“I escorted Lottie to the jail, and when she and Miss Bramlett rushed
into each other’s arms, I was so deeply moved by the affectionate
meeting of those two devoted friends that I felt the tears begin to
trickle down my cheeks. For full five minutes they remained silently
clasped in each other’s strong embrace.
“‘Heaven bless you, my precious, true, unselfish friend!’ exclaimed Miss
Bramlett, still holding Lottie to her heart; ‘God has answered my
prayers, for on my knees I have spent four hours every day in sending up
my supplications in behalf of my darling Lottie. I am one of those who
have unlimited confidence in the goodness and mercy of God, and believe
He answers the prayers of those who ask in the spirit of true faith.
Every time I knelt down to pray for the recovery of my darling friend, I
thought of that precious promise which our dear Saviour made with His
own lips, when He said: “Ask and it shall be given you; seek and ye
shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that
asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that
knocketh, it shall be opened.” Now, Lottie, when I prayed, I did
honestly believe that our dear Jesus would remember His precious
promise; and sure enough He has. Oh, dear God, receive my humble, but
sincere, thanks for this great blessing!’
“Lottie then came to me, smiling through her tears and looking supremely
happy.
“‘You may go to see Miss Clattermouth now, Edward; and you must not fail
to return here punctually at four o’clock, for I am going to order
another one of those cozy dinners, to be served in Viola’s room;
therefore you must not keep us waiting. Remember the instructions, and
let no consideration or circumstance prevent the success of our
enterprise, which you know to be of such great importance.’
“Pressing her hand to my lips, and promising to put in my appearance
punctually at four o’clock, I jumped into the carriage and ordered the
coachman to drive to the residence of Miss Clattermouth. As the vehicle
went rumbling over the rough road, I began to reflect on the business
before me, with a view of arranging my plans so as to be ready to act
promptly at the proper time.
“The carriage halted in front of the house before any definite scheme
was arranged in my mind. Walking up to the door, I gave the bell a
vigorous pull, and a moment after I heard the slamming of innumerable
doors, and then the front one flew open, and there appeared a living
creature. It would be a misnomer to say it was a woman; yet it was not a
man or monkey; and not being a believer in witches, I am at a loss to
describe the horrible looking object that stood with glaring eyes
riveted on me. Miss Cushman’s representation of the Gypsy in ‘Guy
Mannering’ would be a fairy when compared with the hideous object who
darkened that door. I ran back eight or ten paces, while an involuntary
shudder darted through my body. I did not smell brimstone, see fire, or
hear thunder, but the same feelings of horror seized upon me that I had
experienced once upon a time when I went to see the infernal regions in
a museum. This she-demon (a name I think most proper to give her) held
out her long bony arm toward me, and began to work her claw-like fingers
as if she wanted to grab me.
“‘What do ye stand there for, staring at a body like an idiot?’ she
growled; ‘are ye dumb? Can’t ye tell what ye want?’
“‘I wish to see Miss Clattermouth,’ I stammered with no little
difficulty.
“‘Get along with ye to Tadpoddle’s then!’ and the door was closed with a
slam, and I felt very much relieved. I was pleased to learn that I
should find Miss Clattermouth and Miss Tadpoddle together, as I imagined
that this circumstance would facilitate the important business which I
was so anxious to transact. I lost no time, you may be sure, in leaping
into the carriage, and as I did so, I gave the coachman instructions to
hasten to the Tadpoddle mansion. I found the front hall door open when I
arrived, and being well acquainted with the premises, I immediately and
without ceremony passed through the hall, and made my appearance at the
door of Miss Tadpoddle’s boudoir, which I also found standing wide open.
As I entered the house my ears were pierced with a succession of the
most doleful and heart-rending cries that I had ever heard. Miss
Tadpoddle was lying on the sofa in the middle of the room, and her
mother was bathing her temples with some sort of liquid, while Miss
Clattermouth was holding a smelling bottle to her nose.
