No copy of the proceedings had been supplied to me, and I was informed that at this preliminary cross-examination they would not require my assistance; that their learned Chancery barrister was merely going to cross-examine the Claimant on his affidavits—­a matter of small consequence.  So it was in one way, but of immeasurable importance in many other ways.  But they said I might like to hear the cross-examination as a matter of curiosity.

I did.

The Claimant had it all his own way.  I was powerless to lend any assistance; but had I been instructed, I am perfectly sure I could then and there have extinguished the case, for the Claimant at that time knew absolutely nothing of the life and history of Roger Tichborne.

So the case proceeded, with costs piled on costs; information picked up, especially by means of interminable preliminary proceedings, until the impostor was left master of the situation, to the gratification of fools and the hopes of fanatics.

I was, however, allowed in the trial to cross-examine some witnesses.  Amongst them was a man of the name of Baigent, the historian of the family, who knew more of the Tichbornes than they knew of themselves.  The cross-examination of Baigent, which did more than anything to destroy the Claimant’s case, occupied ten days.  He was the real Roger’s old friend, and knew him up to the time of his leaving England never to return.  I drew from him the confession that he did not believe he was alive, but that he had encouraged the Dowager Lady Tichborne to believe that the Claimant was her son; and that her garden was lighted night after night with Chinese lanterns in expectation of his coming.

Admissions were also obtained that when he saw the Claimant at Alresford Station neither knew the other, although Baigent had never altered in the least, as he alleged.

There was another witness allotted to me, and that was Carter, an old servant of Roger whilst he was in the Carabineers.  This man supplied the plaintiff with information as to what occurred in the regiment while Roger belonged to it; but he only knew what was known to the whole regiment.  He did not know private matters which took place at the officers’ mess, and it was upon these that my cross-examination showed the Claimant to be an impostor.  I “had him there.”

As Parry and I were sitting one morning waiting for the Judges, I remarked on the subject of the counsel chosen for the prosecution:  “Suppose, Parry, you and I had been Solicitor and Attorney-General, in the circumstances what should we have done?”

“Plunged the country into a bloody war before now, I dare say,” said Parry, elevating his eyebrows and wig at the same time.

I confess when I undertook the responsibility of this great trial I was not aware of the immense labour and responsibility it would involve; nor do I believe any one had the smallest notion of the magnitude of the task.