Magistrate.  You say all the cigarettes were scattered on the bed? [To snow.] Did you see the cigarettes scattered on the bed?

Snow.  No, your Worship, I did not.

Magistrate.  You see he says he did n’t see them.

Jones.  Well, they were there for all that.

Snow.  I can’t say, your Worship, that I had the opportunity of going round the room; I had all my work cut out with the male prisoner.

Magistrate. [To Mrs. Jones.] Well, what more have you to say?

Mrs. Jones.  Of course when I saw the box, your Worship, I was dreadfully upset, and I could n’t think why he had done such a thing; when the officer came we were having words about it, because it is ruin to me, your Worship, in my profession, and I have three little children dependent on me.

Magistrate. [Protruding his neck].  Yes—­yes—­but what did he say to you?

Mrs. Jones.  I asked him whatever came over him to do such a thing —­and he said it was the drink.  He said he had had too much to drink, and something came over him.  And of course, your Worship, he had had very little to eat all day, and the drink does go to the head when you have not had enough to eat.  Your Worship may not know, but it is the truth.  And I would like to say that all through his married life, I have never known him to do such a thing before, though we have passed through great hardships and [speaking with soft emphasis] I am quite sure he would not have done it if he had been himself at the time.

Magistrate.  Yes, yes.  But don’t you know that that is no excuse?

Mrs. Jones.  Yes, your Worship.  I know that it is no excuse.

     [The magistrate leans over and parleys with his clerk.]

Jack. [Leaning over from his seat behind.] I say, Dad——­

Barthwick.  Tsst! [Sheltering his mouth he speaks to Roper.] Roper, you had better get up now and say that considering the circumstances and the poverty of the prisoners, we have no wish to proceed any further, and if the magistrate would deal with the case as one of disorder only on the part of——­

Bald constable.  HSSShh!

     [Roper shakes his head.]

Magistrate.  Now, supposing what you say and what your husband says is true, what I have to consider is—­how did he obtain access to this house, and were you in any way a party to his obtaining access?  You are the charwoman employed at the house?

Mrs. Jones.  Yes, your Worship, and of course if I had let him into the house it would have been very wrong of me; and I have never done such a thing in any of the houses where I have been employed.

Magistrate.  Well—­so you say.  Now let us hear what story the male prisoner makes of it.