“‘Oh, mother! how can I live when my sweet, precious little darling is
dead? Oh, ho! ho! ho! it will kill me, I know it will! Every time I shut
my eyes I can see the pretty little darling in his tiny coffin, wrapped
in his little ruffled shroud, with his sweet little eyes closed just as
if he was asleep. Oh, ho! ho! ho! shall I never see him again in this
world? Oh, mother, let me die! I do not want to live now, since my
little angel is gone from me forever. He loved me so much, and was such
a comfort to me--he was always crying after me when I was away from
him.’
“My heart was deeply moved to hear the poor lady’s sorrowful
lamentations, and it was with some difficulty that I restrained my
tears. I began to look round for a little coffin, but it was not there.
I then cast a glance up and down the hall, expecting to see an empty
baby carriage or tenantless crib, but I saw them not. No little baby
shoes or baby frocks were in sight; no baby hats; no broken toys, or any
article such as pleases little boys, were to be seen. That a boy baby
was dead I concluded was certain, for I heard her speak of his little
coffin, and his little shroud. Now what does it all mean? was a question
which naturally presented itself to my mind. Who is the little angel
that has been taken back to Heaven? Ah, I have it now! She has adopted
some sweet little orphan child, and just as she began to love it dearly,
the little darling has laid down and died.
“‘I beg pardon, ladies,’ said I, as I bowed to Miss Clattermouth, ‘I did
not know that death had entered this house, else I should not have
intruded.’
“‘Oh! doctor,’ exclaimed Miss Tadpoddle, wringing her hands and tossing
her head from side to side, as if suffering untold anguish, ‘I am so
glad you have come; do pray put me to sleep as soon as you can, for my
poor heart is forever crushed--I never shall survive this awful
calamity. Ah! doctor, my poor little darling is taken from me, and no
one will ever love me as he did; he was always crying to get in my lap;
for Heaven’s sake give me a sleeping drug; I don’t care what it is;
anything to make me forget this melancholy dispensation of Providence.
Oh, me! it is more than I can bear--to think that I never shall see poor
little Tottie any more; it will be the death of me; I know it will!’
“Now I was perfectly amazed when I heard Tottie’s name mentioned, for
the whole mystery was then cleared up. All this nonsense was produced by
the death of an eight-ounce poodle dog; and I hastened to a pitcher of
water, poured out a glass and pretended to get strangled, so I might
have a chance to conceal the mirth that was about to precipitate me into
a fit of laughter. I was compelled to walk out into the hall, in order
to gain time to get control of myself, as I did not wish to appear rude.
Miss Tadpoddle seemed to be growing worse all the time, and continued to
implore me for a sleeping drug; and I concluded that it was best to make
a show of compassion, which I did, but not without a considerable
effort. I requested Miss Clattermouth to procure me a spoonful of flour,
and while she went after it, I took out my medicines and scattered them
about on the top of a bureau that stood in one corner of the room; and
as I was thinking more about the proof which I wanted to make by Miss
Clattermouth than anything else, I took out the letter and laid it down
among the medicines, where I knew she could see it when she brought the
flour. My mind was wrought up to a high pitch of anxiety; because I had
been led by Lottie to believe that the fate of Miss Bramlett depended
entirely on the success or failure of my enterprise. Consequently, an
unusual degree of excitement seized upon me when I saw her eyes fixed on
the letter as she handed me the flour. I felt my heart thumping
violently in my breast, while I held my breath and tried to assume a
careless air, as I began to finger my drugs. There was a large mirror
swinging on the top of the bureau, which enabled me to watch Miss
Clattermouth without letting her know what I was up to; and I could see
that her little round eyes were intently fixed on the letter, while an
expression of curiosity mantled her face. I felt my knees knocking
against each other, and my whole frame began to shake from the intense
anxiety that possessed me. When Banquo’s ghost ‘shook its gory locks’ at
Macbeth, at the banquet, he did not tremble more than I did on that
important occasion.
“‘Oh, doctor!’ exclaimed Miss Tadpoddle, ‘are you going to let me die?
Why don’t you put me to sleep? Are you going to save my life or not?’
