upon success.

He only put one more question.

'You had a good many opportunities of seeing your mistress and Miss
Owen together. Did they always seem to you to be on friendly,
affectionate terms?'

'Yes, sir, always.'

'Thank you.'

This finished the butler's evidence, as Mr. Pollard wisely abstained
from any re-examination.

He next proceeded to call the parlourmaid, Rebecca Rees.

A pretty, vain, pert-looking girl stepped into the box, and took hold
of the Testament.

'Take off your glove,' said the clerk.

She did so with some difficulty, as the thing had about half a dozen
buttons to unfasten. Then she was sworn and proceeded to tell her
story.

In a shrill voice, which visibly irritated the judge, she went on, and
described how she had gone to bed, how she awoke at midnight and heard
a sound proceeding from below.

'What was the nature of the sound?' asked the counsel who was
examining her.

'It was a groan,' was the reply, 'like as if somebody was being hurt.'

The prisoner's counsel here hurriedly turned over the pages of his
brief till he came to a certain place, where he made a note in the
margin.

'What did you hear next?'

'I heard the prisoner going downstairs.'

The Judge: 'What do you mean? Could you see her?'

Witness: 'No, sir. I heard her.'

Mr. Pollard: 'She means she recognised the footsteps, my lord.'

The Judge: 'Don't interrupt me, please.' (_To witness_) 'Young woman,
be careful. That is not the way to give evidence, as you know
perfectly well. You mustn't tell us that you heard the prisoner. You
heard footsteps; that's all.' (_A pause._) 'Now, Mr. Pollard, you can
go on.'

Mr. Pollard: 'Did you recognise the footsteps?'

His lordship frowned and shrugged his shoulders.

Witness: 'I thought it was Miss Owen.'

Mr. Pollard: 'Well, now tell us what you did.'

The girl proceeded to describe how she had got up and gone down to the
front-door.

'How was it fastened?' was the next question.

'It was on the latch. The bolts were drawn back, and it wasn't locked
nor yet chained.'

'Did you see whether the latch was up or down?'

'I object!'

Mr. Tressamer had risen in a fresh burst of indignation.

'My lord, my friend has distinctly suggested the answer to the
witness. I object to her being allowed to say anything about the latch
after such a question as that.'

'I didn't intend to lead her, my lord,' said Pollard.

The judge hesitated for awhile between his