Australia -- Gold discoveries -- Fiction; Ballarat (Vic.) -- Fiction
'Just stand down for an instant. With his Honour's permission I will
recall the witness John Polwarth.'
'You are recalled upon your former oath, Mr. Polwarth. I wish to ask you
whether you ever saw an individual most strangely resembling Trevanion?
If so, when and where?'
'Yes--sartain,' replied John, looking pityingly upon Lance as he stood
in the cage, as Jack afterwards designated it. 'There was a chap as
called hisself Trevenna--Lawrence Trevenna--as coomed oot in ship with
us, and was as like the master here as he'd been his twin.'
'Was the likeness really astonishing?'
''Stonishin'! I believe you. It was the most surprisin' likeness ever I
seed, and so the missus'll tell you besides.'
'Well, what became of him?'
'Nivir heerd tale or tidings of him since he left the ship. Wasn't sorry
for that either. He was that bad-tempered and fond of card-playing that
I couldn't bear to have him in the same mess with me and the missus.'
Mrs. Polwarth, also recalled, gave similar evidence with considerable
spirit, and hoped that some of the witnesses heard to-day might have
some good cause to know the individual as she meant. 'He was death on
playing cards, and that fond of money that he wouldn't leave off when he
lost. He was the worst-tempered man in the ship.'
'That will do, Mrs. Polwarth. You may go and sit in the court with your
husband. Now, Miss Lawless, you have heard what these two most
respectable witnesses have sworn to. Are you still certain and positive
in your own mind that you saw Lance Trevanion _himself_ on the flats of
the Eumeralla, or did not rather fall in with Trevenna, who seems born
for the special purpose of complicating this most involved and unhappy
case?'
A look of relief and sudden satisfaction passed over the girl's face as
she answered, 'I do now feel in doubt. Oh! I will not swear positively.
I never dreamed that there was any one so like Mr. Trevanion.'
'Then,' pursued Mr. England, 'having now become aware that there is an
individual so strikingly like Lance Trevanion that a stranger could
hardly know them apart, are you desirous to correct your former
evidence, given in ignorance of the fact, by now declaring on your oath
that you are unable to identify the man you saw with the prisoner,
Trevanion?'
The light came back to the witness's eyes, and even a faint colour rose
to her cheeks as she answered firmly, almost joyfully, 'I believe in my
heart that it must have been Trevenna that I saw. I cannot swear now
that I saw Mr. Trevanion.'
A faint murmur of approval arose in the court, which was promptly
suppressed as the Crown Prosecutor rose.
'I do not wish, your Honour, in any way to impugn this witness's
testimony. She has every desire, I feel convinced, to speak the truth.
But I wish to ask her whether of _her own knowledge_ she is aware that
such a person as Lawrence Trevenna exists?'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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