s hands clasped together
upon his breast. He could at first have seen nothing, and could
hardly have known where he was when they placed him in a chair. She,
with better courage, contrived to look round through her veil, and
saw that there was a long board or table covered with green cloth,
and that six or seven gentlemen were sitting at one end of it, while
there seemed to be a crowd standing along the sides and about the
room. Her husband was seated at the other end of the table, near
the corner, and round the corner,--so that she might be close to
him,--her chair had been placed. On the other side of him there was
another chair, now empty, intended for any professional gentleman
whom he might choose to employ.

There were five magistrates sitting there. Lord Lufton, from Framley,
was in the chair;--a handsome man, still young, who was very popular
in the county. The cheque which had been cashed had borne his
signature, and he had consequently expressed his intention of not
sitting at the board; but Mr. Walker, desirous of having him there,
had overruled him, showing him that the loss was not his loss. The
cheque, if stolen, had not been stolen from him. He was not the
prosecutor. "No, by Jove," said Lord Lufton, "if I could quash the
whole thing, I'd do it at once!"

"You can't do that, my lord, but you may help us at the board," said
Mr. Walker.

Then there was the Hon George De Courcy, Lord De Courcy's brother,
from Castle Courcy. Lord De Courcy did not live in the county, but
his brother did so, and endeavoured to maintain the glory of the
family by the discretion of his conduct. He was not, perhaps, among
the wisest of men, but he did very well as a county magistrate,
holding his tongue, keeping his eyes open, and, on such occasions as
this, obeying Mr. Walker in all things. Dr. Tempest was also there, the
rector of the parish, he being both magistrate and clergyman. There
were many in Silverbridge who declared that Dr. Tempest would have
done far better to stay away when a brother clergyman was thus to
be brought before the bench; but it had been long since Dr. Tempest
had cared what was said about him in Silverbridge. He had become so
accustomed to the life he led as to like to be disliked, and to be
enamoured of unpopularity. So when Mr. Walker had ventured to suggest
to him that, perhaps, he might not choose to be there, he had laughed
Mr. Walker to scorn. "Of course I shall be there," he said. "I am
int