DOMBRAIN (violently).--No sir! It is false! Who accuses me? The
prisoner!--and why? Because I have brought her to justice. Through her
lies I have been struck off the rolls, but I can prove myself
innocent, and will do so shortly!
COUNSEL.--I wish you every success, Mr. Dombrain, but I am afraid you
will find it difficult!
When Dombrain left the witness-box, the counsel for the prosecution
said he had no more witnesses to call at present, upon which the
counsel for the defence made a short speech, and said that as his
learned brother had set the example of brevity, he would do the same
thing, and only call one witness in defence of the prisoner. The name
of that witness was Samson Belk.
Mrs. Belswin looked surprised when she heard this name, not for a
moment thinking that Belk's evidence could do her any good; and
Kaituna also appeared to be astonished, as she knew how Belk had kept
out of the way since her mother's arrest. Maxwell's face, however,
wore a contented smile, and this smile was reflected in the
countenance of the defending counsel, so, without doubt, these two men
knew that Belk's evidence was valuable, and were prepared to abide by
the result.
Samson Belk, stepping into the witness-box, made oath according to
law, and gave the following remarkable evidence in favour of the
prisoner:--
He had been steward to the deceased baronet, and on the night of the
murder had come up to the hall to ask his master a question about the
discharge of farm hands. If was nearly eleven o'clock when he arrived
at the door of the hall, and he hesitated whether to disturb Sir
Rupert at that hour. However, seeing the light streaming out of the
window of Sir Rupert's study, he advanced along in that direction, but
on hearing angry voices he had hidden himself behind a bush on the
terrace, in order to see what was the matter. The voices were those of
Sir Rupert and another man, whose tones he did not recognise. The
other man was imploring Sir Rupert to keep some secret, but the
baronet refused, and said all the world would know the truth on the
morrow. The man began to threaten, and Sir Rupert thrust him out of
the window on to the terrace, telling him he would ruin him by
revealing everything. So strong had been the baronet's push that the
man fell down upon the side of the terrace near the balustrade, and
Sir Rupert, with outstretched hand, stood pointing at him. The light
of the lamp within shone on the man crouching at the baronet's feet,
and I saw him take out something--I did not know what--and point it at
Sir Rupert, who stood in the window. There was no sound, and yet the
baronet fell, and the man, with a cry of triumph, rushed away into the
darkness. Witness ran forward to see what was the matter with his
master, and found him dead. He (the witness) had had a quarrel with
Sir Rupert on that day, and being afraid lest, if he gave the alarm,
he should be accused of the murder, and could not defend himself, he