This was too much for Dick. These two fellows who weren’t “in it” at all were backing Tom up in public, whereas his “Firm,” who were in it, and had come down for the express purpose of looking after the prisoner, were doing nothing. “Better nod,” he whispered.
And the “Firm” nodded, shyly but distinctly.
Tom White was not the sort of gentleman to cut his friends on an occasion like this, and he, seeing himself thus noticed, and recognising, in a vague sort of way, his patrons, favoured the front public bench with five very pronounced nods, greatly to the embarrassment of the young gentlemen there, and vastly to the indignation of the police and officials of the court.
“Order there, or the court will be cleared!” cried the clerk, in a tone of outraged propriety; “How dare you?”
Our heroes, not being in a position to answer the question by reason of their tongues being glued to the roofs of their mouths, remained silent, and tried as best they could to appear absorbed in the shape of their own boots.
“If such a thing occurs again,” persisted the clerk, “their worships will take very serious notice of it.”
“Their worships,” who had not a ghost of an idea what the clerk was talking about, said “very serious,” and asked that the case might proceed.
It proceeded, and under its cover our agitated heroes gradually raised their countenances from their boots, and felt their hearts, which had just now stood still, beating once more in their honest bosoms.
For any one not personally interested, the case was prosy enough.
A solicitor got up and said he appeared for Tom’s three partners, who charged him with pledging the Martha and appropriating the money, whereas the Martha belonged to the four of them, and Tom had no right to raise money on her except by mutual consent.