“‘My dear madame, I beg you to command a little patience--you shall soon
be relieved; it is our duty to submit humbly to the decrees of
Providence.’
“‘Yes! yes! I know it is, doctor, but those who never felt the heavy
hand of affliction laid upon them, as it is now laid on poor me, cannot
understand or appreciate the awful calamity.’
“I hastily prepared three wheat dough pills, and persuaded her to
swallow them, assuring her that they would put her to sleep in a very
short while; and in less than five minutes she declared that she felt a
great deal better.
“‘Ah! doctor, you are such a good physician; you seem to comprehend the
nature of one’s complaint at a glance. Now you know I never exaggerate;
there is nothing I despise more than I do exaggeration; still I do
believe my nervous system is completely destroyed; but if anybody can
restore my shattered system, you are the man to do it. I declare, I
begin to feel drowsy now. Oh, what a relief! Just run your hand through
my hair and over my throbbing temples. Oh, that is delicious! indeed it
is! You do not know how much good it is doing me!’
“At the end of twenty minutes from the time I administered my pills Miss
Tadpoddle was happy in the arms of Morpheus, probably dreaming sweetly
about poodle dogs. Now, my friends, I wish to say that, as a practicing
physician, I am able to recommend wheat dough pills as an infallible
remedy for hysterics--especially when that dangerous disease is caused
by the death of poodle dogs.
“As soon as I had succeeded in silencing Miss Tadpoddle, I turned my
attention to Miss Clattermouth and the important letter, on which I
noticed she every now and then cast an inquiring look. I was waiting for
her to propound the question, which I inferred from her restlessness she
was on the eve of doing. After eying the letter for some time, she
picked it up and, after scrutinizing it carefully, when she imagined I
was not observing her movements (for I was watching her through the
mirror by a side glance), she turned her back toward me, and began to
slip the letter out of the envelope. I knew that it would not do to
allow her to see the contents of the letter; therefore, as soon as I
divined her object, I went to the bureau, pretending to be collecting my
scattered medicines, where she could see that I was in a position to
observe her actions.
“‘Did you drop this letter here, doctor?’ she carelessly observed, as I
came round so as to confront her.
“‘Yes, I believe I did; I must have dropped it when I took out my pocket
case a while ago.’
“‘I should like to know what you are doing with that letter, Doctor
Demar? I see that it was not addressed to you.’
“I was considerably puzzled by this question, because I did not know
what sort of an answer I ought to make; but it occurred to my mind that
it would be advisable to rouse her curiosity still higher if I could.
Having made up my mind to act on that idea, I carelessly observed that
there was a great secret connected with that letter, which I did not
consider myself at liberty to reveal.
“‘Now I should like very much to know what great secret Ben Bowles could
have to communicate to that woman?’
“‘Why do you mention Mr. Bowles’ name in connection with that letter,
Miss Clattermouth?’
“‘Oh, that is a great secret, which I do not consider myself at liberty
to reveal,’ she said in a tantalizing tone, which convinced me that she
was piqued because I had mentioned a secret. ‘It is a mystery to me,’
she continued, ‘why Mr. Bowles should constitute you as his messenger,
to carry his letters to that woman!’
“‘What has Ben Bowles got to do with it?’
“‘I hope, Doctor Demar, that you do not consider me an idiot?’
“‘Indeed, madame, I do not; but on the contrary, I have set you down in
my mind as one of the cleverest ladies in Memphis; but what has that to
do with the question I propounded to you?’
“‘Do you imagine that I do not know who wrote that letter?’
“‘Why should I take the trouble to imagine anything about it?’
“‘You are a real Yankee; you answer my questions by propounding others.
We will let the subject drop unless you can make a candid answer to a
simple question.’
“‘I crave your pardon, madame, and promise to furnish a direct answer to
all your questions, provided you will agree to do the same with my
interrogatories.’
“‘Very good! I consent to the agreement. Where did you get that letter?’
