THE STRAND MAGAZINE . 
29 £ 
obviously flattered by the attentions he paid 
her. began to feel that she would rather swear 
to anything than annoy so pleasant a gentle- 
man. She admitted at last that she was not 
absolutely sure that this was the girl who 
took the purse ; she might have been mis- 
taken. She retired with a glance overflowing 
with admiration at her interlocutor* and for 
ever afterwards maintained that Mr. Mark 
Nugent* some time later a K.C., was the most 
charming man she had ever known. 
The two assistants* whose evidence was 
of most importance, maintained that they 
never lost sight of the prisoner, although she 
was arrested in the next department. They 
were not so easy to handle as the lady who 
owned the purse. Nevertheless, Mark Nugent 
managed to get one of them to admit that he 
might have lost sight of her. 
But though he was forced at last to admit 
that lie must have done so, he still main- 
tained that he saw her take the purse, and 
had recognized her in the next room just as 
she was laid hold of by the other man. The 
following witness was more deadly. There 
did seem some possibility, from bis position 
in the first room, that he had not lost sight 
of the girl until he laid his hand on her. 
Upon the whole things looked bad. 
Just as this witness was done with a letter 
was brought in and handed to the magistrate, 
who lifted his hand, saying, “ One moment, 
Mr. Nugent, if you please.” 
He looked at the letter, which was marked 
“ Urgent,” and was in the very large enve- 
lope which Miss Hopkins had addressed under 
the direction of Mr. Smith. It was obvious 
to everybody in court that this envelope 
contained two enclosures. The magistrate 
read the letter and seemed amused. What- 
ever view he was going to take of it, it was 
obvious that the contents of the epistle 
appealed to his sense of humour. Never- 
theless he restrained it. even when he 
read the inscription on the back of the 
photograph. 
In the meantime Nugent still stood up, as 
if he were waiting courteously for the magis- 
trate’s permission to say something for the 
prisoner. He was not, however, surprised 
that for the moment he got. no chance to 
speak, because Mr. Chisholm, acting as Smith 
had expected, said, gravely: — 
“ I have received a letter bearing on this 
case, Mr. Fortescue, and, though it is not 
evidence, 1 think you and Mr. Nugent ought 
to see it. I will hand it down to you.” 
It was given by one of the attendants to 
Mr. Fortes cue, who read it, and did not seem 
quite happy, in spite of the fact that accord- 
ing to the English law such a confession was 
not evidence. After reading it he handed it 
to Nugent, who went through it with the 
greatest interest. Nugent could not suppress 
a smile when he finished it and handed it to 
Mr. Smith, who read it with portentous 
gravity. On the whole the solicitor was much 
pleased with the result of his dictation and 
the characteristic inscription on the photo- 
graph. He and Nugent and Mr. Fortescue 
put their heads together. 
“ Well, what about it ? ” asked Fortescue, 
shrugging his shoulders. 
“ We shall see,” said Nugent. 
“ Besides,” said Mr. Smith, who had been 
listening, “ do you think it would be a good 
advertisement for your clients to appear 
vindictive in a case like this ? ” 
“ Maybe not ” said Fortescue, “ but I pro- 
pose to go on.” 
“ Very well,” said Nugent. And, rising, 
he said to the magistrate, “ 1 will ask you to 
allow the witnesses to be recalled, as 1 have 
further questions which 1 think ought to be 
put to them, and which 1 was not in a position 
to put to them before.” He held the photo- 
graph in his hand, and the magistrate 
thoroughly understood what he meant. 
Certainly, Mr. Nugent,” he replied. 
The lady who had lost the purse again 
entered the witness-box. She smiled pleas- 
antly at Mark Nugent, as if glad to have a 
little more conversation with him, and Nugent 
smiled once more as if he were glad to take 
another look at his beautiful ideal. Then, 1 
handing her the photograph, he asked : 
“ Would you please to look at this photo- 
graph ? ” 
She did so. 
ei Now tell me whose it is.” 
“It is a photograph of the prisoner,” said 
the lady, 
“ That will do,” said Nugent. 
Mr. Jones, the first assistant, was also 
recalled. He, too, affirmed that the photo- 
graph was that of the person in custody. 
The other assistant was at first a little 
uncertain, but finally decided that it was a 
photograph of the prisoner. 
As Fortescue did not attempt to re-examine 
any of his witnesses, this was the end of Ins 
case, and the magistrate then gave the 
prisoner the usual caution. Nugent rose to 
open his defence. The first witness he called 
was Inspector Harrison. He handed him the 
photograph and asked, “Is that a portrait 
of the prisoner ? ” 
“ No, sir, it is not,” replied the inspector. 
