ing. Now, I ask any one to
look at this paper, and tell me whether it is not clear, on the
contrary, that these letters were traced slowly and with care, as would
be the case with an elaborate attempt to imitate?" Russell here handed
the paper to the jury, who again narrowly examined it.

"Now, the evidence of Pietrie and Carter is of no use, because Carter
himself admitted that boys often enter the room by the window--a fact to
which we shall have to allude again.

"We admit the evidence about the ink and wafers. But it is rather
strange that Barker should know about the wafers, since neither I, nor
any other friend of Williams, often as we have sat by him when writing
letters, have ever observed that he possessed any like them."

Several boys began to look at Barker, who was sitting very ill at ease
on the corner of a form, in vain trying to appear unconcerned.

"There is another fact which no one yet knows, but which I must mention.
It will explain Eric's--I mean Williams's--agitation when Dr Rowlands
read out the words on that paper; and, confident of his innocence, I am
indifferent to its appearing to tell against him. I myself once heard
Eric--I beg pardon, I mean Williams," (he said, correcting himself with
a smile)--"use the very words written on that paper, and not only heard
them, but expostulated with him strongly for the use of them. I need
hardly say how very unlikely it is that, remembering this, he should
thus publicly draw my suspicions on him, if he meant to insult Mr
Gordon undiscovered. But, besides myself there was another boy who
accidentally overheard that expression. That boy was Barker.

"I have to bring forward a new piece of evidence, which at least ought
to go for something. Looking at this half-sheet of note-paper, I see
that the printer's name on the stamp in the corner is `Graves, York.'
Now, I have just found that there is no paper at all like this in
Williams's desk; all the note-paper it contains is marked `Blakes,
Ayrton.'

"I might bring many witnesses to prove how very unlike Williams's
general character a trick of this kind would be. But I am not going to
do this. We think we know the real offender. We have had one trial,
and now demand another. It is our painful duty (but depend upon it we
shall not shirk it," he added with unusual passion) "to prove Williams's
innocence by proving another's guilt. That other is a known enemy of
mine, and of Montagu's, and of Owen