“‘Were you ever in love with any other man than Mr. Ragland?’
“‘No!’
“Lottie then whispered to me, and requested me to hurry to the library room and call Mr. Everson, who had been waiting there until he should be wanted. I met with no little difficulty in forcing my way back to where Lottie was, but by dint of vigorous pushing and squeezing among the densely packed masses of humanity, I at length shoved my man suddenly in front of Mrs. Ragland.
“As soon as she saw Mr. Everson, she sprang up from her seat, stared wildly at him for a moment, then throwing both hands up above her head, uttered a loud, piercing scream, fell back on her seat, and buried her face in her hands. After holding her hands over her face a moment, she let them drop on her lap, and I noticed that her lower jaw had dropped down, as do those of dead persons.
‘“Catch that lady there, quick!’ exclaimed the judge, ‘she is going to faint!’
“Mr. Quillet hastened forward, but he was too late, for the helpless body of Mrs. Ragland fell on the floor before he got to her. The excitement among the members of the bar, as well as the spectators, continued to increase, until the limp body of Mrs. Ragland was removed to an adjoining room.
“I never had seen Mr. Rockland lose his self-possession until that moment, but he managed to let his heart have its way then. He seized Lottie and pressed her to his breast:
“‘God bless you, my daughter! No lawyer ever displayed such skill and shrewdness as you have, and no lawyer ever received such a fee as you shall have in this case. My entire fortune shall be your fee!’
“Then he seized Miss Bramlett and pressed a kiss on her brow.
“‘Poor child, how deeply you have been wronged! how you have suffered for the sins of another person!’