he was
Uncle William."

Another wig was then held before Elsie's wondering eyes. This time it
was grey, with a small close-cut beard and whiskers, such as the old man
in the railway carriage wore.

They were handed in turn to the man standing by Mrs. Donal