“Very well, sir,” returned Thomas.
But the juryman stopping to draw a deep breath, a large and decidedly pompous man who sat at his right hand seized the opportunity to inquire in a round, listen-to-me sort of voice:
“You say you have been in the family for two years. Was it what you might call a united family?”
“United?”
“Affectionate, you know,—on good terms with each other.” And the juryman lifted the very long and heavy watch-chain that hung across his vest as if that as well as himself had a right to a suitable and well-considered reply.
The butler, impressed perhaps by his manner, glanced uneasily around. “Yes, sir, so far as I know.”
“The young ladies were attached to their uncle?”
“O yes, sir.”
“And to each other?”
“Well, yes, I suppose so; it’s not for me to say.”