“Yes.”

“You still say—­mind, Leek, you are on your oath!—­you still say that you refused thirty-six thousand pounds in order to accept five hundred.”

“I sold a picture for five hundred.”

(On the placards in the Strand:  “Severe cross-examination of Leek.”)

“Now about the encounter with Mr. Duncan Farll.  Of course, if you are really Priam Farll, you remember all about that?”

“Yes.”

“What age were you?”

“I don’t know.  About nine.”

“Oh!  You were about nine.  A suitable age for cake.” (Great laughter.) “Now, Mr. Duncan Farll says you loosened one of his teeth.”

“I did.”

“And that he tore your clothes.”

“I dare say.”

“He says he remembers the fact because you had two moles.”

“Yes.”

“Have you two moles?”

“Yes.” (Immense sensation.)

Pennington paused.

“Where are they?”

“On my neck just below my collar.”

“Kindly place your hand at the spot.”

Priam did so.  The excitement was terrific.

Pennington again paused.  But, convinced that Priam was an impostor, he sarcastically proceeded—­

“Perhaps, if I am not asking too much, you will take your collar off and show the two moles to the court?”

“No,” said Priam stoutly.  And for the first time he looked Pennington in the face.

“You would prefer to do it, perhaps, in his lordship’s room, if his lordship consents.”

“I won’t do it anywhere,” said Priam.

“But surely—­” the judge began.

“I won’t do it anywhere, my lord,” Priam repeated loudly.  All his resentment surged up once more; and particularly his resentment against the little army of experts who had pronounced his pictures to be clever but worthless imitations of himself.  If his pictures, admittedly painted after his supposed death, could not prove his identity; if his word was to be flouted by insulting and bewigged beasts of prey; then his moles should not prove his identity.  He resolved upon obstinacy.

“The witness, gentlemen,” said Pennington, K.C., in triumph to the jury, “has two moles on his neck, exactly as described by Mr. Duncan Farll, but he will not display them!”

Eleven legal minds bent nobly to the problem whether the law and justice of England could compel a free man to take his collar off if he refused to take his collar off.  In the meantime, of course, the case had to proceed.  The six or seven hundred pounds a day must be earned, and there were various other witnesses.  The next witness was Alice.

* * * * *

CHAPTER XII

Alice’s Performances