about the case they were trying they were bound to
convict in order to sustain their reputation for intelligence. One of
Mr. Middleheath's favourite tricks for disabusing a jury of the belief
that they possessed any common sense was, before addressing them, to
stare each juryman in the face for half a minute or so in turn with his
piercing penetrative eyes, accompanying the look with a pitying
contemptuous smile, the gaze and the smile implying that counsel for the
opposite side may have flattered them into believing that their
intelligences were fit to try such an intricate case, but they couldn't
deceive _him_.

Having robbed the jury of their self-esteem by this means, Mr.
Middleheath would proceed to put them on good terms with themselves
again by insinuating in persuasive tones that the case was one
calculated to perplex the most astute legal brain. He would frankly
confess that it had perplexed him at first, but as he had mastered its
intricacies the jury were welcome to his laboriously acquired knowledge
in order to help them in arriving at a right decision. Mr. Middleheath's
junior was Mr. Garden Greyson, a thin ascetic looking lawyer whose
knowledge of medical jurisprudence had brought him his brief in the
case. Mr. Oakham sat beside Mr. Greyson with various big books in front
of him.

The judge was Mr. Justice Redington, whose presence on the bench was
always considered a strengthening factor in the Crown case. Judges
differ as much as ordinary human beings, and are as human in their
peculiarities as the juries they direct and the prisoners they try.
There are good-tempered and bad-tempered judges, harsh and tender
judges, learned and foolish judges, there are even judges with an eye to
self-advertisement, and a few wise ones. Mr. Justice Redington belonged
to that class of judges who, while endeavouring to hold the balance
fairly between the Crown and the defence, see to it that the accused
does not get overweight from the scales of justice. Such judges take
advantage of their judicial office by cross-examining witnesses for the
defence after the Crown Prosecutor has finished with them, in the effort
to bring to light some damaging fact or contradiction which the previous
examination has failed to elicit. In other respects, Mr. Justice
Redington was a very fair judge, and he worked as industriously as any
newspaper reporter, taking extensive notes of all his cases with a gold
fountain pen, which he filled