In this, however, she was mistaken. The Judge was eyeing the counsel, and they were eyeing him; and the thought in the minds of the three shrewd men was--‘Here there was an opportunity for exchanging the will read by the prisoner for another document.’ ‘I think you had better go on, Mr. Collithorne,’ said the Judge at length; and the Queen’s Counsel was proceeding to obey, when he was interrupted for the second time. ‘Let me by; I tell ye I’m a witness; let me by.’ These words, uttered in a shrill Scotch voice, were heard at one of the entrances to the court; and in another moment a queer-looking, under-sized individual, dressed in a shabby overcoat with a velvet collar, many sizes too large for him, pushed through the crowd in the passage. ‘MacGowan!’ exclaimed Alec involuntarily. ‘Who is this?’ asked the Judge testily. ‘The clerk who engrossed the will, I believe, my lord,’ said Mr. Collithorne, who had overheard Alec’s exclamation. ‘You cannot call him; you have closed your case,’ said Mr. Corker to his opponent. ‘But he may give evidence for the defendant, unless you object, Mr. Corker,’ said the Judge. ‘It’s what I’ve come here for,’ put in Mr. MacGowan. ‘Really, my lord, I cannot take the responsibility of calling this witness,’ said Mr. Corker; ‘I know nothing of what he may say.’ ‘I’m no’ surprised at that,’ said MacGowan, as without further invitation he stepped round to the witness-box. ‘I shall take his evidence,’ said the Judge, after a pause. ‘Ma loard,’ said MacGowan, as soon as he was sworn, ‘I engrossed the wull wi’ my ain haun’. The bequest to the Free Kirk was five _hunder_ thoosan’ pounds. So it was in the draft, an’ so I wrote it in the wull, and so I read it to Maister Alexander Lindsay, when him and me compared them. ‘That nicht, ma loard,’ he continued, dramatically raising his right hand, ‘I was refreshin’ mysel’ after the toils o’ the day in a maist respectable public-hoose, wi’ some freends, when Maister Wulliam Beattie, that is the managin’ clerk at the office, cam’ in and withdrew me to a private room. He telled me there had been a mistak’ made, an’ I would hae to copy the draft ower again; an’ naething would serve him but I maun copy it ower again, then and there. I did sae, and he dictated it to me, frae the same blue draft I had had before. Only he read it _five thoosan’ pounds_, leavin’ oot the _hunder_.’ ‘Are you sure of that?’ asked the Judge sharply. ‘Certain sure, my lord.’ ‘Well?’ ‘Then he gied me half a sovereign and gaed awa’.’ ‘I leave him to you, Mr. Collithorne,’ said the Judge. ‘How does it happen that you immediately disappeared after this took place?’ asked Mr. Collithorne. ‘Weel, Messrs. Hatchett and me had a bit of difference.’ ‘You were dismissed, in fact?’ ‘Ye may ca’ ’t that if ye like.’ ‘And how was it that you have not turned up till now?’