"The agent for the glass--my father's agent."

"And who is Maria?"

"She was my nurse."

"When did you last see the person you call Mr. Maddox?"

"Last time, I was sure of it, was when I was walking on the esplanade

at Avoncester with Colonel Keith," said Rose, very anxious to turn aside

and render her words inaudible.

"I suppose you can hardly tell when that was?"

"Yes, it was the day before you went away to Lord Keith's wedding," said

Rose, looking to the Colonel.

"Had you seen him before?"

"Twice when I was out by myself, but it frightened me so that I never

looked again."

"Can you give me any guide to the time?"

She was clear that it had been after Colonel Keith's first stay at

Avonmouth, but that was all, and being asked if she had ever mentioned

these meetings, "Only when Colonel Keith saw how frightened I was, and

asked me."

"Why were you frightened?" asked Mr. Grey, on a hint from the Colonel.

"Because I could not quite leave off believing the dreadful things Mr.

Maddox and Maria said they would do to me if I told."

"Told what?"

"About Mr. Maddox coming and walking with Maria when she was out with

me," gasped Rose, trying to avert her head, and not comforted by hearing

Mr. Grey repeat her words to those tormentors of her infancy.

A little encouragement, however, brought out the story of the

phosphoric letters, the lions, and the vision of Maddox growling in the

dressing-room. The date of the apparition could hardly be hoped for,

but fortunately Rose remembered that it was two days before her mamma's

birthday, because she had felt it so bard to be eaten up before the

fete, and this date tallied with that given by Maria of her admitting

her treacherous admirer into the private rooms.

"The young lady may be precocious, no doubt, sir," here said the

accused, "but I hardly see why she has been brought here. You can attach

no weight to the confused recollections of so young a child, of matters

that took place so long ago."

"The question will be what weight the jury will attach to them at the

assizes," said Mr. Grey.

"You will permit me to make one inquiry of the young lady, sir. Who told

her whom she might expect to see here?"

Mr. Grey repeated the query, and Rose answered, "Nobody; I knew my aunt

and the Colonel and Lady Temple were gone in to Avoncester, and Aunt

Ermine got a note from the Colonel to say that I was to come in to him

with Tibbie in a fly."

"Did you know what you were wanted for?"

"No, I could not think. I only knew they came to get the woman punished

for being so cruel to the poor little girls."




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