.

"Your aunt took action to allay your anxiety, I understand?" said Mr.
Heathfield, whose watchful eye had noted the unfavourable effect of this
statement on the jury.

The witness bowed.

"Yes," she replied. "I was terribly anxious, as I had not heard from Mr.
Penreath since he went away. Anything was better than the suspense."

"You say accused was moody and depressed when you saw him?" asked Sir
Herbert Templewood.

"Yes."

"May I take it that there was nothing terrifying in his
behaviour--nothing to indicate that he was not in his right mind?"

"No," replied the witness slowly. "He did not frighten me, but I was
concerned about him. He certainly looked ill, and I thought he seemed a
little strange."

"As though he had something on his mind?" suggested Sir Herbert.

"Yes," assented the witness.

"Were you aware that the accused, when he went to see you at your aunt's
home before he departed for Norfolk, was very short of money?"

"I was not. If I had known----"

"You would have helped him--is that what you were going to say?" asked
Mr. Middleheath, as Sir Herbert resumed his seat without pursuing the
point.

"My aunt would have helped Mr. Penreath if she had known he was in
monetary difficulties."

"Thank you." Mr. Middleheath sat down, pulling his gown over his
shoulders.

The witness was leaving the stand when the sharp authoritative voice of
the judge stopped her.

"Wait a minute, please, I want to get this a little clearer. You said
you were aware that the accused was discharged from the Army suffering
from shell-shock. Did he tell you so himself?"

"No, my lord. I was informed so."

"Really, Mr. Middleheath----"

The judge's glance at Counsel for the Defence was so judicial that it
brought Mr. Middleheath hurriedly to his feet again.

"My lord," he explained, "I intend to prove in due course that the
prisoner was invalided out of the Army suffering from shell-shock."

"Very well." The judge motioned to the witness that she was at liberty
to leave the box.

The appearance of Sir Henry Durwood in the box as the next witness
indicated to Crown Counsel that the principal card for the defence was
about to be played. Lawyers conduct defences as some people play
bridge--they keep the biggest trump to the last. Sir Henry represented
the highest trump in Mr. Middleheath's hand, and if he could not score
with him the game was lost.

Sir Henry seemed not unconscious of his importance to the