WITNESS: Sometimes I would listen, and once he spoke to me of a hazardous journey, and he said, “I did it a hundred million times; I did it so often, that when it came to be really done, it was not worth the doing, it was done so soon, and when it comes to be real, it was so short that for the first time it seemed to be unreal. No struggle, no sign of danger, no consciousness of peril! I never dreamt that before.” That’s what he said, my deary dear. MR. WALTERS: Well, he said, when it came to be done it was so short it was not worth doing? WITNESS: He said it was not real for the first time. MR. WALTERS: He talked about a real thing? WITNESS: He says, deary, “When it comes to be real it seems to be unreal for the first time,” my deary dear. MR. WALTERS: He said, “when it comes to be real”? WITNESS: “It seems unreal for the first time,” my poppett. MR. WALTERS: But when a man says “a real thing,” he means a real thing? MR. CHESTERTON: My Lord! JUDGE: There is some element of paradox involved here. I cannot consent to allow the witness to be attacked merely because a criminal says that that which seemed real before it happened appeared unreal when it happened, because I suppose most of us in this room have committed crimes at some time or other, and that is a possible state of affairs. MR. WALTERS: I will not ask any more questions, my Lord. MR. CHESTERTON (_re-examining_): When you say that you imagined the prisoner was rich as compared with your other clients—they would be Chinamen and sailors and Lascars? WITNESS: They was very poor, deary. MR. CHESTERTON: He was a different class of man? WITNESS: He was, my poppett. MR. CHESTERTON: The other question I want to ask you is this: When you told Mr. Drood that “Ned” was a threatened name, what did Mr. Drood say? WITNESS: He says, “But threatened men live long.” MR. CHESTERTON: What did you say? WITNESS: “Then,” I says to him, “Ned, so threatened is he, whoever he be, while I’m a talking to you, that he should live to all eternity.” MR. CHESTERTON: Thank you. Call Thomas Bazzard. USHER: Thomas Bazzard! [That gentleman entered the witness-box and was duly sworn.] [EVIDENCE OF THOMAS BAZZARD.] MR. CHESTERTON: Your name is Thomas Bazzard? WITNESS: Yes. MR. CHESTERTON: What is your profession? WITNESS: I am a clerk and investigator to Mr. Grewgious, of Staple Inn. MR. CHESTERTON: Mr. Grewgious is not, as he is wrongfully described I believe, in the indictment, a solicitor? WITNESS: No; Mr. Grewgious is a member of the Bar, but is not practising. He is Receiver and Manager of two large estates. MR. CHESTERTON: And what sort of work do you do?