“Now I was completely nonplussed by that question, and entirely thrown
off my guard, and did not know what answer to make. I began to stammer
and halt; and despite all my efforts to invent a suitable answer, I made
an absolute failure; my confusion proved to be the very lever that
enabled me to pry the secret out of its hiding-place. When Miss
Clattermouth saw my great confusion, her curiosity went up to the
highest pitch, and she exclaimed:
“‘Ah, ha! Doctor Demar, you are caught in your own trap. You have been a
carrier of a clandestine correspondence between Ben Bowles and his
“Dulcinia del Toboso,” and I must say that I am surprised and mortified
to make the startling discovery.’
“‘You may imagine that you know that handwriting, Miss Clattermouth, but
I beg permission to inform you that you are very much mistaken.’
“‘I say, mistaken! indeed, I know that handwriting as well as I do my
own; and if I were to find a line of Ben Bowles’ writing in the great
Sahara Desert, I would know it--yes, I would swear on a stack of Bibles
as high as this house that that was written by Ben Bowles.’
“‘Thanks be to Heaven!’ I mentally exclaimed; and it was all I could do
to keep from shouting with joy. I seized the letter, and pretended that
I had suddenly thought of an appointment down town; looking at my
watch, I hurried from the house, leaving Miss Clattermouth angry and
astonished at my conduct.
“Miss Tadpoddle recovered (thanks to my dough pills and a vigorous
constitution); but she became misanthropic and sullen, resigning her
office as vice-president of the Tramp Reform Association, which left
that noble institution without her patronage, causing it to go into
bankruptcy. The untimely death of an eight-ounce poodle dog caused many
a forlorn tramp to seek a night’s lodging in the station-house, who, but
for the sad event, would have found comfortable entertainment at the
headquarters of the Tramp Reform Association.
“As soon as I left Miss Clattermouth, I hastened to the jail, being
anxious to acquaint Lottie with the success that had crowned my efforts
as to the proof desired.
“‘Eureka! Eureka!’ I exclaimed, as I went hurriedly into the room where
Lottie and Viola were. ‘Our luck has changed at last; Miss Clattermouth
says she will swear it is Bowles’ handwriting and she will kiss a stack
of Bibles on it as high as Tadpoddle’s house, which you know is three
stories high, not counting the cellar. She says she would recognize the
writing if she were to find it in a desert, the name of which I do not
just now remember, though it is situated somewhere on the other side of
the globe.’
“‘Sit down, Edward, and give me the letter; I declare, you are excited.’
“‘Indeed I am excited; have I not good cause to be! Did you not tell me
that Miss Bramlett’s fate depended on the proof that I have procured?’
“‘Yes, but sit down and tell us how you managed to succeed so well.’
“I then gave a graphic description of all that had occurred, dwelling
eloquently on my splendid maneuvering; and the sweet smiles that were
showered on me, and the numerous thanks tendered by those grateful
girls, amply compensated me for all my trouble. The good-natured steward
had an excellent dinner prepared, which was served in Miss Bramlett’s
room at four o’clock. It was very late in the evening when Lottie and I
took our departure from the jail.
“About a week after those events occurred, I received a note from Mr.
Rockland, requesting an interview with me at his office. When I read the
note, it caused a pang of uneasiness to dart through my breast, because
I always expected bad news when the iron lawyer had anything to
communicate.
“I found the iron lawyer, as usual, busily at work with innumerable old
papers piled high before him.
“‘Take a seat, Demar,’ he said, without looking at me; ‘I will be at
leisure in a moment.’
“He then began to dash the papers about as if he were angry with the
inoffensive documents, while my mind was ill at ease, and full of
curiosity. After the lapse of five minutes he wheeled his chair around
so as to confront me.
