we two-第71章

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d　resulted　good　not　in　the　least　understood　by　Raeburn；　or　Aunt　Jean；　or　Tom；　who　merely　knew　that　Erica　was　less　hot　and　hasty　than　in　former　times；　and　found　it　more　of　a　relief　than　ever　to　come　home　to　her　loving　sympathy。

〃After　all；〃　they　used　to　say；　〃the　miserable　delusion　hasn't　been　able　to　spoil　her。〃

One　day；　just　after　the　court　had　reassembled　in　the　afternoon；　Erica　was　putting　the　finishing　touches　to　a　very　sprightly　criticism　on　a　certain　political　speech；　when　suddenly　she　heard　the　name；　for　which　she　had　waited　so　long；　called　in　the　clerk's　most　sonorous　tones　〃Erica　Raeburn！〃

She　was　conscious　of　a　sudden　white　flash　as　every　face　in　the　crowded　court　turned　towards　her；　but　more　conscious　of　a　strong　Presence　which　seemed　to　wrap　her　in　a　calm　so　perfect　that　the　disagreeable　surroundings　became　a　matter　of　very　slight　import。　　Here　were　hostile　eyes；　indeed；　but　she　was　strong　enough　to　face　all　the　powers　of　evil　at　once。　　A　sort　of　murmur　ran　through　the　court　as　she　entered　the　witness　box；　but　she　did　not　heed　it　any　more　than　she　would　have　heeded　the　murmur　of　the　summer　wind　without。　　She　just　stood　there；　strong　in　her　truth　and　purity；　able；　if　need　be；　to　set　a　whole　world　at　defiance。

〃Pogson's　made　a　mistake　in　calling　her；〃　said　a　briefless　barrister　to　one　of　his　companions　in　adversity；　they　both　spent　their　lives　in　hanging　about　the　courts；　thankful　when　they　could　get　a　bit　of　〃deviling。〃

〃Right　you　are！〃　replied　the　other；　putting　up　his　eyeglass　to　look　at　Erica；　and　letting　it　drop　after　a　brief　survey。　　〃I'd　bet　twenty　to　one　that　girl　loses　him　his　case。　　And　I'm　hanged　if　he　doesn't　deserve　to。〃

〃Well；　it　is　rather　a　brutal　thing　to　make　a　man's　own　child　give　evidence　against　him。　　Halloo！　　Just　look　at　Raeburn！　　That　man's　either　a　consummate　actor；　or　else　a　living　impersonation　of　righteous　anger。〃

〃No　acting　there；〃　replied　the　other；　putting　up　his　eyeglass　again。　　〃It's　lucky　dueling　is　a　thing　of　the　past　or　I　expect　Pogson　would　have　a　bullet　in　his　heart　before　the　day　was　over。　　I　don't　wonder　he's　furious；　poor　fellow！　　Now；　then　here's　old　Cringer　working　himself　up　into　his　very　worst　temper！〃

The　whispered　dialogue　was　interrupted　for　a　few　minutes　but　was　continued　at　intervals。

〃By　Jove；　what　a　voice　she's　got！　　The　jury　will　be　flints　if　they　are　not　influenced　by　it。　　Ah；　you　great　brute！　　I　wouldn't　have　asked　her　that　question　for　a　thousand　pounds！　　How　lovely　she　looks　when　she　blushes！　　He'll　confuse　her；　though；　as　sure　as　fate。　　No；　not　a　bit　of　it！　　That　was　dignified；　wasn't　it？　　How　the　words　rang；　'Of　course　not！'　　I　say；　Jack；　this　will　be　as　good　as　a　lesson　in　elocution　for　us！〃

〃Raeburn　looks　up　at　that　for　the　first　time。　　Well；　poor　devil！　　However　much　baited；　he　can；　at　any　rate；　feel　proud　of　his　daughter。〃

Then　came　a　long　pause。　　For　the　fire　of　questions　was　so　sharp　that　the　two　would　not　break　the　thread　by　speaking。　　Once　or　twice　some　particularly　irritating　question　was　ruled　by　the　judge　to　be　inadmissible；　upon　which　Mr。　Cringer　looked；　in　a　hesitatingly　courteous　manner；　toward　him；　and　obeyed　orders　with　a　smiling　deference；　then；　facing　round　upon　Erica；　with　a　little　additional　venom；　he　visited　his　annoyance　upon　her　by　exerting　all　his　unrivaled　skill　in　endeavoring　to　make　her　contradict　herself。

〃You'll　make　nothing　of　this　one；　Cringer；〃　one　of　his　friends　had　said　to　him　at　the　beginning　of　Erica's　evidence。　　And　he　had　smiled　confidently　by　way　of　reply。　　All　the　more　was　he　now　determined　not　to　be　worsted　by　a　young　girl　whom　he　ought　to　be　able　to　put　out　of　countenance　in　ten　minutes。

