know
that any one dared to ask him questions about the Eustace diamonds.

Of Lizzie, and her future career, something further must be said in
the concluding chapters of this work. She has been our heroine, and
we must see her through her immediate troubles before we can leave
her; but it may be as well to mention here, that although many
threats had been uttered against her, not only by Mr. Camperdown and
the other attorneys, but even by the judge himself, no punishment at
all was inflicted upon her in regard to her recusancy, nor was any
attempt made to punish her. The affair was over, and men were glad
to avoid the necessity of troubling themselves further with the
business. It was said that a case would be got up with the view of
proving that she had not been ill at all, and that the Scotch doctor
would be subjected to the loss of his degree, or whatever privileges
in the healing art belonged to him;--but nothing was done, and Lizzie
triumphed in her success.

CHAPTER LXXIX

Once More at Portray

On the very day of the trial Mr. Emilius travelled from London to
Kilmarnock. The trial took place on a Monday, so that he had at his
command an entire week before he would be required to appear again
in his church. He had watched the case against Benjamin and Smiler
very closely, and had known beforehand, almost with accuracy, what
witnesses would appear and what would not at the great coming event
at the Old Bailey. When he first heard of Lady Eustace's illness, he
wrote to her a most affectionately pastoral letter, strongly adjuring
her to think of her health before all things, and assuring her that
in his opinion, and in that of all his friends, she was quite right
not to come up to London. She wrote him a very short but a very
gracious answer, thanking him for his solicitude, and explaining to
him that her condition made it quite impossible that she should leave
Portray.

"I don't suppose anybody knows how ill I am; but it does not matter.
When I am gone, they will know what they have done." Then Mr. Emilius
resolved that he would go down to Scotland. Perhaps Lady Eustace was
not as ill as she thought; but it might be that the trial, and the
hard things lately said of her, and her loneliness, and the feeling
that she needed protection, might, at such a moment as this, soften
her heart. She should know at least that one tender friend did not
desert her because of the evil things which men said of her.

H