orgeous clothing of pink
and yellow hue, accordingly gladdened the eyes of the Abertaffians as
they paraded the streets and hung about the court-house. Each man of
the rank and file carried a weapon the like of which had not often
been looked upon. It resembled an axe with an exaggerated handle, only
the back of the blade was prolonged into a formidable spike, while the
handle extended beyond into a species of spear-point. Armed with these
truly terrific weapons, Mr. Reynolds's faithful henchmen might well
strike awe into the heart of the boldest boy in Abertaff. It was felt
that they were the principal feature of the assize. The judges, by
common consent, took a secondary place. Their robes were fine, no
doubt, but their rather ill-fitting wigs formed a poor substitute for
the gleaming steel of their rivals. The sober charms of justice
cannot successfully compete with the dazzling splendour of arms.

As for the high-sheriff himself, in his black velvet coat and frilled
shirt-front, he was a very inferior attraction, while his chaplain
was simply nowhere. He had his innings for one brief hour in the
cathedral, where the judges were compelled to sit as meekly as so many
jurymen under a lengthy summing-up; but after that one bright flash he
sank into insignificance, and dragged out the remainder of the assize
like the stick of a burnt-out rocket, unpitied by all.

Yet even the javelin-men were cast into the shade by the other great
feature of the assize week. The crime of murder remains, after all is
said and done, the one thing which most fascinates the public mind.
And when to murder is added mystery, and when that mystery centres
round the figure of a woman, and when that woman is young and
beautiful, and in a social position which does away with the presence
of squalid details or coarse motives, the public may be pardoned if
they take the very fullest interest in her fate.

Indeed, the case of 'The Queen against Owen,' to give it its legal
designation, was of more than local interest. The whole kingdom was
excited about the position of the unhappy girl who lay in one of the
cells of Abertaff Gaol. Every eye was watching eagerly for the
unfolding of the tragic drama in which she was about to play the
leading part. All the great London dailies had their representatives
down at the assize town to gather every detail of the forthcoming
trial. Already the names of the counsel on both sides were being wired
from one end