ry
different client; and to this imposing assembly John Brown had walked
in, with his hands in his pockets, rather disturbing the composure of
the company in general, who were aware what kind of criticism his
was. While the bed of justice was being arranged, a very odd little
group collected in the outer room, where Elsworthy, in a feverish
state of excitement, was revolving about the place from the door to
the window, and where the Miss Hemmings sat up against the wall, with
their drapery drawn up about them, to show that they were of different
clay from Mrs Elsworthy, who, respectful but sullen, sat on the same
bench. The anxious public peered in at the door whenever it had a
chance, and took peeps through the window when the other privilege was
impossible. Besides the Miss Hemmings and the Elsworthys there was
Peter Hayles, who also had seen something, and the wife of another
shopkeeper at the end of George Street; and there was the Miss
Hemmings' maid, who had escorted them on that eventful night of Rosa's
disappearance. Not one of the witnesses had the smallest doubt as to
the statement he or she was about to make; they were entirely
convinced of the righteousness of their own cause, and the justice of
the accusation, which naturally gave a wonderful moral force to their
testimony. Besides--but that was quite a different matter--they all
had their little grudges against Mr Wentworth, each in his secret
heart.

When Elsworthy was called in to the inner room it caused a little
commotion amid this company outside. The Miss Hemmings looked at each
other, not with an agreeable expression of face. "They might have had
the politeness to call us first," Miss Sophia said to her sister; and
Miss Hemmings shook her head and sighed, and said, "Dear Mr Bury!" an
observation which meant a great deal, though it did not seem perfectly
relevant. "Laws! I'll forget everything when I'm took in there," said
the shopkeeper's wife to Miss Hemmings' maid; and the ladies drew
still closer up, superior to curiosity, while the others stretched
their necks to get a peep into the terrible inner room.

It was indeed a formidable tribunal. The room was small, so that the
unfortunate witness was within the closest range of six pairs of
judicial eyes, not to speak of the vigilant orbs of the two lawyers,
and those of the accused and his supporters. Mr Morgan, by right of
his position, sat at the end of the table, and looked very severely at
th