"Oh!" whispered Lady Temple, "is it not horrid? Is nothing to be done

to that dreadful man? I always thought people came here to do justice.

I shall never like Sir Edward Morden again! But, oh! what can that be?

Where is the Colonel?"

It was a loud, frightful roar and yell, a sound of concentrated fury

that, once heard, could never be forgotten. It was from the crowd

outside, many of them from Avonmouth, and all frantic with indignation

at the cruelty that had been perpetrated upon the helpless children.

Their groans and execrations were pursuing the prison van, from which

Maria Hatherton was at that moment making her exit, and so fearful

was the outcry that penetrated the court, that Fanny trembled with

recollections of Indian horrors, looked wistfully for her protector

the Colonel, and murmured fears that her aunt must have been very much

terrified.

At that moment, however, a summons came for Lady Temple, as this was

the case in which she was to bear witness. Alison followed, and was no

sooner past the spectators, who gladly made way, than she found her arm

drawn into Colonel Keith's. "Is he come?" she asked. "No," was rather

signed than spoken. "Oh, Colin!" she sighed, but still there was no

reply, only she was dragged on, downstairs and along dark passages, into

a room furnished with a table, chairs, pens, ink, and paper, and lighted

with gas, which revealed to her not only Mr. Grey, but one who, though

eight years had made him stouter, redder, and rougher, had one of the

moat familiar faces of her youthful days. Her senses almost reeled with

her as he held out his hand, saying heartily, "Well, Ailie, how are you?

and how is Ermine? Where can this brother of yours be?"

"Harry! Mr. Beauchamp! You here!" she exclaimed, in the extremity of

amazement.

"Here is Colin seeming to think that something may be done towards

nailing this scoundrel for the present, so I am come at his call. We

shall have the fellow in a moment." And then, by way of getting rid of

embarrassment, he began talking to Mr. Grey about the County Hall, and

the room, which Mr. Grey explained to be that of the clerk of the peace,

lent for this occasion while the usual justice room was occupied, Alison

heard all as in a dream, and presently Mauleverer entered, as usual

spruce, artist-like, and self-possessed, and was accosted by Harry

Beauchamp, "Good evening, Mr. Maddox, I am sorry to trouble you."

"I hope there is no misunderstanding, sir," was the reply. "I have not

the pleasure of knowing for whom you take me."

Without regarding this reply, however, Mr. Beauchamp requested Mr. Grey

to take his deposition, stating his own belief in the identity of the

person before him with Richard Maddox, whom he charged with having

delivered to him a letter falsely purporting to come from Edward

Williams, demanding three hundred pounds, which upon this he had

delivered to the accused, to be forwarded to the said Mr. Williams.




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