the only man who had money; he was the only man who could use the inventions; and he kept me at work, until he had secured everything that he wished for.  In the meantime, I suffered for the lack of the necessaries of life, and was fed from day to day, and month to month, and year to year, on promises.  He never rendered me any returns, declared that the patents were nearly useless to him, and demanded, as a consideration for the money he had advanced to me, the assignment of all my patents to him.  My only child was born in the midst of my early trouble, and such were the privations to which my wife was subjected that she never saw a day of health after the event.  She died at last, and in the midst of my deepest troubles, Mr. Belcher pursued me with his demands for the assignment of my patents.  He still held me to him by the bestowal of small sums, which necessity compelled me to accept.  He always had a remarkable power over me, and I felt that he would lead me to destruction.  I saw the hopes of years melting away, and knew that in time he would beat down my will, and, on his own terms, possess himself of all the results of my years of study and labor.  I saw nothing but starvation before me and my child, and went down into a horror of great darkness.”

A cold shiver ran over the witness, and his face grew pale and pinched, at this passage of his story.  The court-house was as still as midnight.  Even the General lost his smile, and leaned forward, as if the narration concerned some monster other than himself.

“What then?” inquired Mr. Balfour.

“I hardly know.  Everything that I remember after that was confused and terrible.  For years I was insane.  I went to the hospital, and was there supported by Mr. Belcher.  He even followed me there, and endeavored to get my signature to an assignment, but was positively forbidden by the superintendent of the asylum.  Then, after being pronounced incurable, I was sent back to the Sevenoaks alms-house, where, for a considerable time, my boy was also kept; and from that horrible place, by the aid of a friend, I escaped.  I remember it all as a long dream of torture.  My cure came in the woods, at Number Nine, where I have ever since lived, and where twice I have been sought and found by paid emissaries of Mr. Belcher, who did not love him well enough to betray me.  And, thanks to the ministry of the best friends that God ever raised up to a man, I am here to-day to claim my rights.”

“These rights,” said Mr. Balfour, “these rights which you hold in your patented inventions, for all these years used by the defendant, you say you have never assigned.”

“Never.”

“If an assignment executed in due form should be presented to you, what should you say?”

“I object to the question,” said Mr. Cavendish, leaping to his feet.  “The document has not yet been presented to him.”

“The gentleman is right,” said Mr. Balfour; “the witness has never seen it.  I withdraw the question; and now tell me what you know about Mr. Belcher’s profits on the use of these inventions.”