nds of human justice.

"Mr. John Ashley, however, did not appear the least bit impressed by the
recital of his crime. He had not engaged the services of one of the most
eminent lawyers, expert at extracting contradictions from witnesses by
skilful cross-examinations--oh, dear me, no! he had been contented with
those of a dull, prosy, very second-rate limb of the law, who, as he
called his witnesses, was completely innocent of any desire to create a
sensation.

"He rose quietly from his seat, and, amidst breathless silence, called
the first of three witnesses on behalf of his client. He called
three--but he could have produced twelve--gentlemen, members of the
Ashton Club in Great Portland Street, all of whom swore that at three
o'clock on the morning of February 6th, that is to say, at the very
moment when the cries of 'Murder' roused the inhabitants of Park Square
West, and the crime was being committed, Mr. John Ashley was sitting
quietly in the club-rooms of the Ashton playing bridge with the three
witnesses. He had come in a few minutes before three--as the hall porter
of the Club testified--and stayed for about an hour and a half.

"I need not tell you that this undoubted, this fully proved, _alibi_ was
a positive bombshell in the stronghold of the prosecution. The most
accomplished criminal could not possibly be in two places at once, and
though the Ashton Club transgresses in many ways against the gambling
laws of our very moral country, yet its members belong to the best, most
unimpeachable classes of society. Mr. Ashley had been seen and spoken to
at the very moment of the crime by at least a dozen gentlemen whose
testimony was absolutely above suspicion.

"Mr. John Ashley's conduct throughout this astonishing phase of the
inquiry remained perfectly calm and correct. It was no doubt the
consciousness of being able to prove his innocence with such absolute
conclusion that had steadied his nerves throughout the proceedings.

"His answers to the magistrate were clear and simple, even on the
ticklish subject of the revolver.

"'I left the club, sir,' he explained, 'fully determined to speak with
Mr. Cohen alone in order to ask him for a delay in the settlement of my
debt to him. You will understand that I should not care to do this in
the presence of other gentlemen. I went home for a minute or two--not in
order to fetch a revolver, as the police assert, for I always carry a
revolver about with me in foggy we