ause of that."

"The jury would acquit Mr Evans. That's about what it would amount
to," said the attorney.

"And Cousin Henry would go back to Llanfeare, and have all his
troubles over," remarked Mr Jones. This they deemed to be a
disastrous termination to all the trouble which they were taking, but
one which seemed by no means improbable.

They all agreed that even Mr Cheekey would hardly be able to extract
from the man an acknowledgment that he had with his own hands
destroyed the will. Such a termination as that to a cross-examination
had never been known under the hands of the most expert of advocates.
That Cousin Henry might be stricken dumb, that he might faint, that
he might be committed for contempt of court,--all these events were
possible, or perhaps, not impossible; but that he should say, "Yes, I
did it, I burnt the will. Yes, I, with my own hands,"--that they all
declared to be impossible. And, if so, Cousin Henry would go back
again to Llanfeare confirmed in his possession of the property.

"He will only laugh at us in his sleeve when it is over," said the
auctioneer.

They little knew the torments which the man was enduring, or how
unlikely it was that he should laugh in his sleeve at any one. We are
too apt to forget when we think of the sins and faults of men how
keen may be their conscience in spite of their sins. While they were
thus talking of Cousin Henry, he was vainly endeavouring to console
himself with the reflection that he had not committed any great
crime, that there was still a road open to him for repentance, that
if only he might be allowed to escape and repent in London, he would
be too glad to resign Llanfeare and all its glories. The reader will
hardly suppose that Cousin Henry will return after the trial to laugh
in his sleeve in his own library in his own house.

A few days afterwards Mr Apjohn was up in town and had an interview
with Mr Balsam, the barrister. "This client of mine does not seem to
be a nice sort of country gentleman," said Mr Balsam.

"Anything but that. You will understand, Mr Balsam, that my only
object in persuading him to indict the paper has been to put him into
a witness-box. I told him so, of course. I explained to him that
unless he would appear there, he could never hold up his head."

"And he took your advice."

"Very unwillingly. He would have given his right hand to escape. But
I gave him no alternative. I so put it before him that he could not