"That poor woman whom we used to call Mrs. Rawlins told her sad story

next. She is much worn and subdued, and Mr. Grey was struck with

the change from the fierce excitement she showed when she was first

confronted with Maddox, after her own trial; but she held fast to the

same evidence, giving it not resentfully, but sadly and firmly, as if

she felt it to be her duty. She, as you know, explained how Maddox

had obtained access to Mr. Williams's private papers, and how she had,

afterwards, found in his possession the seal ring, and the scraps of

paper in his patron's writing. A policeman produced them, and the seal

perfectly filled the wax upon the forged letter. The bits of paper

showed that Maddox had been practising imitating Mr. Williams's

writing. It all seemed most distinct, but still there was some sharp

cross-examination of her on her own part in the matter, and Mr. Grey

said it was well that little Rose could so exactly confirm the facts she

mentioned.

"Poor, dear little Rose looked very sweet and innocent, and not so much

frightened as at her first examination. She told her story of the savage

way in which she had been frightened into silence. Half the people in

the court were crying, and I am sure it was a mercy that she was not

driven out of her senses, or even murdered that night. It seems that she

was sent to bed early, but the wretches knowing that she always woke and

talked while her mother was going to bed, the phosphoric letters were

prepared to frighten her, and detain her in her room, and then Maddox

growled at her when she tried to pass the door. She was asked how she

knew the growl to be Maddox's, and she answered that she heard him

cough. Rachel will, I am sure, remember the sound of that little dry

cough. Nothing could make it clearer than that the woman had spoken the

truth. The child identified the two seals with great readiness, and then

was sent back to the inn that she might not be perplexed with hearing

the defence. This, of course, was very trying to us all, since the best

the counsel could do for his client was to try to pick holes in

the evidence, and make the most of the general acquiescence in Mr.

Williams's guilt for all these years. He brought forward letters that

showed that Mr. Williams had been very sanguine about the project, and

had written about the possibility that an advance might be needed. Some

of the letters, which both Mr. Williams and his sister owned to be in

his own writing, spoke in most flourishing terms of his plans; and it

was proved by documents and witnesses that the affairs were in such a

state that bankruptcy was inevitable, so that there was every motive for

securing a sum to live upon. It was very miserable all the time this was

going on, the whole interpretation, of Mr. Williams's conduct seemed

to be so cruelly twisted aside, and it was what every one had all

along believed, his absence was made so much of, and all these little

circumstances that had seemed so important were held so cheap--one knew

it was only the counsel's representation, and yet Alison grew whiter

and whiter under it. I wish you could have heard the reply: drawing the

picture of the student's absorption and generous confidence, and his

agent's treachery, creeping into his household, and brutally playing on

the terrors of his child.




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