The　result　of　this　was　that；　in　the　words　of　the　newspaper　reports；　〃the　witness's　evidence　was　not　concluded　when　the　court　rose。〃　　This　was　perhaps　the　greatest　part　of　the　trial　to　Erica。　　She　had　hoped；　not　only　for　her　own；　but　for　her　father's　sake；　that　her　evidence　might　all　be　taken　in　one　day；　and　Mr。　Cringer；　while　really　harming　his　own　cause　by　prolonging　her　evidence；　inflicted　no　slight　punishment　on　the　most　troublesome　witness　he　had　ever　had　to　deal　with。

The　next　morning　it　all　came　over　again　with　increased　disagreeableness。

〃Erica　always　was　the　plucky　one；〃　said　Tom　to　his　mother　as　they　watched　her　enter　the　witness　box。　　〃She　always　did　the　confessing　when　we　got　into　scrapes。　　I　only　hope　that　brute　of　a　Cringer　won't　put　her　out　of　countenance。〃

He　need　not　have　feared；　though　in　truth　Erica　was　tried　to　the　utmost。　　To　begin　with；　it　was　one　of　the　very　hottest　of　the　dog…days；　and　the　court　was　crowded　to　suffocation。　　This　was　what　the　public　considered　the　most　interesting　day　of　the　trial　for　it　was　the　most　personal　one；　and　the　English　have　as　great　a　taste　for　personalities　as　the　Americans　though　it　is　not　so　constantly　gratified。　　Apparently　Mr。　Cringer；　being　a　shrewd　man；　had　managed　in　the　night　watches　to　calculate　Erica's　one　vulnerable　point。　　She　was　fatally　clear…headed；　most　aggravatingly　and　palpably　truthful；　most　unfortunately　fascinating；　and；　though　naturally　quick…tempered；　most　annoyingly　self…controlled。　　But　she　was　evidently　delicate。　　If　he　could　sufficiently　harass　and　tire　her；　he　might　make　her　say　pretty　much　what　he　pleased。

This；　at　least；　was　the　conclusion　at　which　he　had　arrived。　　And　if　it　was　indeed　his　duty　to　the　defendant　to　exhaust　both　fair　means　and　foul　in　the　endeavor　to　win　him　his　case；　then　he　certainly　fulfilled　his　duty。　　For　six　long　hours；　with　only　a　brief　interval　for　luncheon；　Erica　was　baited；　badgered；　tormented　with　questions　which　in　themselves　were　insults；　assured　that　she　had　said　what　she　had　not　said；　tempted　to　say　what　she　did　not　mean；　involved　in　fruitless　discussions　about　places　and　dates　and；　in　fact；　so　thoroughly　tortured；　that　most　girls　would　long　before　have　succumbed。　　She　did　not　succumb；　but　she　grew　whiter　and　whiter　save　when　some　vile　insinuation　brought　a　momentary　wave　of　crimson　across　her　face。

Tom　listened　breathlessly　to　the　examination　which　went　on　in　a　constant　crescendo　of　bitterness。

〃The　plaintiff　was　in　the　habit　of　doing　this？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Your　suspicion　was　naturally　excited；　then？〃

〃Certainly　not。〃

〃Not　excited？〃　incredulously。

〃Not　in　the　least。〃

〃You　are　an　inmate　of　the　plaintiff's　house；　I　believe？〃

〃I　am。〃

〃But　this　has　not　always　been　the　case？〃

〃All　my　life　with　the　exception　of　two　years。〃

〃Your　reason　for　the　two　years'　absence　had　a　connection　with　the　plaintiff's　mode　of　life；　had　it　not？〃

〃Not　in　the　sense　you　wish　to　imply。　　It　had　a　connection　with　our　extreme　poverty。〃

〃Though　an　inmate　of　you　father's　house；　you　are　often　away　from　home？〃

〃No；　very　rarely。〃

〃Oblige　me　by　giving　a　straightforward　answer。　　What　do　you　mean　by　rarely？〃

〃Very　seldom。〃

〃This　is　mere　equivocation；　will　you　give　me　a　straightforward　reply？〃

〃I　can't　make　it　more　so；〃　said　Erica；　keeping　her　temper　perfectly　and　replying　to　the　nagging　interrogatories。　　〃Do　you　mean　once　a　year；　twice　a　year？〃　etc。；　etc。；　with　a　steady　patience　which　foiled　Mr。　Cringer　effectually。　　He　opened　a　fresh　subject。

〃Do　you　remember　the　1st　of　September　last　year？〃

〃I　do。〃

〃Do　you　remember　what　happened　then？〃

〃Partridge　shooting　began。〃

There　was　much　laughter　at　this　reply；　she　made　it　partly　because　even　now　the　comic　side　of　everything　struck　her；　partly　because　she　wanted　to　gain　time。　　What　in　the　world　was　Mr。　Cringer　driving　at？

