casion, that the
diamonds had then been taken. She had omitted to name the diamonds
in her catalogue of the things stolen; but she was sure that she had
never said that they were not then taken. She had said nothing about
the diamonds, knowing them to be her own, and preferring to lose them
to the trouble of again referring to the night at Carlisle. Such was
her evidence for the prosecution, and then she was turned over to the
very learned and very acute gentleman whom Mr. Benjamin had hired for
his defence,--or rather, to show cause why he should not be sent for
trial.

It must be owned that poor Lizzie did receive from his hands some of
that punishment which she certainly deserved. This acute and learned
gentleman seemed to possess for the occasion the blandest and most
dulcet voice that ever was bestowed upon an English barrister. He
addressed Lady Eustace with the softest words, as though he hardly
dared to speak to a woman so eminent for wealth, rank, and beauty;
but nevertheless he asked her some very disagreeable questions. "Was
he to understand that she went of her own will before the bench
of magistrates at Carlisle, with the view of enabling the police
to capture certain persons for stealing certain jewels, while she
knew that the jewels were actually in her own possession?" Lizzie,
confounded by the softness of his voice as joined to the harshness of
the question, could hardly understand him, and he repeated it thrice,
becoming every time more and more mellifluous. "Yes," said Lizzie at
last. "Yes?" he asked. "Yes," said Lizzie. "Your ladyship did send
the Cumberland police after men for stealing jewels which were in
your ladyship's own hands when you swore the information?" "Yes,"
said Lizzie. "And your ladyship knew that the information was
untrue?" "Yes," said Lizzie. "And the police were pursuing the men
for many weeks?" "Yes," said Lizzie. "On your information?" "Yes,"
said Lizzie, through her tears. "And your ladyship knew all the time
that the poor men were altogether innocent of taking the jewels?"
"But they took the box," said Lizzie, through her tears. "Yes," said
the acute and learned gentleman, "somebody took your ladyship's
iron box out of the room, and you swore that the diamonds had been
taken. Was it not the fact that legal proceedings were being taken
against you for recovery of the diamonds by persons who claimed the
property?" "Yes," said Lizzie. "And these persons withdrew their
proceedi