advantage of the permission.

'I wished to say, my lord, that the reason why I went first to see my
aunt, instead of going to my sister's, was because she had befriended
me when I was young. She furnished the money to start me with in
Australia, and I felt it only right, in common gratitude, to come
straight and thank her on my return.'

Another revulsion of feeling swept over the court. The effect of
Tressamer's last suggestion was obliterated. Lewis was once more in
favour.

Pollard had scored. His brother twitched him by the gown from behind
as a hint to sit down. But the unfortunate young man must needs try
and improve on his lucky shot. He summoned up a very tragic demeanour,
and put the fatal question:

'And is there the smallest ground for suggesting that you were near
the house or out of your hotel after ten that night?'

The witness showed confusion. Instead of answering in the prompt,
decided style he had hitherto shown, he hesitated for some seconds,
and then said with visible embarrassment:

'No, there is none.'

Pollard hastily sat down. The rules which govern the production of
evidence did not permit Tressamer to put a further question to the
witness, but he was skilful enough to do what accomplished the same
result. He called across the barristers' table, in a perfectly audible
voice:

'Is anyone from the hotel here, Mr. Pollard?'

'Not that I know of,' was the sullen answer.

And now it was the judge's turn, and he proceeded to put to the
witness that question which was in the mind of every person in court,
but which neither of the counsel had dared to put, each fearing the
answer might be unfavourable to himself.

'Tell me, Mr. Lewis, had you any special reasons--don't tell me what
your reasons were--but had you any reason apart from what you were
told by others for accusing the prisoner of this murder?'

'I had, my lord.'

'Did that reason arise in your mind as a consequence of anything which
you saw the prisoner do, or which took place in her presence?'

'Not exactly, my lord. My aunt said to me----'

The judge swiftly raised his hand with a forbidding gesture, and
pursed up his lips.

'That will do. You can go.'

Mr. Lewis retired, and the jury were left to wonder what the
mysterious reason could be, the result on most of their minds being
far more unfavourable to the prisoner than if the rules of evidence
had allowed the witness to speak freely.

The next witness was the bu