The sight of his witnesses was almost welcome. They were a dissenting

minister, and a neat, portly, respectable widow, the owner of a

fancy shop, and both knew Mr. Mauleverer as a popular lecturer upon

philanthropical subjects, who came periodically to Bristol, and made

himself very acceptable. Their faith in him was genuine, and he had even

interested them in the F. U. E. E. and the ladies that patronized it.

The widow was tearfully indignant about the persecution that had

been got up against him, and evidently intended to return with him in

triumph, and endow him with the fancy shop if he would condescend so

far. The minister too, spoke highly of his gifts and graces, but neither

of them could carry back their testimony to his character for more than

three years.

Mr. Grey looked at his watch, Harry Beauchamp was restless, and Alison

felt almost faint with suspense; but at last the tramp of feet was heard

in the passage. Colonel Keith came first, and leaning over Alison's

chair, said, "Lady Temple will wait for me at the inn. It will soon be

all right."

At that moment a tall figure in mourning entered, attended by a

policeman. For the first time, Mauleverer's coolness gave way, though

not his readiness, and, turning to Mr. Grey, he exclaimed, "Sir, you

do not intend to be misled by the malignity of a person of this

description."

"Worse than a murderess!" gasped the scandalized widow Dench. "Well, I

never!"

Mr. Grey was obliged to be peremptory, in order to obtain silence, and

enforce that, let the new witness be what she might, her evidence must

be heard.

She had come in with the habitual village curtsey to Mr. Beauchamp,

and putting back her veil, disclosed to Alison the piteous sight of

the well-remembered features, once so bright with intelligence and

innocence, and now sunk and haggard with the worst sorrows of womanhood.

Her large glittering eyes did not seem to recognise Alison, but they

glared upon Mauleverer with a strange terrible fixedness, as if unable

to see any one else. To Alison the sight was inexpressibly painful,

and she shrank back, as it were, in dread of meeting the eyes once so

responsive to her own.

Mr. Grey asked the woman the name of the person before her, and looking

at him with the same fearful steadiness, she pronounced it to be Richard

Maddox, though he had of late called himself Mauleverer.

The man quailed for a moment, then collecting himself, said, "I now

understand the incredible ingratitude and malignity that have pointed

out against me these hitherto unaccountable slanders. It is a punishment

for insufficient inquiry into character. But you, sir, in common

justice, will protect me from the aspersions of one who wishes to drag

me down in her justly merited fall."




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