“No.”
“I knew you’d say that. Think again. What about the foreman?” and he gave a side inclination of his head towards the unconscious Railsford.
“Oh, him! Yes, he’s over six foot.”
“Go down two places, for saying him instead of he. There you are, my lord, we’ve got it at last. Bowled the chap out clean, first ball. That’s our case, only there’s plenty more to be got out first. We’ll trouble your lordship to bring the chap in not guilty, when it’s all done.” And he nodded knowingly to the jury.
Railsford had sat and listened to all this in a state of the completest mystification. Not having heard Barnworth’s opening statement, he had no glimmer of a suspicion that the cause célèbre occupying the attention of this august assembly was anything but a pleasant fiction from beginning to end, and he had been wondering to himself whether such performances, conducted in the irregular style which he had witnessed, could be of any good. However, coming as a guest (for the master of the house was always a visitor on such occasions), he deemed it best not to interfere just then. He would give Arthur a little friendly advice as to the conduct of a junior counsel later on.
But he was the only unconscious person in the court. The listeners had been quick to pick up the drift of Barnworth’s opening story, and equally quick to detect the line of defence taken up by Felgate and his vivacious junior. They kept their eyes fixed most of the time on Railsford, to note how he took it; and when Arthur reached his triumphant climax, some among the juniors fully expected to see their master fall on his knees and plead guilty before the whole court.
Instead of that he laughed, and, turning to the judge, said, in an audible voice,—
“This seems very amusing, but it’s all Hebrew to me. Is this the end?”
“I think we’ve had nearly enough for to-night,” said Ainger, who himself felt rather uneasy lest matters should go any further. Not that he laid any stress on Arthur’s wonderful discovery—that merely amused him; but he foresaw a danger of the tone of the proceedings becoming offensive, and considered it better to interpose while yet there was time.
“Gentlemen,” he said, “as far as the case has gone I think I may say it has been ably conducted and patiently listened to. As our time is nearly up I adjourn the hearing till a future occasion.”