'And that John Crawford, still a young man, made love to you—to you who are now ninety years old, if a day, so that he at the age of twenty-five must have made love to a lady older than his grandmother.'
Even the jury smiled, and John thought his case was won.
His counsel sat down with a satisfied smirk. But Crona kept standing, and whispered to Lotty's counsel.
'This witness,' said the latter, 'wishes to retire'——
'It is time,' said the other counsel.
But Lotty's counsel turned furiously on him. 'How dare you interrupt me, sir? Retire,' he added, 'not from the case, but for ten minutes to change her dress.'
Leave was given, and in less than five minutes Crona had returned, raven and all. But to the astonishment of all she now stood before the court a young and beautiful lady, much under thirty. She laughed a little.
'I think, my lord, that even John Crawford's counsel will admit that if I was no actress eleven years ago I am a very good specimen of one now.'
'Bravo! bravo!' cried Joe. 'Ha, ha, ha!'
She threw the bird high towards the roof, and there he perched on a bracket defiantly.