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306 would have given him £10 or so for them. Do you think that was honest?'

'I object to this line of cross-examination,' our leading counsel interposed. 'It does not bear on the prosecutor's evidence. It is purely recriminatory.'

Colonel Clay was all bland deference. 'I wish, my lord,' he said, turning round, 'to show that the prosecutor is a person unworthy of credence in any way. I desire to proceed upon the well-known legal maxim of falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus. I believe I am permitted to shake the witness's credit?'

'The prisoner is entirely within his rights,' Rhadamanth answered, looking severely at Charles. 'And I was wrong in suggesting that he needed the advice or assistance of counsel.'

Charles wriggled visibly. Colonel Clay perked up. Bit by bit, with dexterous questions, Charles was made to acknowledge that he wanted to buy diamonds at the price of paste, knowing them to be real; and, a millionaire himself, would gladly have diddled a poor curate out of a couple of thousand.

'I was entitled to take advantage of my special knowledge,' Charles murmured feebly.

'Oh, certainly,' the prisoner answered. 'But, while professing friendship and affection for a clergyman and his wife, in straitened circumstances, you were prepared, it seems, to take three thousand pounds' worth of goods off their hands for ten pounds, if you could have got them at that price. Is not that so?'

Charles was compelled to admit it.