“‘Demar, I have just received a telegram informing me that Miss
Bramlett’s case has been reversed and another trial granted. This is no
news to me, for you remember I told you that the Supreme Court was bound
to reverse the case. I must confess, however, that I cannot see wherein
this is going to benefit that unfortunate girl, because (as you have
often heard me say) there is no possible chance to secure an acquittal
under the mountain of testimony that will be adduced against her. I want
you to understand, however, Mr. Demar, that I mean to do all I can for
Miss Bramlett; but I do not hesitate to say that during thirty years’
practice at the bar I have never seen such a complete, unbroken chain of
circumstantial evidence arrayed against a prisoner as was mustered on
the trial against Miss Bramlett. If you will meet me at the criminal
court-room in the morning at ten o’clock, we will arrange with Mr.
Quillet to have a day set for the trial. Demar, you must watch Lottie,
and not let her become entangled in this unfortunate affair. She may
listen to you, but she outtalks me. The fact of the business is, I
cannot have the heart to scold that dear girl; but she must be separated
from Miss Bramlett, and I depend on you to do it.’
“‘Mr. Rockland, I think we had better let Lottie have her own way in
this affair, for, if I am not very sadly mistaken, she will snap the
strong chain of circumstantial evidence into a thousand pieces. You have
always told me that you thought she possessed a high order of intellect;
but, sir, when this case is tried you will have good cause to think she
has a mind of a most extraordinary character.’
“‘Demar, I think you and Lottie both are on the direct road to the
lunatic asylum, and I hope you will take Miss Bramlett with you, and not
leave her here on my hands. It is the height of folly, to say Miss
Bramlett did not murder her little brother; besides this, she has been
guilty of other crimes so black that all the water in the Atlantic Ocean
could not wash the stain from her character; though I believe she is
insane, and intend to convince the Governor of it, and he will grant a
pardon beyond question.’
“I felt a sensation of relief as soon as I stepped out of Mr. Rockland’s
office. I hastened to convey the good news of a new trial to Lottie, and
the first thing she did was to offer up thanks to Providence for this
evidence of His favors.
“‘Have you heard from our Vicksburg witness lately, Edward?’
“‘Yes,’ I replied, ‘and he will come at any time when he is notified
that we want him.’
“‘Very good, then; as soon as you ascertain the day the trial is to come
off, you must send him a telegram immediately. We are ready for the
grand battle, and victory will be ours!’
“‘Lottie, don’t be too sanguine of success; a good general always
prepares for a retreat before he engages in battle, so that when the
battle is lost, he can save his army.’
“‘Edward, you must not talk of defeat in connection with this case. I
have a magic wand, with which I can perform more wonders than could
Aladdin with his magic lamp. There is a good genius serving me in this
business, whose powers will surprise and startle you.’
“‘Lottie, I do not think you are justifiable in keeping secrets from me
in connection with this affair.’
“‘I want to test your faith in me, to see whether you can trust me as I
have trusted you. My brother told me you were untrue to me, and had
eloped with another woman; I had faith in you, and refused to believe
his information.’
“‘Enough; keep your own secrets; I will serve you, and believe in you,
as faithfully as Orlando believed in his Rosalind.’
“‘Thank you, Edward; and I promise you I will perform more wonders for
you than Rosalind did for her Orlando. She changed a shepherd boy to a
beautiful maiden; but I will show an angel of purity, where everybody
sees a she-demon.’
“Mr. Rockland and I met Mr. Quillet promptly at ten o’clock next morning
at the court-room, and the attorney-general kindly consented that Mr.
Rockland should fix any day for the trial that he chose; consequently it
was set for Thursday--that being Tuesday. I repaired immediately to the
telegraph office, and sent a dispatch to the Vicksburg witness,
requesting his attendance and asking him to answer whether he could come
or not. The reply came--he promised to come without fail.
“‘Now,’ said Lottie, when I showed her the telegram, ‘I have ordered the
carriage, and want you to escort me to the court-house. Do not look at
me as if you were angry; I must go to the court-room immediately.’
“‘Lottie, you know I could not be angry with you; but will you be so
good as to inform me why you wish to go to the court-house to be stared
at by a motley crowd of very rough people?’
“‘I certainly have no wish to conceal my motive from you. In the first
place, I am going to examine all the papers connected with Viola’s case,
especially the evidence that was given in on the first trial.’
