"Come, come, sir. Up to now nothing has been said of the offending car which could not be said with equal truth of the defendant's." "I cordially agree." "Both are green, both open, both, according to your story, bear the same number." Berry nodded. "Unquestionably," he said. "Wait. Supposing the defendant swears that he has never had a Sealyham or any other kind of terrier?" "I don't know that I should believe him, but I shouldn't argue it. Perhaps he doesn't like dogs." "You'd accept his statement?" "For what it was worth." "Exactly. And if he had no terrier, it's quite obvious that the car out of which the Sealyham jumped was not his, but somebody else's?" "Undoubtedly," said Berry. "As a matter of fact, it was ours." The explosion of mirth which this statement provoked showed that his headlong progress towards the pit which he had digged had been gleefully followed by nearly everybody in Court, and counsel turned very pale. "Have you ever discussed this case with any one?" "I have." "Who with?" Berry took a deep breath. "Well, I haven't seen my dentist lately, but I think everybody else I know has had it." "Have you discussed it with the other witnesses?" "Ad nauseam." "Have you indeed? Perhaps that explains why you all tell the same tale?" "That," said Berry coolly, "is an infamous suggestion." Somebody gave an audible gasp, and there was a breathless silence. Sitting back in his padded chair, the Judge might have been a graven image. "Sir?" thundered counsel interrogatively. "And one beneath the dignity of even a stuff gown." For a long moment the two men looked one another full in the eyes. Then counsel sat down somewhat unsteadily.... Berry was followed by an expert witness, called to substantiate our contention that two hundred pounds was a fair charge for the execution of such repairs to the Rolls as the accident had necessitated, and that another two hundred for the hire of a similar car for the month during which our own was in dock, was not excessive. As he stepped down from the box-- "That, my lord," said our leader, "is the case for the plaintiff."