Before the Bench. 1 49 



one of the gipsy-looking men advances and is ordered 

 to stand before that part of the table which by consent 

 represents the bar. 



' Oby Bottleton,' says the Clerk, half reading, half 

 extemporizing, and shuffling his papers to conceal 

 certain slips of technicality ; ' you are charged with 

 trespassing in pursuit of game at Essant Hill that 

 you did use a wire on the estate on land in the 

 occupation of Johnson.' ' It's a lie ! ' cries a good- 

 looking, dark-complexioned woman, who has come 

 up behind the defendant (the whilome navvy), and 

 carries a child so wrapped in a shawl as to be invisible. 

 ' Silence ! or you'll have to go outside the court. Mr. 

 Dalton Dessant will leave the bench during the hearing 

 of this case.' Mr. Dalton Dessant, one of the silent 

 magistrates already alluded to, bows to the chairman, 

 and wriggles his chair back about two feet from the 

 table. There he gazes at the ceiling. He is one of 

 the trustees of the Essant Hill property ; and the 

 bench are very careful to consult public opinion in 

 L borough. 



The first witness is an assistant keeper : the head 

 keeper stands behind him a fine man, still upright 

 and hearty-looking, but evidently at the beginning 

 of the vale of years ; he holds his hat in his hand ; 

 the sunlight falls through the casement on his worn 



