"'The explanation, my dear sir, is simple;' and then, in a quiet, confidential tone, he added: '_It was the same mother, but two fathers_!'" "I had another experience not long after in the same asylum," continued Warren. "One of my patients told me he had married the devil's daughter when I was asking him about his relations. 'She was a nice girl enough,' he said, 'and although my people thought I had married beneath me, I was satisfied with her rank, seeing she was a Prince's daughter. We went off on our honeymoon in a chariot of fire which her father lent us for the occasion, and had a comfortable time of it at Monte Carlo, where all the hotels are under her father's special patronage.' "'I hope,' said I, 'your marriage was a happy one.' "'Yes,' said he with a sigh, '_but we don't get on well with the old folks_!'" * * * * * No writer was ever more solicitous of fame than Sam Warren. It was a proud moment whenever there was the remotest allusion to his authorship, and I always loved to compliment him on his books. In the famous case of Lord St. Leonards's will, which had been lost, I supported the lost will, and proved its contents from the evidence of Miss Sugden and others. Sam Warren had been in the habit of visiting Lord St. Leonards at Boyle Farm, Ditton. He gave evidence as to what Lord St. Leonards had told him respecting his intentions as to the disposal of his property. After examining him, I said with a polite bow: "Mr. Warren, I owe you an apology for bringing you into the Probate Court. I am sure no one will ever dream of disputing _your_ will, because you have left everybody '_Ten Thousand a Year_!'" Whereupon Warren bowed most politely to me in acknowledgment of the compliment; then bowed to the _Judge_, and received his lordship's bow in return; then bowed to the _jury_, then to the _Bar_, and, lastly, to the _gallery_. Writing of the Probate and Divorce Court reminds me of a curious application for the postponement of a trial made by George Brown, who was as good a humorist as he was a lawyer. I have said that Judges in those days were more strict in refusing these applications than in ours, and Cresswell was no exception to the rule. He disliked them, and rarely yielded. But Brown was a man of a very persuasive manner, and it was always difficult to refuse him anything. I was sitting in Cresswell's court when George rose as soon as the Judge had taken his seat, and asked if a case might be postponed which would be in the next day's list. "Have you an affidavit, Mr. Brown, as to the reason?" "Yes, my lord; but I can hardly put the real ground of my application into the affidavit. I have communicated with the other side, and they are perfectly agreeable under the circumstances." "I cannot agree to postpone without some adequate cause being stated," said Cresswell. "I am very sorry, my lord, but it will be very inconvenient to me to be here to-morrow."