"Oh!" whispered Lady Temple, "is it not horrid? Is nothing to be done
to that dreadful man? I always thought people came here to do justice.
I shall never like Sir Edward Morden again! But, oh! what can that be?
Where is the Colonel?"
It was a loud, frightful roar and yell, a sound of concentrated fury
that, once heard, could never be forgotten. It was from the crowd
outside, many of them from Avonmouth, and all frantic with indignation
at the cruelty that had been perpetrated upon the helpless children.
Their groans and execrations were pursuing the prison van, from which
Maria Hatherton was at that moment making her exit, and so fearful
was the outcry that penetrated the court, that Fanny trembled with
recollections of Indian horrors, looked wistfully for her protector
the Colonel, and murmured fears that her aunt must have been very much
terrified.
At that moment, however, a summons came for Lady Temple, as this was
the case in which she was to bear witness. Alison followed, and was no
sooner past the spectators, who gladly made way, than she found her arm
drawn into Colonel Keith's. "Is he come?" she asked. "No," was rather
signed than spoken. "Oh, Colin!" she sighed, but still there was no
reply, only she was dragged on, downstairs and along dark passages, into
a room furnished with a table, chairs, pens, ink, and paper, and lighted
with gas, which revealed to her not only Mr. Grey, but one who, though
eight years had made him stouter, redder, and rougher, had one of the
moat familiar faces of her youthful days. Her senses almost reeled with
her as he held out his hand, saying heartily, "Well, Ailie, how are you?
and how is Ermine? Where can this brother of yours be?"
"Harry! Mr. Beauchamp! You here!" she exclaimed, in the extremity of
amazement.
"Here is Colin seeming to think that something may be done towards
nailing this scoundrel for the present, so I am come at his call. We
shall have the fellow in a moment." And then, by way of getting rid of
embarrassment, he began talking to Mr. Grey about the County Hall, and
the room, which Mr. Grey explained to be that of the clerk of the peace,
lent for this occasion while the usual justice room was occupied, Alison
heard all as in a dream, and presently Mauleverer entered, as usual
spruce, artist-like, and self-possessed, and was accosted by Harry
Beauchamp, "Good evening, Mr. Maddox, I am sorry to trouble you."
"I hope there is no misunderstanding, sir," was the reply. "I have not
the pleasure of knowing for whom you take me."
Without regarding this reply, however, Mr. Beauchamp requested Mr. Grey
to take his deposition, stating his own belief in the identity of the
person before him with Richard Maddox, whom he charged with having
delivered to him a letter falsely purporting to come from Edward
Williams, demanding three hundred pounds, which upon this he had
delivered to the accused, to be forwarded to the said Mr. Williams.