“‘I can get those papers and bring them to you, and you can have ample
time to examine them.’
“‘Of course you could do that; but I have another reason for wishing to
visit the court-house; I want you to introduce me to the judge,
attorney-general and all the lawyers. I want to catch a few ideas in
regard to the manner of proceeding in court, so that when Viola is put
on trial I will not be very much embarrassed. I shall ask the judge to
let me cross-examine some of the State’s witnesses; and you know I ought
to see how it is done; and that is exactly what I am going to find out
to-day.’
“‘You are going to leap into the contest as an attorney, and plead your
client’s case?’
“‘No, I am not going to make any leap at all; but I have a trap set to
catch certain birds, and I am going to arrange the bait myself, and at
the proper time I shall spring the trigger and pen the game. It is my
intention to spend the remainder of this day in the court-house; in
fact, I think I shall make that place my headquarters until the trial is
over.’
“‘Do you think you can stand the jokes and jeers and vulgar gaze of such
a crowd as you must necessarily meet in a criminal court-room?’
“‘I can bear anything, endure anything, submit to anything, in order to
save my dear, unfortunate friend!’
“‘Lottie, I do not believe this world ever contained another such a
good-hearted, noble girl as you--so unselfish, so thoughtful of others,
so generous and sympathetic!’
“‘Edward, reserve your compliments until Viola is clear, and then you
may pile the flattery on as much as you please.’
“‘I suppose you will make an eloquent speech to the jury in defense of
your client; I can in my imagination hear the sweet words echoing
through the halls of justice.’
“‘Cease your levity, if you please; the occasion demands seriousness.
You know very well I do not intend to make a speech; but I am in real
downright earnest when I say that I am going to ask the judge to allow
me to cross-examine some of the witnesses. You see I have been studying
a great many commentaries on criminal evidence, and have learned that
when a witness swears falsely to one material point, he is not to be
believed in anything else. Now I am going to propound certain questions
to some of the witnesses, and if they swear what they did on the former
trial, why, then, they will be in my trap.’
“‘Lottie, don’t you think it advisable to acquaint Mr. Rockland with all
the new facts in your possession, so he could be prepared to handle them
when the trial comes off?’
“‘No, I do not; and besides this, I cannot reveal to any one the secrets
confided to me by another, without her consent.’
“‘Ah! it is a “her” then who works the wires behind the curtains?’
“‘There are no wires to work nor any curtains to work behind; but enough
of this; come, we will now go to the court-house.’
“As I entered the court-room with Lottie leaning on my arm, the eyes of
the lawyers and spectators were at once fixed on her with a curious
gaze, as she moved across the room like an empress, and advancing to the
clerk’s desk, asked for the papers in the Bramlett case. The little
sleek-haired clerk, whose nose was very large, stood with his mouth wide
open, his pen in his hand, gazing at the angelic beauty before him, as
much astonished as if a ghost had suddenly risen out of the ground.
Lottie again called for the papers, when the little clerk began to
stammer:
“‘You had better--that is, we could not--I must ask you to see Mr.
Quillet, madame--it is against the rules to let papers go out of the
office, except to the attorneys.’
“I do not wish to take the papers out of the office, sir,’ replied
Lottie modestly, as she smiled sweetly, ‘I can examine them here.’
“The little clerk was very much embarrassed, but refused to let her have
the papers until he was ordered to do so by Mr. Quillet. Lottie took the
great bundle of documents, and, scattering them about on the table,
seated herself and began to read them, while the judge and Mr. Quillet
eyed her closely. A group of lawyers assembled inside of the bar and
began to whisper to each other, occasionally pointing at Lottie, who was
too deeply engaged with the papers to notice them.
“‘She is the most beautiful woman I ever saw,’ I heard Mr. Quillet
whisper to a lawyer who sat near him.
“‘Who is she?’ inquired the man to whom Quillet had addressed the
remark.
“‘Miss Charlotte Wallingford, I believe--an adopted daughter of Mr.
Rockland.’
