The third witness called was Lucas Mann, in whose house the deceased man had been a lodger at the time of his death.
Mann deposed that Stickels was brought home by two men at a time which he fixed as between a quarter and half-past six. Stickels, who was in a half-dazed condition when he arrived, came to himself entirely within a few minutes and told him a story as to how he came to be stunned. Stickels had then seemed quite well, had had a cup of tea by the fire, and had expressed his intention of walking to Stroan that night. Then there had been a knock at the door. Stickels himself had opened it, and after a conversation with two ladies who had come to see him, he had gone out by the back door abruptly. The next thing Mann had heard of him was that he had been found dead on the road.
The next two witnesses were the men who had picked Jem Stickels up from the ground, at the back of the Blue Lion, after his encounter with Clifford. These both deposed that the man was unconscious when they picked him up, that he began to recover almost immediately, and that they did not have to carry him to the cottage where he lodged, but only to support him a little, as he complained of feeling “a bit giddy-like.” They said that he seemed to be quite himself before they left him at the cottage.
There was a buzz of excitement in court when Miss Bostal was called. With the feminine witnesses began the real interest of the case. Enough had leaked out by this time for every gossip in Stroan to be aware that the quarrel between the gentleman, Clifford King, and the fisherman, Jem Stickels, had been on Nell Claris’s account; and everybody knew, also, that Miss Bostal had espoused the cause of Jem Stickels, and so had brought herself prominently forward into the romantic story. Although Jem Stickels had not borne the best of characters, it was natural that after his sudden and mysterious death there should be a strong revulsion of popular feeling in his favor.
“Poor chap!” they said to one another. “It was clear he was awful fond of the girl, and, to be sure, she must have given him some encouragement for him to have made bold to go for her fine gentleman lover.”
The feminine portion of the population was strongly antagonistic to Nell on account of her undoubted claims to beauty; and the strong feeling against her was undoubtedly the result of simple jealousy rather than a solid opinion founded upon her own conduct. The male portion of the populace, on the other hand, while less virulent than the women, were not inclined to warm partisanship on behalf of the girl, who had always displayed a marked indifference to their attentions. There was many a young man in the crowded court that day who found a secret salve for his wounded vanity in the thought that the girl who would not vouchsafe him so much as a look had come to grief between two admirers, one of whom was not a lover to be proud of, while the other had brought himself into a dangerous position.
On the whole, therefore, it was Miss Bostal rather than Nell who carried the sympathy of the ordeal. When the little, thin lady, with the pinched face and the faded hair, stepped into the witness-box and kissed the book with grave and dignified reverence, there was little or no laughter at her odd costume of fifteen years before, at the “girl-of-the-period” short jacket, bunched-up gown and Tyrolese hat, which, once so “smart” and up-to-date, had now become such a quaint relic of the past. People pardoned her eccentric dress, her prim little manners, in consideration of the goodness of heart which had caused the little lady to hold out a helping hand to the poor scapegrace and to champion the cause of the man of the people against the gentleman.
Every ear in the court was strained to catch her words, but the little woman spoke out well, in a thin, almost shrill voice, indeed, but with a distinct utterance which made every word carry from end to end of the hall.
“I understand, madam, that you were the last person who is known to have spoken to Jem Stickels before his death?” said the coroner.
“Yes, sir,” answered Miss Theodora. “I went to the cottage where he lodged as soon as I heard of his accident, to learn how he was.”