"It hae a' things to do with it."
"Explain yourself, witness; and remember that you are on your oath."
"Ay, I weel ken the solemnity of an aith. And I hae telt the truth under aith; nathless, maybe my teestimony suld na be received."
"Why not?"
"Why no'? Why, gin a wife maunna teestify agin her ain husband, I suld na hae teestified agin the Duk' o' Harewood, who is my ain lawfu' husband!" said Rose Cameron, purposely raising her voice to a clear, ringing tone that was distinctly heard all over the court-room.
Had a shell fallen and exploded in their midst, it could scarcely have caused greater consternation.
"What said the lass?" questioned many.
"I dinna just ken," answered many others.
They certainly did not believe the report of their own ears on this occasion.
As for the Duke of Hereward, who was then engaged in writing a few lines on the fly-leaf of his note-book, he just looked up for a moment and was surprised into the first smile that had lighted his grave face since the opening of the trial.