k disclosure of everything so
that an appeal could be made to the jury's feelings. Holymead's beautiful
wife, who was almost distracted by her husband's position, implored his
Counsel to allow her to go into the box and make a confession. But that
course did not commend itself to Lethbridge, who realised that she would
make an extremely bad witness and would but help to put the rope round
her husband's neck. He put her off by declaring that there was a good
prospect of her husband being acquitted, but that if the verdict
unfortunately went against him her confession would have more weight in
saving him, when the appeal against the verdict was heard.

It amazed Lethbridge to find that the prisoner expressed the view that
Birchill had committed the murder. This view was based on his contention
that Sir Horace Fewbanks was alive when he (Holymead) left him about ten
o'clock. The interview between them had been an angry one, but Holymead
persisted in asserting that he had not shot his former friend. He
declared that he had not taken a revolver with him when he went to
Riversbrook.

Lethbridge was one of those barristers who believe that a knowledge of
the guilt of a client handicapped Counsel in defending him. He had his
private opinion as to the result of the angry interview between Holymead
and Sir Horace Fewbanks, but he preferred that Holymead should protest
his innocence even to him. That made it easier for him to make a stirring
appeal to the jury than it would have been if his client had fully
confessed to him. His private opinion as to the author of the crime was
strengthened by Holymead's admission that Birchill had not confessed to
him or to his solicitor at the time of his trial that he had shot Sir
Horace Fewbanks. He was astonished that Holymead had taken up Birchill's
defence, but Holymead's explanation was the somewhat extraordinary one
that the man who had killed the seducer of his wife had done him a
service by solving a problem that had seemed insoluble without a public
scandal. There was no doubt that although Sir Horace Fewbanks was in his
grave, Holymead's hatred of him for his betrayal of his wife burned as
strongly as when he had made the discovery that wrecked his home life.
Neither death nor time could dim the impression, nor lessen his hatred
for the dead man who had once been his closest friend.

Lethbridge, feeling that it was his duty as Counsel for the prisoner to
try every avenue which might