Mr. Dering rose. 'Athelstan,' he said, 'it is eight years since you left us.' He held out his hand. 'Presently, Mr. Dering,' said Athelstan. He looked round the room. His mother trembled, dropped her head, and put her handkerchief to her eyes, but said nothing. His sister looked out of window. Sir Samuel took no notice of him at all. Athelstan took a chair--the clients' chair--and placed it so as to have his mother and sister at the side. He was not therefore compelled to look at them across the table. He sat down, and remained in silence and motionless. The Court was now complete. Mr. Dering sat in his chair before his table, expectant, judicial. Sir Samuel stood behind him. Mrs. Arundel and Hilda, the two ladies, sat at the open window. Elsie stood opposite to Mr. Dering, on the other side of the table, her handbag before her. She looked like Counsel about to open the case for plaintiff. Athelstan--or plaintiff--naturally occupied the clients' chair on Mr. Dering's left; and George, as naturally--the other plaintiff--stood behind him. 'Now, Elsie, if you please,' Mr. Dering began. 'I shall want your clerk, Checkley, to be present, if you please.' Mr. Dering touched his bell. The clerk appeared. He stood before them like a criminal, pale and trembling. He looked at his master appealingly. His hands hung beside him. Yet not a word of accusation had been brought against him. 'Lord! Man alive!' cried Sir Samuel, 'what on earth has come over you?' Checkley shook his head sadly, but made no reply. 'I want to ask you a question or two, Checkley,' said Elsie, quietly. 'You have told Mr. Dering--you have told Sir Samuel--that you saw my brother furtively put a parcel--presumably the stolen notes--into the safe at the very moment when you were charging him with forgery. Now, consider. That was a very serious thing to say. It was a direct statement of fact. Before, the charge rested on suspicion alone; but this is fact. Consider carefully. You may have been mistaken. Any of us may make a mistake.' 'It was true--Gospel truth--I see him place a parcel--along sideways--in the safe. The parcel we found afterwards in the safe containing all the notes.' The words were confident; but the manner was halting. 'Very well. Next, you told Sir Samuel that my brother had been living in some low suburb of London with profligate companions, and that he had been even going about in rags and tatters.' 'Yes, I did. I told Sir Samuel what I heard. Mr. Carstone told me. You'd better ask him. I only told what I heard.' George went out, and returned, bringing with him Mr. Freddy Carstone. He looked round the room and stared with surprise at Mr. Dering, but said nothing. He had been warned to say nothing, except in answer to questions. 'Now, Mr. Carstone,' Elsie asked him, 'how long is it since you met my brother after his return to England?' 'About three weeks ago I met him. It was in Holborn. I invited him into the _Salutation_ Tavern.'