Page:Memoirs James Hardy Vaux.djvu/406

 Saturday, I was taken before a bench of magistrates, where I also met Edwards, but had no communication with him. The latter was then called for, and now appeared in the court, to my surprise, as an approver, or evidence, against a woman known by the name of Peggy the Miller, from her former husband having been of that profession. This woman had, unknown to me, been also confined the whole week on Edwards’s accusation. I remained among the crowd at the door of the court-house, where I was enabled to hear the proceedings I am now going to describe. Edwards deposed that the said Margaret had lately quitted the service of Mr. Bent, but had lived some time in the family as his fellow-servant. That soon after deponent’s coming to the house, she one day proposed to him to take some money from his master’s writing desk, and offered to procure him the keys for that purpose; that he accordingly did so, and divided the spoil (about 5l.,) with her. Being desired to proceed, he continued, “A few days afterwards, she again proposed to me to take some more money and I took about the same sum as before.” These depositions being committed to writing, by the court, and being extracted with some difficulty from the witness, and attended with many questions and remarks from the magistrates present, of course occupied some time, and, on the court