nd the jurors, witnesses, and spectators
craned their necks to get a look at her. Among the spectators, of
course, were Mrs. Pegley and the Pegleyites. Mrs. Tarbell knew that they
were there, but did not look at them. Mr. Pope rose magnificent and
shook hands with her; several persons shook hands with her. Mrs. Tarbell
felt that she was going to acquit herself commendably. She had gone
over the case three or four times with Alexander, she had rehearsed her
speech until she knew it by heart, she had joked about the case with her
friends (not her Pegley friends) at Cape May until she was no longer
afraid of it, if she ever had been, and she was quite able to feel that
Pope was insignificant. She had at first been filled with an
apprehension that he would become very intimate with her on the strength
of their mutual antagonism; but when several days passed by, and he had
done nothing more than bow courteously, she reflected that, after all,
it was not a very uncommon occurrence for him to have a jury case; and
when he privately came and offered to compromise she wondered what there
had ever been to frighten her in the man. She refused the compromise, of
course: if her case had been only half as strong she would have refused
it.

Rap! rap! Silence, please. His honor appeared, wiping his learned brow,
for it was an oppressively hot day, and the clerk proclaimed that all
persons might draw near and be heard by the honorable court. The jurors
answered to their names. Mr. Juddson, seated by his sister's elbow,
pushed the jury-list towards her, with a slight nod of encouragement.
Mrs. Tarbell did not need encouragement: she knew the names of the
objectionable jurors by heart, and she was quite ready.

The court-room settled down into a hush of subdued expectation, and
Stiles _vs._ The Railway Company was called. Mr. Pope and Mrs. Tarbell
rose, bowed to each other and to the court: they were ready to go on.

Mr. Pope drew first blood. Eight jurors were already in the box, and the
clerk called out, "John Ewing." John Ewing took his seat; there was no
cross against his name, and Mrs. Tarbell had no challenge to make, when,
before another name could be called, he leaned forward and called out,
in an easy voice, "Mrs. Tarbell, ef I have to swear in this case I mout
as well tell you that I used to work for the railway company."

"Ah!" said Mrs. Tarbell calmly, after a moment's hesitation. "Take your
seat, Mr. Ewing. I have entire c