“It is not incumbent upon me to show how this woman met with her death. She may in a moment of passion and disappointment have committed suicide. She may have attempted to take the life of the husband who had put her from him, and, in the struggle which took place, the weapon may have been pointed toward her, and she may thus have received her death.
“These hypotheses are for your consideration. No one saw that woman die. No man can come forward and say that Lord Clydesfold’s hand committed the deed. Therefore, no one on my behalf can come forward to say that she did not meet with her death in either of the ways I suggested. Gentlemen, there is a doubt, and that doubt, I venture to assert, will grow into certainty when you have heard the testimony of this man’s character, which I shall now produce.”
CHAPTER XXXV.
OLIVIA’S TESTIMONY.
It was an extraordinary trial, and the interest and excitement increased as it progressed. Of course, the judge and all the lawyers saw plainly that Mr. Edgar knew nothing of the true facts, and that he was fighting in the dark. And Olivia knew also—felt, rather than knew—that Faradeane had refused to tell the story of the murder to the counsel, as he had refused to tell it to every one else.
Mr. Edgar looked round.
“I call Lord Granville,” he said; and Bertie, who had been standing as near the box as he could possibly get, stepped again into the witness-box.
“Now, my lord,” said Mr. Edgar, boldly, “please tell us all you know of Lord Clydesfold. I ask you to reserve nothing. I have no fear of the truth.”
Then Lord Bertie, with an earnestness which went to the hearts of all who heard him, spoke of his long knowledge of Faradeane; how they had been at Eton together—he the younger and the weaker, Faradeane (or Lord Clydesfold) the stronger and the protector; how, all through their lives, Faradeane had proved himself the truest of friends and the most upright, honorable, and lofty-minded of men. “Such a man as my friend Lord Clydesfold is simply incapable of murder!” he wound up, and there was a buzz of applause.
“You knew nothing of this secret marriage with the gypsy?” asked Edgar.
“Nothing,” replied Lord Bertie.