e last set of footsteps you heard sounded
heavy when they went downstairs. Will you swear that they did not
sound equally heavy coming up?'

'I didn't notice.'

'I didn't ask you if you had noticed. Don't try and shirk my question,
please. Will you pledge your oath that they weren't equally heavy
coming upstairs?'

'No, I won't swear it.'

'Have you any reason, except your dislike of the prisoner, for
suggesting that those footsteps were hers?'

The judge interposed.

'Really, Mr. Tressamer, you mustn't put it like that. She says that
she didn't dislike the prisoner, and you must take her answer. I allow
great latitude to counsel in your situation, but you must treat the
witness fairly.'

'As your lordship pleases.'

Tressamer sat down, rather glad to leave his question unanswered, as
the effect thereby produced on the jury's mind would be better than if
the witness had had a chance of offering her grounds for suspicion.

'Lucy Griffiths.'

This was the housemaid, and her evidence contained nothing of
importance. In cross-examination she admitted that she had detected no
likeness between the descending footsteps heard by her and Miss
Owen's. In fact, she had at first thought they sounded like a man's.

The next witness was the fisherman, who stated to Mr. Pollard that he
had met a female about midnight on the eventful first of June, whom he
at the time believed to be the prisoner. He thought so still.

His cross-examination elicited two facts: First, that he had once met
Miss Owen at the same late hour before; secondly, that he had met
other persons going in the same direction the same night at or about
the same time.

Tressamer chose to emphasize this point.

'Could you tell those gentlemen,' he said, indicating the jury, who
instantly tried to look as if they had been attending, and had not
long ago given up the task in despair, 'what the other people were
like whom you saw?'

'Well, one of them was a man.'

'Come, that's something; but it's not much. Can't you tell us what
sort of a man? Was he tall?'

The jury instantly looked at Lewis.

'No; I didn't notice as how he was particular tall. Middlin' short, I
should say.'

'About my height?'

'Yes; about that. Summat about your size.'

Tressamer laughed, and a smile went round the court at the serious way
in which the witness gave his answer.

'Well, who else did you see?'

'I see another man afore then.'

'Ah! Was he tall?'

'Why,