Pursed lips, brows wrinkled in thought, and restless anxious eyes indorse the serious aspect of the place.  The very bustle of counsel, the scurry of clerks, the dash of messengers, proclaim matters of moment to be afoot.  The whispered consultation, the pregnant nod, the nervous litigant buttonholing his lawyer, his advisers urging a certain course upon an indignant suitor, the furtive fellowship of witnesses, the solemn tipstaves, the ushers commanding silence, and the still small voice of Justice, charge all the dusty atmosphere with such importance as ties up the ready tongues of chatterers, ushers the jest still-born, and renders the very self of Folly wide-eyed and breathless.

Punctually at half-past ten his lordship entered the Court, returned the bows of counsel, and took his seat upon the Bench.  With a sharp jingle the usher drew the green curtains across the door which led into the Judges’ corridor, descended into the well of the Court, and looked complacently about him.  Two or three cases were mentioned, the jury was sworn, and the Associate, after inquiring nonchalantly whether the King’s Counsel were prepared, called on the case of Pleydell against Bladder, and sank back in his seat with a look of resignation.

Daphne, Jonah, and Jill were seated behind the junior Bar, while Berry and I sat one upon either side of our attorney at the solicitors’ table.  Upon the same bench, a little further along, was sitting Mr. Bladder, a large bland gentleman, with an air of good-nature which in the circumstances was rather too pronounced to be natural, and a taste in dress which would have better become a younger and a slenderer man.

Briefly our leader opened the case.  There was little to be said, and he was on his feet for less than a quarter of an hour, but in that space of time he had presented to the jury so vivid a word-picture of the accident, and had dwelt so convincingly upon the facts which pointed to the defendant’s guilt, that it was actually difficult to believe that the issue of the action was any longer in doubt, and I began to speculate upon the amount of damages we should be awarded.  Such is the art of pleading.

A plan of the spot at which the collision had taken place was produced and officially accepted by the defence.  Then Jonah was called.  He gave his evidence admirably, and all counsel’s endeavours to shake his confidence regarding the identity of the number-plate were of no avail.  Daphne followed her cousin.  She was a little nervous at first, and the Judge requested her to raise her voice.  She responded gallantly, and the conviction with which she told her story in corroboration of Jonah produced a noticeable effect upon the Court.  The result of her cross-examination was in our favour.  I came next.  Counsel for the defence made a great effort to pin me to a certain estimate of the speed at which the offending car was moving, but I scented danger and refused to be tied down.