Page:Braddon--The Trail of the Serpent.djvu/60

56 "Certainly," replied the witness. "Rum, an adjective when applied to a gentleman's conduct; a substantive when used to denominate his tipple."

The counsel for the prosecution doesn't clearly understand the meaning of the word "tipple."

The witness thinks the learned gentleman had better buy a dictionary before he again assists in a criminal prosecution.

"Come, come, sir," said the judge; "you are extremely impertinent. We don't want to be kept here all night. Let us have your evidence in a straightforward manner."

The witness squared his elbows, and turned that luminary, his nose, full on his lordship, as if it had been a bull's-eye lantern.

"You used another strange expression," said the counsel, "in answer to my friend. Will you have the kindness to explain what you mean by the prisoner having 'a loose slate'?"

"A tile off. Something wrong about the roof—the garret—the upper story—the nut."

The counsel for the prosecution confessed himself to be still in the dark.

The witness declared himself sorry to hear it—he could undertake to give his evidence; but he could not undertake to provide the gentleman with understanding.

"I will trouble you to be respectful in your replies to the counsel for the crown," said the judge.

The medical student's variegated eye looked defiantly at his lordship; the counsel for the crown had done with him, and he retired from the witness-box, after bowing to the judge and jury with studious politeness.

The next witnesses were two medical gentlemen of a different stamp to the "Cheerful Cherokee," who had now taken his place amongst the spectators.

These gentlemen gave evidence of having attended the prisoner some years before, during brain-fever, and having very much feared the fever would have resulted in the loss of the patient's reason.

The trial had by this time lasted so long, that the juryman who had a ticket for the public dinner began to feel that his card of admission to the festive board was so much waste pasteboard, and that the green fat of the turtle and the prime cut from the haunch of venison were not for him.

The counsel for the prosecution delivered himself of his second address to the jury, in which he endeavoured to demolish the superstructure which his "learned friend" had so ingeniously raised for the defence. Why should the legal defender of a man whose life is in the hands of the jury not be privileged to address that jury in favour of his client as often, at least, as the legal representative of the prosecutor?