Let her but gain this point of bringing
the woman whom she believed to be guilty to
justice, aud mankind might think of her—the
instrument of vengeance —as mankind felt
disposed. The force of her evidence was terrific; and
when she came to speak of that scene with the
photograph, in which she endeavoured to show that
Gabrielle's feelings of jealousy had been so power-
fully aroused, when she told of the sad scene at
table on that last dreadful day, it was plain to all
men that the case for the prosecution wore a
terribly strong look. Between her readiness
to tell, and the dexterousness with which the
counsel for the prosecution drew her information
from her, there came at last to be nothing left
unsaid, while much that was not said in so many
words was artfully suggested.

Some of her evidence was so powerful, seemed so
convincing in the very manner of its coming from
her, that a passage here and there may perhaps be
worth preserving, in order that the reader may be
able to judge what sort of aspect the strange case
wore, to those who were present in court, as it
went on from point to point. Serjeant Probyn
had of course a "learned friend" with him, by
whom much of the examining of the witnesses
was conducted. Mr. Pry was a middle-aged
junior, famed for his powers as an examiner and
cross-examiner. He took Jane Cantanker in
hand at an early period in her examination in
chief. His questions and the answers eliminated
by them were something of this sort:

Mr. Pry. You remember, no doubt, the leading
incidents of the evening of January 25th?

Witness. Yes, sir; I remember everything
that took place. (Pronounced " everythink.")

Mr. Pry. Will you be good enough to tell the
jury what happened?

Witness. I took my mistress up a cup of tea
about eight o'clock, when she seemed much in
her usual health. I asked her permission to step
out for a few minutes, which she gave immediate,
saying that she would not want anything of me
now till tray-time, as we call it. My mistress
never ate anything with her tea, but had a light
supper the last thing at night instead. I left
her sitting quite comfortable in her easy-chair,
and then I went out to make a few purchases,
some eggs for mistress's supper among the rest.
I was out about an hour. When I came home
I asked the girl Charlotte if my mistress's bell
had rung, and hearing that it had not, I did not
go up to see after her, but did a bit of mending
of my own, and then began to make the necessary
preparations for getting ready the tray and that,
to take up-stairs.

Mr. Pry. It was not possible that anything
unusual might have got into the food, I suppose?

Witness. Oh no, sir. I was always most
particular about everything that was intended
for my mistress to eat or drink.

Mr. Pry. Just so. You had no laudanum ever
in your own possession, had you?

Witness. Oh dear no, sir. Nothing of the
sort.

Mr. Pry. You may go on now with what you
were telling us, if you please.

Witness. I was just finishing the eggs which
I had been poaching, when I heard the dining-room
door open (it was but a little house we lived
in, and you could hear in one room of it pretty
well everything that took place in any of the
others); the door opened, and Mrs. Penmore's
footsteps descended the kitchen stairs. It was
very unusual for her to come into the kitchen, I
will say that; and I looked at the gurl Charlotte,
and she looked at me hard, as much as to say, " I
wonder what's up now?"

Mr. Pry. You will tell the court what happened
next, as briefly as possible.

Witness. Sir, I wish to be brief, but I thought
you were wishful to know all the particulars
from the beginning to the hend.

Mr. Pry. So we are, no doubt. You were
saying—-

Witness. I was saying that Mrs. Penmore
came down the stairs, and into the kitchen, and
began talking ingratiatory like, as if she'd some
favour to ask, and so it seemed she had; for it
came out presently that she wanted to be
allowed to take my usual office upon her, and
carry up my mistress's supper to her room. [At
this point there seemed to be a slight movement
in court, caused by people turning about to look at
each other, with a shake of the head. There was
also a whisper exchanged here and there.]

Mr. Pry. And did you consent to this?

Witness. No, sir, I did not. I said I had
always been in the habit of taking it up myself,
and that I saw no reason for allowing any one
else to do so.

Mr. Pry. And did the prisoner continue still
to urge you?

Witness. Yes, sir, she did.

Mr. Pry. And was she very pressing about it?

Witness. Yes, sir, she was. She went on so,
and pressed so hard, even taking the very tray
out of my hands, as true as I am here, that I was
almost forced to give way at last, which I did,
but objecting all the time, and wondering, too, at
her being so anxious about so small a matter;
and I stood at the foot of the stairs after she
had gone up, half doubting even then whether
I wouldn't follow her, and get the tray back
again. But I was undecided like for the time,
and I stopped where I was. As I stood there at
the foot of the stairs, I heard the prisoner [a
word spoken with great relish] going up, and
heard the jingling of the tray also; but it stopped
when she got to the first floor, and then she
opened the drawing-room door and went in.

Mr. Pry. Was that room on the same floor as
the bedroom of the deceased?

Witness. No, sir. It was on the floor below
it. She stopped in the drawing-room some time,
and then—-

Mr. Pry. How long do you suppose she
stopped there?

Witness. Well, sir, it's difficult to say, but I
should think three or four minutes. After that