"But just think on 't!" said the other. "If what he says is true, the woman as we have known as Mrs. Stepaside is Judge Bolitho's wife! Weel then, canst a' see? Judge Bolitho must be a bigamist. His daughter is in the town at this very time, and he must have married her mother while Paul's mother was alive. I tell thee, there'll be rare doings." "Ay," replied the other; "but I expect they'll patch it up. These lawyer chaps can do onything. I heerd one on 'em say once that all law was a matter of interpretation, and you may be sure that they'll interpret it to suit theirsen." "Nay; I'm noan so sure," replied the other. "But it's a rare business. By goom! All t' preachers i' Lancashire will have this affair for a text!" In another part of the court the two ladies who had been discussing Paul on the previous day were now discussing his father. "Did you ever dream of such a thing?" "Well," was the reply. "When I come to think of it, there is a resemblance between them." "How can you say that? The prisoner is tall, dark; he has black hair and black eyes, while Judge Bolitho is florid and has light hair." "No; but their features are the same. Do you know, after all, there's something in blood. No one can help seeing that Stepaside is a gentleman." "Why, I thought you said before that his common blood showed itself." "My dear, you misunderstood me. See the way he has risen in the world. I am told that Judge Bolitho comes from one of the oldest families in the West of England, and family tells, my dear, family tells!" "But just think of it! Would you have believed that a proud man like Judge Bolitho would have stood up and made such a revelation to a gaping crowd like this?" "Conscience, my dear, conscience!" "Yes; but what about his conscience during the years? I tell you we've not seen the end of this business yet. Can't you see the complications?" "Do you know, I've often been tempted to invite Stepaside to my house. I wish I had now; he must be an interesting man." "They'll never hang him after this. Do you think so?" "I don't know. If these things had come to light a few days ago, before the trial commenced, they might have hushed it up; but I don't see how they can now." "But wasn't it tremendously exciting. I wouldn't have missed it for anything. I felt a shiver down my back all the time the judge was speaking. What a splendid scene for a play!" And so they continued talking. The real deep issues of the case were as nothing. To them it was an event which interested them beyond words. It fed their love for excitement, and promised to be a subject of conversation for many days to come.