When Crona entered the witness-box, and the raven still perched where he was, a titter of laughter passed round the court; but this was instantly suppressed, and gradually all her story was told in answer to questions put by Lotty's counsel.
She had been an actress on the French stage, she said and swore, about eleven years ago, and a great favourite with the public. Her parts were comedy, with singing and skirt-dancing, and it was at this time that she was introduced to John Crawford Broxley, the man sitting up yonder. He made love to her, and proposed marriage. She had left the stage to be married, and had even gone to church; but herself and party had waited in vain for the bridegroom, who had been married on the previous evening to a young lady with money.
She then described the stealing of the child by John Crawford, and the disposal of it to a common mountebank, who trained and reared her as an infant prodigy.
Crawford's counsel was sitting on nettles, and he thought he now saw his chance; and Lotty's lawyer allowed him to have it, and sat down to listen. There was a smirk of satisfied amusement on the face of the former as he told the judge he only wanted to ask the woman in the mob-cap a question or two.
'Probably,' he said, 'one question will be convincing enough. Ahem!'
Now the raven had been quite silent until this moment; but no sooner had this clever counsel risen and cleared his throat than Joe, bending back his head, gave vent to a low, derisive chuckle, 'Ha, ha, ha!'
'I think, your honour, that bird should be removed.'
Crona promised, however, he should keep quiet, and the counsel proceeded:
'You have told the court, madam, that only eleven years ago you were a gay actress and danseuse?'
Crona nodded.