Our next witness was James Kirby, groom to the late baronet and to the present earl.  After a few unimportant questions, I asked him if he had ever seen that gentleman before, pointing to Mr. Ferret, who stood up for the more facile recognition of his friend Kirby.

“Oh yes, he remembered the gentleman well; and a very nice, good-natured, soft sort of a gentleman he was.  He treated witness at the “Albemarle Arms,” London, to as much brandy and water as he liked, out of respect to his late master, whom the gentleman seemed uncommon fond of.”

“Well, and what return did you make for so much liberality?”

“Return! very little I do assure ye.  I told un how many horses Sir Harry kept, and how many races he won; but I couldn’t tell un much more, pump as much as he would, because, do ye see, I didn’t know no more.”

An audible titter from the other side greeted the witness as he uttered the last sentence.  Mr. S ——­, with one of his complacent glances at the jury-box, remarking in a sufficiently loud whisper, “That he had never heard a more conclusive reason for not telling in his life.”

“Did you mention that you were present at the death of the late baronet?”

“Yes I did.  I told un that I were within about three hundred red yards of late master when he had that ugly fall; and that when I got up to un, he sort of pulled me down, and whispered hoarse-like, ’Send for Reverend Zachariah Zimmerman.’  I remembered it, it was sich an outlandish name like.”

“Oh, oh,” thought I, as Mr. S ——­ reached across the table for the parish register, “Z.Z. is acquiring significance I perceive.”

“Well, and what did this gentleman say to that?”

“Say?  Why, nothing particular, only seemed quite joyful ’mazed like; and when I asked un why, he said it was such a comfort to find his good friend Sir Harry had such pious thoughts in his last moments.”

The laugh, quickly suppressed, that followed these words, did not come from our learned friends on the other side.

“Sir Harry used those words?”

“He did; but as he died two or three minutes after, it were of course no use to send for no parson whatsomever.”

“Exactly.  That will do, unless the other side have any questions to ask.”  No question was put, and the witness went down.  “Call,” said I to the crier of the court—­“call the Reverend Zachariah Zimmerman.”

This was a bomb-shell.  Lord Emsdale, the better to conceal his agitation, descended from the bench and took his seat beside his counsel.  The Reverend Zachariah Zimmerman, examined by Mr. Frampton, deponed in substance as follows:—­“He was at present rector of Dunby, Shropshire, and had been in holy orders more than twenty years.  Was on a visit to the Reverend Mr. Cramby at Leeds seven years ago, when one morning Mr. Cramby, being much indisposed, requested him to perform the marriage ceremony for a young couple then waiting in church.