"In spite of the evidence adduced," he began, "I think I can show that Williams is not guilty. It is quite true that he dislikes Mr Gordon, and would not object to any open way of showing it; it is quite true that he used the expressions attributed to him, and that the ink and wafers are such as may be found in his desk, and that the handwriting is not unlike his. But is it probable that a boy intending to post up an insult such as this, would do so in a manner and at a time so likely to involve him in immediate detection and certain punishment? At any rate, he would surely disguise his usual handwriting. Now, I ask any one to look at this paper, and tell me whether it is not clear, on the contrary, that these letters were traced slowly and with care, as would be the case with an elaborate attempt to imitate?" Russell here handed the paper to the jury, who again narrowly examined it. "Now, the evidence of Pietrie and Carter is of no use, because Carter himself admitted that boys often enter the room by the window--a fact to which we shall have to allude again. "We admit the evidence about the ink and wafers. But it is rather strange that Barker should know about the wafers, since neither I, nor any other friend of Williams, often as we have sat by him when writing letters, have ever observed that he possessed any like them." Several boys began to look at Barker, who was sitting very ill at ease on the corner of a form, in vain trying to appear unconcerned. "There is another fact which no one yet knows, but which I must mention. It will explain Eric's--I mean Williams's--agitation when Dr Rowlands read out the words on that paper; and, confident of his innocence, I am indifferent to its appearing to tell against him. I myself once heard Eric--I beg pardon, I mean Williams," (he said, correcting himself with a smile)--"use the very words written on that paper, and not only heard them, but expostulated with him strongly for the use of them. I need hardly say how very unlikely it is that, remembering this, he should thus publicly draw my suspicions on him, if he meant to insult Mr Gordon undiscovered. But, besides myself there was another boy who accidentally overheard that expression. That boy was Barker. "I have to bring forward a new piece of evidence, which at least ought to go for something. Looking at this half-sheet of note-paper, I see that the printer's name on the stamp in the corner is `Graves, York.' Now, I have just found that there is no paper at all like this in Williams's desk; all the note-paper it contains is marked `Blakes, Ayrton.'