Still, this was only a passing thought, and he steeled his heart
against the worst. When the case had dragged on for some time, Paul
noticed that there was a flutter in the court. A man he had not
hitherto seen came in and took his place beside the junior counsel for
the prosecution. He heard a whisper go round the court, "There's
Bolitho." And Paul's eyes were drawn to him as if by magic. There was
something in the face that held his attention, fascinated him. He
found his heart beating faster than was its wont and his muscles
contracting as if he were about to meet an enemy. For the moment he
forgot the reason why he was brought there, so keenly intent was he on
examining the face of the barrister who had just come in. And yet it
was not a face to be feared. It was somewhat florid, and certainly
pleasant to look upon. His eyes were blue and had a somewhat dreamy
expression in them, while the features suggested gentleness rather than
harshness. A handsome man was this Mr. Bolitho, a man who looked as
though he might have many friends. The counsel all round smiled at
him, while the magistrate nodded benignly. He seemed to create an air
of pleasantness. He relieved the somewhat sordid atmosphere which
pervaded the chamber. How much time he had given to the case it was
impossible to say, but, certainly, when he rose to cross-examine, he
seemed to know every detail of it.
Presently the examination came to an end, and Mr. Bolitho rose to
address the jury for the prosecution. In a way which Paul could not
quite comprehend, and yet which seemed perfectly reasonable as he did
it, he laid the whole blame for the trouble at Paul's door. It was his
that had been the master mind. It was he who was guilty of inciting
these ignorant, thoughtless youths to the act which had ended almost
fatally for three men. He dragged in the quarrel which Paul had had
with the son of Mr. Wilson, the owner of the mill, and insinuated that
it was a matter of personal revenge which had inspired him to commit
this outrage. In a few minutes it seemed to Paul that there was no
blacker criminal in England than himself. This man Bolitho had created
a new atmosphere in the court; his suave, almost smiling, features had
changed. When he was examining he pretended to be kind and assumed a
confidential and almost friendly manner. In this way he had wormed
statements out of men which Paul knew to be diametrically opposed to
the truth--he had even obtained the admission, from some of the youths
whom he had tried to dissuade from their deed of violence, that he,
Paul, had incited them rather than otherwise.
And now, in addressing the jury, this Mr. Bolitho had laid special
emphasis upon it. Paul was perfectly sure that the man did not believe
all he said, but he wanted to make a case, and he had fastened upon
himself as the chief culprit.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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