〃Did　not　something　occur　that　night　in　Guilford　Terrace　which　you　were　anxious　to　conceal？〃

For　a　moment　Erica　was　dumfounded。　　It　flashed　upon　her　that　he　knew　of　the　Haeberlein　adventure　and　meant　to　serve　his　purpose　by　distorting　it　into　something　very　different。　　Luckily　she　was　almost　as　rapid　a　thinker　as　her　father；　she　saw　that　there　was　before　her　a　choice　of　two　evils。　　She　must　either　allow　Mr。　Cringer　to　put　an　atrocious　construction　on　her　unqualified　〃yes〃　or　she　must　boldly　avow　Haeberlein's　visit。

〃With　regard　to　my　father　there　was　nothing　to　conceal；〃　she　replied。

〃Will　you　swear　that　there　was　NOTHING　to　conceal？〃

〃With　regard　to　my　father　there　was　nothing　to　conceal；〃　she　replied。

〃Don't　bandy　words　with　me。　　Will　you　repeat　my　formula　'Nothing　to　conceal？'〃

〃No；　I　will　not　repeat　that。〃

〃You　admit　that　there　WAS　something　to　conceal？〃

〃If　you　call　Eric　Haeberlein　'something'　yes。〃

There　was　a　great　sensation　in　the　court　at　these　words。　　But　Mr。　Cringer　was　nonplused。　　The　mysterious　〃something；〃　out　of　which　he　had　intended　to　make　such　capital；　was　turned　into　a　boldly　avowed　reality　a　reality　which　would　avail　him　nothing。　　Moreover；　most　people　would　now　see　through　his　very　unworthy　maneuvers。　　Furiously　he　hurled　question　upon　question　at　Erica。　　He　surpassed　himself　in　sheer　bullying。　　By　this　time；　too；　she　was　very　weary。　　The　long　hours　of　standing；　the　insufferable　atmosphere；　the　incessant　stabs　at　her　father's　character　made　the　examination　almost　intolerable。　　And　the　difficulty　of　answering　the　fire　of　questions　was　great。　　She　struggled　on；　however；　until　the　time　came　when　Raeburn　stood　up　to　ask　whether　a　certain　question　was　allowable。　　She　looked　at　him　then　for　the　first　time；　saw　how　terribly　he　was　feeling　her　interminable　examination；　and　for　a　moment　lost　heart。　　The　rows　of　people　grew　hazy　and　indistinct。　Mr。　Cringer's　face　got　all　mixed　up　with　his　wig；　she　had　to　hold　tightly　to　the　railing。　　How　much　longer　could　she　endure？

〃Yet　you　doubtless　thought　this　probable？〃　continued　her　tormentor。

〃Oh；　no！　　On　the　contrary；　quite　the　reverse；〃　said　Erica　with　a　momentary　touch　of　humor。

〃Are　you　acquainted　with　the　popular　saying：　'None　are　so　blind　as　those　who　will　not　see？'〃

The　tone　was　so　insulting　that　indignation　restored　Erica　to　her　full　strength；　she　was　stung　into　giving　a　sharp　retort。

〃Yes；〃　she　said　very　quietly。　　〃It　has　often　occurred　to　me　during　this　action　as　strangely　applicable　to　the　defendant。〃

Mr。　Cringer　looked　as　if　he　could　have　eaten　her。　　There　was　a　burst　of　applause　which　was　speedily　suppressed。

〃Yet　you　do　not；　of　course；　mean　to　deny　the　whole　allegation？〃

〃Emphatically！〃

〃Are　you　aware　that　people　will　think　you　either　a　deluded　innocent　or　an　infamous　deceiver？〃

〃I　am　not　here　to　consider　what　people　may　think　of　me；　but　to　speak　the　truth。〃

And　as　she　spoke　she　involuntarily　glanced　toward　those　twelve　fellow…countrymen　of　hers　upon　whose　verdict　so　much　depended。　　Probably　even　the　oldest；　even　the　coldest　of　the　jurymen　felt　his　heart　beat　a　little　faster　as　those　beautiful；　sad　honest　eyes　scanned　the　jury　box。　　As　for　the　counsel　for　the　defense；　he　prudently　accepted　his　defeat　and；　as　Raeburn　would　not　ask　a　single　question　of　his　daughter　in　cross…examination；　another　witness　was　called。

Long　after；　it　was　a　favorite　story　among　the　young　barristers　of　how　Mr。　Cringer　was　checkmated　by　Raeburn's　daughter。

The　case　dragged　on　its　weary　length　till　August。　　At　last；　when　two　months　of　the　public　time　had　been　consumed；　when　something　like　20；000　pounds　had　been　spent；　when　most　bitter　resentment　had　been　stirred　up　among　the　secularists；　Mr。　Pogson's　defense