"They'll never forgive me, never!" said Uncle Rob. "My own child, Lambert, my own child! To strike a death blow at my own child!" "Who's talking of death blows? Pull yourself together. It's better so; you can make things easier for him. As for forgiveness, they're not the women I take them for if they harbour a thought against you. They're true grit, that's what they are." "There's something going on in Court." They hurried in together, and were present at another altercation between Coroner and jury, the leading actors in it being, as before, the Coroner and the recalcitrant juror. From the flushed faces of the jurymen it was evident that there had been a heated discussion. Finally the Coroner proposed to take the verdict of the majority, and another difficulty presented itself. "There's no majority," said the foreman, who appeared to be the most helpless of the party. "As a matter of fact we are split into three camps of equal numbers, and no one will give way." "Is there no possibility of your agreeing?" inquired the Coroner. "If we were locked up for a week," replied the foreman, "I don't believe we should agree." "Well," said the Coroner, with a motion as if he were giving up the thing in despair, "let me know in plain terms how the matter stands, and I will see what can be done." "We will put it down in writing," said the foreman. Thereupon the jury retired, and after a lapse of twenty minutes or so returned with three documents, which were handed to the Coroner. They revealed an extraordinary state of affairs. The first, signed by four jurymen, was a verdict of Wilful Murder against some person or persons unknown. The second, signed by four other jurymen, was a verdict of Wilful Murder against Abel Death. When this was read out a shriek rang through the court, and Mrs. Death, starting to her feet, screamed in wild tones, "You wicked liars! You liars! You wicked liars!" With great difficulty she was silenced, and restrained from rushing to the spot where the jurymen were clustered together. The third document, signed by other four jurymen, was a verdict of Wilful Murder against Reginald Boyd. "Do you present these to me in all seriousness?" asked the Coroner. "They are the conclusions arrived at by the jury," replied the Juror. "With eight of my colleagues I do not agree, but for all that I have not hectored them."