“If they were credible people, and not unfriendly to me, I should be compelled to believe them.”

“Why, sir! you are an admirable witness!  I did not anticipate such candor.  We are getting at the matter bravely.  We have your confession, then, that you do not remember distinctly the events that occurred the day before your attack, and your assertion that you are ready to believe and accept the testimony of credible witnesses in regard to those events.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Did you ever know Nicholas Johnson and James Ramsey?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Where did you see them last?”

“In Mr. Belcher’s library.”

“On what occasion, or, rather, at what time?”

“I have sad reason to remember both the occasion and the date, sir.  Mr. Belcher had determined to get my signature to an assignment, and had brought me to his house on another pretext entirely.  I suppose he had summoned these men as witnesses.”

“Where are these men now?”

“Unhappily, they are both dead.”

“Yes, unhappily indeed—­unhappily for my client.  Was there anybody else in the room?”

“I believe that Phipps, Mr. Belcher’s man, was coming and going.”

“Why, your memory is excellent, is it not?  And you remember the date of this event too!  Suppose you tell us what it was.”

“It was the 4th of May, 1860.”

“How confused you must have been!” said Mr. Cavendish.

“These are things that were burnt into my memory,” responded the witness.  “There were other occurrences that day, of which I have been informed, but of which I have no memory.”

“Ah, there are!  Well, I shall have occasion to refresh your mind upon still another, before I get through with you.  Now, if I should show you an assignment, signed by yourself on the very day you have designated, and also signed by Johnson, Ramsey and Phipps as witnesses, what should you say to it?”

“I object to the question.  The counsel should show the document to the witness, and then ask his opinion of it,” said Mr. Balfour.

The Court coincided with Mr. Balfour’s view, and ruled accordingly.

“Very well,” said Mr. Cavendish, “we shall get at that in good time.  Now, witness, will you be kind enough to tell me how you remember that all this occurred on the 4th of May, 1860?”

“It happened to be the first anniversary of my wife’s death.  I went from her grave to Mr. Belcher’s house.  The day war associated with the saddest and most precious memories of my life.”

“What an excellent memory!” said Mr. Cavendish; rubbing his white hands together.  “Are you familiar with the signatures of Nicholas Johnson and James Ramsey?”

“I have seen them many times.”

“Would you recognize them, if I were to show them to you?”

“I don’t know sir.”

“Oh! your memory begins to fail now, does it?  How is it that you cannot remember things with which you were familiar during a series of years, when you were perfectly sane, and yet can remember things so well that happened when your mind was confused?”