nonchalantly whether the
King's Counsel were prepared, called on the case of _Pleydell against
Bladder_, and sank back in his seat with a look of resignation.

Daphne, Jonah, and Jill were seated behind the junior Bar, while Berry
and I sat one upon either side of our attorney at the solicitors' table.
Upon the same bench, a little further along, was sitting Mr. Bladder, a
large bland gentleman, with an air of good-nature which in the
circumstances was rather too pronounced to be natural, and a taste in
dress which would have better become a younger and a slenderer man.

Briefly our leader opened the case. There was little to be said, and he
was on his feet for less than a quarter of an hour, but in that space of
time he had presented to the jury so vivid a word-picture of the
accident, and had dwelt so convincingly upon the facts which pointed to
the defendant's guilt, that it was actually difficult to believe that
the issue of the action was any longer in doubt, and I began to
speculate upon the amount of damages we should be awarded. Such is the
art of pleading.

A plan of the spot at which the collision had taken place was produced
and officially accepted by the defence. Then Jonah was called. He gave
his evidence admirably, and all counsel's endeavours to shake his
confidence regarding the identity of the number-plate were of no avail.
Daphne followed her cousin. She was a little nervous at first, and the
Judge requested her to raise her voice. She responded gallantly, and the
conviction with which she told her story in corroboration of Jonah
produced a noticeable effect upon the Court. The result of her
cross-examination was in our favour. I came next. Counsel for the
defence made a great effort to pin me to a certain estimate of the speed
at which the offending car was moving, but I scented danger and refused
to be tied down.

It was considered unnecessary and not altogether expedient to expose our
artless Jill to the mercies of our opponent's team, and, when I stepped
down from the box, my brother-in-law's name was at once called by our
junior counsel--

"Major Pleydell."

His examination-in-chief was very short. As was to be expected, he made
an excellent witness. I began to wonder whether the defendant would be
so foolish as to appeal....

Perhaps because the cross-examination of his predecessors had been so
barren, the leader for the defence rose to deal with Berry with a
menacing air. He was a "silk