terwards he was shocked and
sobered at the obviously irresponsible condition of my poor brother when
enraged. He had never seen him so before.'

"'Is it true that Mr. Manners' pocket-knife was in your possession at
the time of the murder?'

"'It is.'

"'Does your window look upon the "Honeysuckle Walk," where the prisoner
says that he spent the time between leaving your house and the finding
of the body?'

"'Yes.'

"'Was the prisoner likely to have any attractive associations connected
with it, in reference to yourself?'

"'We had often been there together before we were engaged. It was a
favourite walk of mine.'

"'Do you suppose that any one in this walk could hear cries proceeding
from the low gate?'

"'Certainly not.'

"The cross-examination of Crosby was as follows:--

"Mr. A.---- 'Were the prisoner's clothes much disordered, as if
he had been struggling?'

"'No; he looked much as usual; but he was covered with blood.'

"'So we have heard you say. Do you think that a man, in perfectly clean
clothes, could have lifted the body out of the ditch without being
covered with blood?'

"'No: perhaps not.'

"'Was there any means by which so much blood could have been accumulated
in the ditch, unless the body had been thrown there?'

"'I think not. The pool were too big.'

"'I have two more questions to ask, and I beg the special attention of
the jury to the answers. Is the ditch, or is it not, very thickly
overgrown with brambles and brushwood?'

"'Yes; there be a many brambles.'

"'Do you think that any single man could drag a heavy body from the
bottom of the ditch on to the bank, without severely scratching his
hands?'

"'No; I don't suppose he could.'

"'That is all I wish to ask.'

"Not being permitted to address the jury, it was all that he could do.
Then the Recorder summed up. God forgive him the fatal accuracy
with which he placed every link in a chain of evidence so condemning
that I confess poor George seemed almost to have been taken _in
flagrante delicto_. The jury withdrew; and my sweet Mistress Dorothy,
who had remained in court against my wish, suddenly dropped like an
apple-blossom, and I carried her out in my arms. When I had placed her
in safety, I came back, and pressed through the crowd to hear the
verdict.

"As I got in, the Recorder's voice fell on my ear, every word like a
funeral knell,--'_May the Lord have mercy on your soul!_'

"I think for a few minutes I lost my