person who should ask for it during her absence. This witness
further deposed to receiving the summons from the police, which she
placed along with the key for delivery to L. B. on the latter's return
home.

The testimony of the uncle was also decisively corroborative of that of
the preceding witness, as to the absence from Port of Spain of L. B.
during the days embraced in the defence. The alibi was therefore
unquestionably made out, especially as none of the police witnesses
would venture to swear to having actually seen L. B. at the brawl. The
magistrate had no alternative but that of acquiescing in the proof of
her innocence; so he dismissed the charge against the accused, who
stood down from among the rest, radiant with satisfaction. The other
defendants were duly [97] convicted, and sentenced to a term of
imprisonment with hard labour. All this was quite correct; but here
comes matter for consideration with regard to the immaculate
dispensation of justice as vaunted so confidently by Mr. Froude.

On receiving their sentence the women all stood down from the dock, to
be escorted to prison, except "Lady," who, by the way, had preserved a
rigid silence, while some of the other defendants had voluntarily and,
it may be added, generously protested that L. B. was not present on the
occasion of this particular row. "Lady," whether out of affection or
from a less respectable motive, cried out to the stipendiary justice.
"But, sir, it ain't fair. How is it every time that L. B. and me come
up before you, you either fine or send up the two of us together, and
to-day you are sending me up alone?" Moved either by the logic or the
pathos of this objurgation, the magistrate, turning towards L. B., who
had lingered after her narrow escape to watch the issue of the
proceedings, thus addressed her:--"L. B., upon second thoughts I order
you to the same term of hard labour at the Royal Gaol with the [98]
others." The poor girl, having neither money nor friends intelligent
enough to interfere on her behalf, had to submit, and she underwent the
whole of this iniquitous sentence.

The last typical case that we shall give illustrates the singular
application by this more than singular judge of the legal maxim caveat
emptor. A free coolie possessed of a donkey resolved to utilize the
animal in carting grass to the market. He therefore called on another
coolie living at some distance from him, whom he knew to own two carts,
a