Allan, the minister, who certainly had been at Ahalala, was as certainly dead.  He had gone out from Scotland as a Presbyterian clergyman, and no doubt had ever been felt as to his being that which he called himself;—­and a letter from him was produced which had undoubtedly been written by himself.  Robert Bolton had procured a photograph of the note which the woman produced as having been written by Allan to Caldigate.  The handwriting did not appear to him to be the same, but an expert had given an opinion that they both might have been written by the same person.  Of Dick Shand no tidings had been found.  It was believed that he had gone from Queensland to some of the Islands,—­probably to the Fijis; but he had sunk so low among men as to have left no trace behind him.  In Australia no one cares to know whence a shepherd has come or whither he goes.  A miner belongs to a higher class, and is more considered.  The result of all which was, in the opinion of the Boltons, adverse to John Caldigate.  And in discussing this with his client, Mr. Seely acknowledged that nothing had as yet come to light sufficient to shake the direct testimony of the woman, corroborated as it was by three persons, all of whom would swear that they had been present at the marriage.

‘No doubt they endeavoured to get money from you,’ said Mr. Seely; ’and I may be well assured in my own mind that money was their sole object.  But then it cannot be denied that their application to you for money had a sound basis,—­one which, though you might fairly refuse to allow it, takes away from the application all idea of criminality.  Crinkett has never asked for money as a bribe to hold his tongue.  In a matter of trade between them and you, you were very successful; they were very unfortunate.  A man asking for restitution in such circumstances will hardly be regarded as dishonest.’

It was to no purpose that Caldigate declared that he would willingly have remitted a portion of the money had he known the true circumstances.  He had not done so, and now the accusation was made.  The jury, feeling that the application had been justifiable, would probably keep the two things distinct.  That was Mr. Seely’s view; and thus, in these days, Caldigate gradually came to hate Mr. Seely.  There was no comfort to be had from Mr. Seely.

Mr. Bromley was much more comfortable, though, unfortunately, in such a matter less to be trusted.

‘As to the minister’s handwriting,’ he said, ’that will go for nothing.  Even if he had written the note——­’

‘Which he didn’t,’ said Caldigate.

’Exactly.  But should it be believed to have been his, it would prove nothing.  And as to the envelope, I cannot think that any jury would disturb the happiness of a family on such evidence as that.  It all depends on the credibility of the people who swear that they were present; and I can only say that were I one of the jury, and were the case brought before me as I see it now, I certainly should not believe them.  There is here one letter to you, declaring that if you will comply with her demands, she will not annoy you, and declaring also her purpose of marrying some one else.  How can any juryman believe her after that?’