“‘Well, Quillet, I indorse your judgment; I don’t think I ever saw such
a perfect model of beauty before. What is she up to there? She seems to
work as if she meant business.’
“‘She is examining the evidence in the Bramlett case; she is a stanch
friend to the defendant; you were not here when the case was tried, I
believe?’
“‘No.’
“‘Well, it is an interesting case, full of strange, romantic mystery. It
is to be tried again next Thursday; so you will hear the evidence.’
“‘Quillet, if I could marry such a woman as that, I think I should be
willing to surrender my bachelor freedom, and put my neck under old
Hymen’s yoke.’
“‘Yes, no doubt of it; and I dare say I could find a brigade of men in
this city who would do likewise; but you need not lay siege to that
castle--that article is already bespoke.’
“‘How is that?’
“‘She is going to marry that tall, awkward booby yonder, leaning against
that column--the one with the long, shaggy whiskers.’
“‘Well! well! there is no accounting for a woman’s taste. It is
surpassingly strange that so glorious a beauty should take a fancy to
such a bulk of humanity as that!’
“‘Hush!, hush! he is listening to us.’
“Then they continued the conversation in lower tones, so I could not
hear any more.
“The court took a thirty minutes’ recess, which afforded me an
opportunity to introduce Lottie; this I lost no time in doing.
“‘Miss Wallingford,’ observed the judge, as he courtesied to her and
dropped into a seat by her side, ‘you seem to be deeply interested in
those papers; may I inquire what they refer to?’
“‘Those papers refer to the evidence that was in the Bramlett case on
the first trial,’ said Lottie, as her pretty eyes rested on the handsome
countenance of the judge.
“‘Oh, yes; that is the case that was set for Thursday; a very strange
case it is, indeed! You are the young lady who has been staying in the
jail with Miss Bramlett?’
“‘Yes, sir; and I am a true friend to that young girl.’
“‘Well, Miss Bramlett ought to be proud of the friendship of such a
lady; and I promise you that your friend shall have a fair and impartial
trial. I suppose you will be present to witness the proceedings?’
“‘Oh, yes, I certainly shall attend the trial; I should have been
present at the first trial, but I was very ill at the time. I have a
little favor to ask of your Honor, which I hope you will grant--provided
it is not against the rules of practice.’
“‘I beg you to name it, Miss Wallingford; and I promise in advance to
grant it, if it is within my power, even if it requires a change of our
rules.’
“‘I thank you sincerely, sir; I should like very much to have the
privilege of cross-examining some of the State’s witnesses.’
“‘Oh, is that all? You shall cross-examine all of the State’s witnesses,
if you like; and you may make a speech in defense of your friend, if you
wish.’
“‘I have no inclination to make a speech--I am not a lawyer, but I have
been studying Miss Bramlett’s case. There are some very peculiar points
in it, with which Mr. Rockland is totally unacquainted; and I have other
peculiar reasons for wishing to cross-examine some of the witnesses.’
“‘Mr. Quillet,’ said the judge, addressing that gentleman with a bland
smile, ‘you had better look to your laurels, next Thursday, for I think
you are going to encounter heavier mettle than usual.’
“‘A defeat caused by Miss Wallingford would be as good as a victory over
an ordinary adversary.’
“‘You are quite complimentary, Mr. Quillet; you seem to understand the
weakness of our sex; we all love flattery.’
“‘Candidly speaking, Miss Wallingford, I do most sincerely wish you may
be able to furnish evidence enough to justify a jury in acquitting your
friend.’
“‘Indeed, I thank you for your kind wish, and flatter myself that I
shall be able to put a different feature on the case the next time from
what it was on the first trial. On next Thursday I am going to unravel
one of the strangest mysteries that ever was revealed in open court. I
will make you think I am a real magician. Lucio made a duke out of a
friar, and I will make a saint out of a murderess--that is, I will show
a saint where everybody sees a demon.’
“‘May God speed you, Miss Wallingford,’ the judge replied; ‘you deserve
success, whether you achieve it or not.’