Carlton looked at the quivering lip between the cropped whiskers, and his jaws snapped on a smile as he returned to his pocket-book. But the whole of his examination of Sir Wilton Gleed does not call for elaborate report: its weakness and its strength will be recognised with equal readiness. With a stronger spirit on the bench, or a weaker spirit in the dock, or even a capable solicitor to prosecute for the police, much of it had never been; as the play was cast it was the accused clergyman who presided over that country court for the longest hour in his enemy's life; nor, when he had won his ascendancy, did he use his power as unsparingly as in the winning of it. The witness was allowed to come out of the corner into which he had been driven before his appeal to the bench; he had contradicted himself, and the contradiction was left to tell its own tale without being pressed home. On the other hand, some startling admissions were obtained in regard to the responsibility with which the witness had finally sought to saddle the accused; he had bade him build the church because he believed Carlton would find it an impossible task; he recklessly admitted it, with a pale bravado that imposed upon few people in court, and on but one upon the bench. "You were still determined to get rid of me," said Carlton, "one way or another?" "I was." "And this struck you as another way?" "It did--at the moment." "Ah," murmured the chairman, "we are all subject to the impulse of the moment!" Carlton put this point aside. "And why did you think that I should find it an impossible task to rebuild the church?" "I thought you would find a difficulty in getting local men to work for you." "Your grounds for thinking that?" "I considered your reputation in the district." "Any other reason?" "One or two builders and masons had spoken to me on the subject." Carlton found a new place in his pocket-book, and read out a list of nine names. "Were any of these local men among the number?" "Yes." "All of them?" "Ye--es." "What! You admit having discussed me, during the present month, and since I first spoke to you about rebuilding the church, with these nine local builders or stonemasons?" "I don't deny it," said Sir Wilton, stoutly. "And do you know of any builder or stonemason in the neighbourhood with whom you have _not_ discussed me?" "Can't say I do." "That's quite enough," said Carlton. "I shall not ask you what you said. I do not purpose calling these men, at this court; time enough for that at the assizes." And without further comment he took the witness through one or two details of their last interview in the ruins; by no means all; indeed, the date was the point most insisted upon. "And so the very next day was last Friday, the 18th of August?" concluded Carlton with apparent levity. The witness refused to answer, appealed to the bench, and secured another reprimand for the accused.