254 THE HAUGHTYSHIRE HUNT. 



Judge had quite forgotten, for the moment, his projected quiet 

 little afternoon at Sandown.) 



But just as Mr. Clifford Sinn, bending beneath the storm of 

 stern judicial indignation, was wondering what on earth he 

 should do, a rustle at the back of the Court announced the 

 arrival of Mr. Silky, who, in a few hurried words from his 

 Junior, learned the state of the case. 



"M'Lud," began the great Queen's Counsel, in his most 

 oily tones, "if y'r Ludship will permit me to make an obser- 

 vation " but just at tliis moment the missing witness 



turned up, and at once went into the box. 



"Why were you not here at the right time, woman?" 

 snapped the Judge. 



"Well, please your Lordship, I met the defendant outside, 

 and I went up and says to him, I says, ' If you was a gentle- 

 man,' I says, ' you'd offer us somethink to settle this case.' " 



" That's no excuse for keeping one of Her Majesty's Judges 

 waiting, madam ! You should have been here ; or, at all 

 events, applied to me for an adjournment, so that you could 

 negotiate with the defendant for a settlement. You can have 

 an adjournment now if you like, to try and settle the matter." 

 (Mr. Justice Smotherum thought this would be rather a good 

 way of getting off to Sandown early.) 



" Oh no, thank you, my Lord. It wouldn't be no manner 

 of use. All as he offered me was thirty shillin's and my cab 

 fare 'ome ! " 



" Silence ! " shouted the usher, to drown the noise of ribald 

 laughter arising in the Court. 



In something less than ten minutes' cross-examination, 

 Pionald had bowled over the witness no less than three times 



