s of the crowd like a fly in a cup of
tea, and asked him the same question, explaining that their presence
was necessary to the show.

"I'm bothered if I know, Sir; you can't come this way. I suppose I must
let you through by the underground passage from the other court. Why," he
went on, as he led the way to the Admiralty Court, "hang me, if I don't
believe that we shall all be crushed to death by them there barristers:
It would take a regiment of cavalry to keep them back. And they are a
'ungry lot, they are; and they ain't no work to do, and that's why they
comes kicking and tearing and worriting just to see a bit of painting on
a young lady's shoulders."

By this time they had passed through the Admiralty Court, which was not
sitting, and been conducted down a sort of well, that terminated in the
space occupied by the Judge's clerks and other officers of the Court. In
another minute they found themselves emerging in a similar space in the
other court.

Before taking the seat that was pointed out to her and the other
witnesses in the well of the court, immediately below those reserved for
Queen's counsel, Augusta glanced round. The body of the court was as yet
quite empty, for the seething mob outside had not yet burst in, though
their repeated shouts of "Open the door!" could be plainly heard. But the
jury box was full, not with a jury, for the case was to be tried before
the Court itself, but of various distinguished individuals, including
several ladies, who had obtained orders. The little gallery above was
also crowded with smart-looking people. As for the seats devoted to
counsel in the cause, they were crammed to overflowing with the
representatives of the various defendants--so crammed, indeed, that the
wretched James Short, sole counsel for the plaintiff, had to establish
himself and his papers in the centre of the third bench sometimes used by
solicitors.

"Heavens!" said Eustace to Augusta, counting the heads; "there are
twenty-three counsel against us. What will that unfortunate James do
against so many?"

"I don't know, I'm sure," said Augusta, with a sigh. "It doesn't seem
quite fair, does it? But then, you see, there was no money."

Just then John Short came up. He had been to speak to his brother.
Augusta being a novelist, and therefore a professional student of human
physiognomy, was engaged in studying the legal types before her, which
she found resolved themselves into two classes--the sharp,